Hey r/dev! I’m a student dev (part of program across 6 schools) working on Viral Hunts, a mobile scavenger hunt app. It uses AI to generate clues from TikTok/X trends (e.g., “Visit the viral pizza spot”), rewards players with NFTs (via OpenSea), and adds lightweight 2D AR badges (8th Wall). We’re aiming for a demo by December 2025, and it’s built to go viral with Gen Z!
Check our mockup:
https://imgur.com/a/B0tEeE2
(Neon UI, “Trending Now” AI refresh, TikTok Famous Pizza Spot hunt—thoughts on the design?)
Tech Stack:
Frontend: Expo React Native (cross-platform iOS/Android). Using Cursor to generate lean components (e.g., clue screens, leaderboard).
AI: Grok API (x.ai/api) for text-based clue generation from social media—CPU-only, no GPU training.
AR: 8th Wall for lightweight 2D overlays, triggered by GPS (Expo Location).
NFTs: OpenSea API for minting/displaying badges.
Backend: Firebase for user scores and hunt progress.
Challenges & Questions:
How can I optimize Expo React Native performance for 100+ concurrent users (e.g., leaderboard updates)?
Any tips for integrating 8th Wall AR smoothly with React Native? (Current setup uses JS triggers.)
Best practices for scaling Firebase with NFT trade tracking?
Suggestions for Cursor prompts to streamline coding (e.g., “Generate a clue card component”)?
We’re keeping it GPU-light to focus on startup growth (no heavy AI training or 3D graphics). Monetization’s via premium hunts ($1-5), NFT fees, and biz sponsors. No sales pitch—just want dev insights to level up! What do you think of the concept or tech? Any gotchas to avoid? Thanks! 😄
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