OnFlow - A Social Network for Skateboarders

Caravan partnered with a non-technical founding team to conceive, architect, build, deploy, and support a social video network for skateboarders, scaling it to thousands of users and millions of data requests per month.

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.