Overview
OnFlow was envisioned as the first dedicated social network for skateboarders, allowing users to upload and share videos, follow other skaters, and engage with a unique trick-rating system. Caravan collaborated with OnFlow’s non-technical founding team to bring this vision to life, handling everything from branding and UX design to full-scale product development and deployment on iOS and Android. The result was a leading video-based social network for skaters and extreme sports athletes, supporting millions of data requests per month at its peak.
Non-Technical Details
Skateboarding has always been a community-driven sport, but before OnFlow, no platform existed that was tailor-made for skaters to showcase their skills, connect, and engage in a meaningful way. The key objectives included:
- Video-First Social Experience – Users could upload and share trick videos, follow others, and interact through @mentions, hashtags, and direct messages.
- Trick Scoring & Ranking – A game-changing feature that allowed users to rate each other's tricks based on style and skill, adding a competitive layer to the app.
- Seamless User Experience – Designed an intuitive UI with a custom-built video recording interface, making it easy for skaters to capture and share content.
- Grassroots Community Growth – OnFlow built a skateboarding team and toured events nationwide to organically grow the user base.
Technical Details
Developing a high-performance, video-heavy social network in 2013 required innovative solutions. Caravan implemented a scalable architecture to handle a growing user base and massive video uploads, with key technical components including:
- Native iOS & Android Development – Launched initially on iOS, followed by an Android version to expand reach.
- Node.js Backend on AWS – Built and deployed multiple Node.js applications hosted on AWS to ensure scalability and performance.
- Vimeo Video Integration – Used Vimeo’s backend logic to optimize video delivery and playback.
- Geo-Based Content Discovery – Integrated a “scout map” feature allowing users to find and watch skateboarding videos from around the world.
- Scalability & Load Management – The system efficiently handled millions of monthly data requests without performance degradation.
Measuring Success
OnFlow quickly became a hub for skateboarders and action sports enthusiasts, achieving significant milestones:
- 10,000+ Active Users Worldwide – The app connected skaters globally, fostering an engaged and passionate community.
- Hundreds of Thousands of Uploaded Videos – Users consistently contributed content, making OnFlow a rich archive of skateboarding talent.
- Millions of Monthly Data Requests – Despite high traffic, the infrastructure maintained optimal performance, validating the scalability of our approach.
- Industry Recognition & Event Presence – OnFlow built a strong brand identity, attending major skateboarding events and sponsoring athletes.
About OnFlow
OnFlow was a geo-based social network for skateboarders, providing a platform for skaters to watch and upload videos from anywhere in the world. Though it eventually shut down due to funding limitations, OnFlow remains a significant success in Caravan’s portfolio, showcasing our ability to build and scale a custom social network from scratch while fostering an international community.