What it is
Three React Native native-bridge libraries from the early RN days (0.14–0.40): a HockeyApp integration for crash reporting and beta distribution, a Google App Invites wrapper, and an Android ActionSheet to match RN’s iOS-only one.
Why I built them
I was shipping two production apps on both platforms (four builds every release), and there was no sane way to distribute betas and catch crashes. The tooling I needed didn’t exist, so I built it on top of what did, and open-sourced it.
What happened
react-native-hockeyapp became the de-facto bridge for its niche: my most-starred repo, and it still gets pulled from npm years after HockeyApp itself was absorbed into App Center and sunset. When maintenance outlived my need for it, I posted an open call for a maintainer rather than let it rot silently.
What I learned
This was my first real lesson in distribution: a library that rides a platform wave travels further than any app. Betting on React Native in 2016 (before it was safe) is the same move I’ve made with every wave since. The details of the era have faded; the pattern didn’t.