David Pears
👋🏼

David Pears

Software Developer in LDN & STKHLM

Always happy to talk tech.

3 years ago

About

A product-focused Software Developer & veteran of the creative industries. I am currently the CTO/CoFounder of a disruptive video-based travel app, I am also a React Native engineer.

Ten years+ of senior management experience in the music industry, having founded an artist management company and worked with both major & independent record labels - and a former professional creative with a leading international TV production company.

Work Experience

2020 — Now
Remote

Navi Savi is a short-form video travel app, for categorizing accurate and honest user-generated content, combined with travel planning and booking to the masses, launched Spring 2021.

React native developer and CTO on this major (and fast-growing) project with a remote tech team of 6.

2024 — Now
VP, Technology (Fractional) at Indeez
Remote

Combining a love for tech and music in this exciting music-tech start-up (In stealth mode), leading the tech efforts to help create innovative solutions that will help shake up; and level up overlooked grassroots and independent music industry sectors.

2022 — 2023
Stockholm

SolidSport is a video streaming platform built to help grass-root level sports clubs and associations monetise their content.

A dedicated React Native developer tasked with creating a white-label mobile app solution for several sports federations as well as improving existing in-house applications that allow users to stream, consume, and report on live sports events. Working as part of a mobile development team of two.

2022 — 2022
Remote

Loqbox helps users (members) improve their credit scores whilst saving money.

A dedicated React Native developer tasked with helping to transform the existing mobile-web offering to a stand-alone app - working as part of a larger development team.

2020 — 2022
Stockholm

Riteband is a Swedish research-based company at the intersection of music and fintech. Their music marketplace "Tangy Market" allows faster funding for music rights owners and innovative investment opportunities for everyone, from music lovers to institutional investors.

Front-end Developer working with react-native & RESTful API's.

2019 — 2020
London

Beatchain is an innovative new technology platform at the intersection of music, technology and data science. Powered by artificial intelligence, their automated marketing tools enable artists to acquire fans quickly and cost-effectively. The aim is to empower artists to independently make a living from their music. The Beatchain platform provides free global music distribution, a social media manager, fan insights, media library, smart links, website builder and email manager.

Part of a small (two-person), agile team tasked with converting Beatchain's existing React web app into a bespoke ReactNative mobile offering. Working with TypeScript, GraphQL, and ReactNative.

2004 — 2016
London

Artist Manager and founder of an independent talent management company.

Responsible for a small management team and the development and strategic career planning for Artists on the roster.

A wide-ranging leadership role covering A&R, contract negations, securing record and publishing agreements. Budgeting and planning of releases, recording session & tours. Commercial relationship and deal negotiation. Full release campaign management across three major territories (UK, Germany and the US). Detailed tour planning (with experience of delivering tours across the UK, Europe & US).

The position focused largely on relationship management. Ensuring teams were hitting targets in a timely manner - working closely with stakeholders - radio, press and online PR agencies, major and independent label A&R and marketing teams, legal representatives, accountants and bookkeepers, booking agents and live promoters, (international and domestic) - as well as cultivating a substantial network of contacts in the music industry within the UK, mainland Europe and the US.

Certifications

2022 — 2024

Holding a Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) certification demonstrates knowledge and ability to support Scrum.

The CSM certificant:

● Adheres to Scrum as it is defined in the Scrum Guide

● Facilitates Scrum events and maintains Scrum artifacts

● Works to remove team and organizational impediments

CSM certification is a prerequisite for Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM℠) and the first step in the journey to become a Certified Scrum Professional® ScrumMaster (CSP®-SM).

Certification Requirements

This certificant has:

● Participated in person or virtually for an educational offering (>14 hours) or coaching session (>25 hours) led by a CST®, CEC, or CTC covering established learning objectives

● Demonstrated knowledge of being a Scrum Master by passing a certification exam

2022

IIRSM approved GDPR Essentials Training for data handlers

2022

CPD Registered cyber security awareness training

Projects

2022

Helped the Swedish Basketball Federation (SBBF) by focusing on digitizing the sport and making it accessible to everyone through live broadcasts. SBBF and Solidsport drove the development of how basketball is consumed in Sweden. As part of this effort, a new app for Basket TV was created and launched to make it even easier for basketball fans to follow their favorite teams.

"The app makes it possible to easily follow your favorite team and stream the matches you have chosen to purchase on Basket TV" - Fredrik Joulamo, Secretary General of the Swedish Basketball Federation.

2021

A brand new stock market for music that sits at the intersection of music and fintech. Enabling music rights holders and investors to trade music as an asset class for the first time.

2020

One of the first dedicated short-form video-based travel discovery apps. Allowing users to upload videos of amazing destinations, hotels, eateries or tourist attractions so that other users can discover, plan and book their next adventure.

2019

An Artist focused platform that brings all aspects of an Artists online world to one single dashboard: Streaming Data (Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube etc), Social Media (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook etc) and a plethora of other information. The concept is to allow a musician greater control of their data and therefore how they use that information to grow their fanbase.

Education

2018 — 2018
Edinburgh

Student at an intensive, industry-backed software development course. 800+ hours of self-directed and instructor-led, hands-on experience of Object Orientated Programming at CodeClan. A project-based course that encompassed:

Object-Oriented Programming underpinned by Test Driven Development (TDD). A series of hands-on practical Agile development projects utilising pair/mob programming as well as solo work all of which are delivered on a foundation of theoretical practices such as the SOLID principles, four pillars of OOP and RESTful workflows.

A combination of languages and tools have been learned: JavaScript, Java, CSS, HTML, Ruby, Node, React, Redux, MongoDB, SQL & Sinatra.

Achieved a PDA (level 8) in Software Development.

Contact

LinkedIn

Side Projects

2021

A lifestyle app for vegans, vegetarians and the v.curious. An app that will help users transition from meat-eaters along the path to a more sustainable diet by providing genuinely useful real-world information. Built around a bar-code scanner that will help determine a products v-credentials it also has a useful recipe section and v-friendly eatery locator to help you find and enjoy animal-friendly places.

The sister app 'Voodie, Can I Drink It?' is a useful drinks guides. Enter the name of the wine, beer or spirit you are drinking and we'll check in our database of 50k+ alcoholic drinks to let you know if any animal products were used in its production process.

Writing

2023

A guide on how to add an event from your React Native application to a user’s native calendar

Awards

2024

“The Start-Up Pitch Competition is one of the most exciting events of the festival, and this year’s finalists have truly pushed the boundaries of innovation. These start-ups address critical challenges in the aviation industry, from accessibility and sustainability to technology and passenger experience.” (Spokesperson from the World Aviation Festival)

Features

2024

"Start Up Of The Year 🏆"

NaviSavi (the short-form video travel marketplace for users, creators, and businesses to inspire, plan, and book trips and license UGC content in a single platform) lift the World Aviation Festival 'StartUp Of The Year' trophy in Amsterdam, October 2024.

2023

'Svensk Basket and Solidsport continue to push forward the development of how people can consume sport in Sweden. As part of that, an app for Basket-TV is now being launched with the goal of making it easier for basketball fans to follow their favorite teams.'

2021

Now You Can Invest In Your Favourite Music with Tangy Market

2021

Tangy Market sells slice of song recorded by Christina Aguilera

2021

"Here's our list of hot travel startups to watch in 2022"

feat. Navi Savi

2021

NaviSavi is an app for sharing short-form travel videos

2020

...Opens Window on World of Music Data, Promo