Blake Rubin is a professional mobile developer based in California. Having grown up in Los Angeles, he was able to see several developments in the technology industry. His inclination to technology became the starting point of his passion to study more about it in college and pursue it as a career path. His deep interest has allowed him to strive and become one of the most known mobile developers in Los Angeles, and eventually in San Francisco, California. Mr. Rubin made a name for himself and is now considered one of the top developers on the West Coast.
Many of Blake Rubin’s clients work in different technology industries, but some are in retail and agriculture. California is known for its varying economic strengths, and that says a lot about the types of businesses that Mr. Rubin works with. For 10 years, he has established a strong client base who avail of his services long-term across different projects. Blake Rubin has helped startup companies grow through digital marketing, as well as set-up applications for established businesses for their expansion. His increasing clientele made him decide to relocate from Los Angeles to San Francisco, where most of his customers are based.
What do you do?
I am a freelance mobile developer, which means I work with businesses hoping to digitalize some of their systems. I specialized in the mobile field because I have seen the potential that mobile-friendly interface increases engagement of users. I work with companies to set up mobile applications for their clients. An example would be bank mobile apps, e-commerce apps, as well as games for entertainment companies.
How long have you been in business?
I have been in the business for more than 10 years. Formerly, I was a freelance web developer back then were websites cannot be made through a WYSIWYG interface. I worked from scratch, using my HTML, CSS, PHP and Javascript knowledge to make websites for businesses. But now that there are a lot of software and ready-made templates that can help businesses create websites easily, I decided to move forward with mobile development.
Are there any unique challenges in your industry?
One of the unique challenges that I faced as a mobile developer is trying to meet my client’s specific needs when there is no available code for it. Often times, a client would have a vision of how they want their software to look like. Sadly, because of the limitations of code, there may be some preferences that cannot be established in the meantime. As developers try to learn code, I believe that IT professionals would look for more ways to develop code in such a way that it’s customizable than how it is now.
Do you have any particular challenges that you personally address?
Aside from some limitations in the mobile development industry, I also think that the field is fast-evolving. This means that I have to adapt to technological changes as quickly as I could. This may be a challenge for me, as I am continuously learning in my profession.
Is your industry growing, shrinking or remaining the same?
As I mentioned, the industry is fast-evolving and is growing quicker than most industries. I think there is no limit on how much technological advances can grow over time. As long as there are innovative minds, there will always be brilliant ideas.
How does technology impact your company?Have you ever been to Miami?
I may be giving a redundant answer since technology is the parent field of my industry, but I think that both of them go hand-in-hand. Since the development of smartphones in the late 2000s, it has been possible for users to access many features through mobile. I believe that this will only continue to expand over time.
Have you ever been to Miami?
Yes. Coming from the West Coast, I believe that Miami is still unique in its own way.
What part of Miami?
I have been to the Miami Beach area and downtown Miami.
Did you visit any particular locations including restaurants?
In South Beach, I enjoyed going to this wine bar called Cibo. I have a business meeting in downtown Miami for a traveling agency hoping to build an app for their clients. After the meeting, I went for a solo trip to South Beach and enjoyed the breathtaking tropical view over there. I happened to look at bar reviews and Cibo seemed to be the top choice, and I was not mistaken. The wines are fantastic! I have also stayed at Eden Roc Resort. I booked an oceanfront room which was a fabulous memory of my trip to Miami.
Would you come back?
I would definitely come back! I love San Francisco, but there’s just a lush and extravagant charm to Miami.
Was it a business or pleasure trip?
It was a mix of both. I had a business trip, and a few days to spare, so I traveled anyway. It turned out to be one of my best solo trips I took throughout my career.
Where do you see yourself or business in 5 years?
I am very forward-focused and tend to dwell on future plans. My goal for the next 5 years is to build my own mobile development agency where I hire young and enthusiastic professionals who can work with me on projects across varying industries. Tourism, retail, and healthcare are big on San Francisco, and I hope to close more deals of companies in that field.