React/Vite Engineer for Travel App Prototype Stabilization & Rebuild Assessment

I’m the solo founder of 1 Bag Nomad, a premium AI travel-planning app for serious travelers. Live app for context: www.1bagnomad.com This is not a greenfield build and not a “build new features fast” role. The current app is best understood as a strong working prototype: it has many built surfaces, clear product direction, and a lot of valuable UI/product work, but I need an experienced engineer to help assess whether the codebase should be stabilized in place, partially rebuilt at the foundation layer, or rebuilt clean using the prototype as the product spec. I am looking for someone strong at debugging existing React apps, state/persistence issues, regression testing, and technical judgment. The first milestone is not to fix everything. It is to analyze the prototype properly and help me decide the right technical path. The ideal person will also have strong English communication skills and be comfortable having a phone or video conversation before work begins. I want to make sure you understand the app, the product direction, and the stabilization goal before we start. I’m hoping this begins as a focused technical assessment, but the right person could become an ongoing development partner for the life of the app. WHAT I NEED HELP WITH The app includes AI-assisted trip planning, itinerary surfaces, packing, maps/intel, calendar, and pricing/planning logic. Some foundational behaviors need technical review, including: - Cross-surface state consistency - localStorage persistence and hydration - React/Vite app structure - User flows that mutate trip state - Regression testing around core behaviors - Whether existing code should be stabilized, partially rebuilt, or replaced - Reviewing AI-generated code critically before anything ships I want to move from “looks fixed” to “proven fixed through tests and live behavior.” FIRST PAID MILESTONE: TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT The first milestone will be a bounded diagnostic, not an open-ended build. Expected deliverables: 1. Run the app locally. 2. Run the existing test suite. 3. Reproduce 2–3 known issues from provided steps. 4. Identify likely source-of-truth/state paths involved. 5. Assess whether key parts of the prototype are reusable. 6. Recommend one of three paths: - Stabilize in place - Partially rebuild the foundation - Rebuild clean using the current app as the spec 7. Provide a short test-first stabilization plan. 8. Flag major architectural risks or unknowns. The goal is to buy clarity before committing to major implementation work. TECH STACK - React - Vite - JavaScript - localStorage-heavy current state model - Vercel deployment - Supabase planned but not yet fully wired - Node-based test framework GOOD FIT IF YOU ARE - Strong with React state, hooks, component architecture, and debugging - Experienced stabilizing existing apps, not just building from scratch - Comfortable tracing state across multiple screens/surfaces - Practical about regression testing - Able to communicate clearly in English - Comfortable having a phone or video call before work begins - Able to push back when something is risky or unclear - Comfortable reviewing AI-generated code critically - Interested in a potential ongoing engineering relationship if the fit is strong Travel, itinerary, booking, maps, calendar, or marketplace experience is a plus, but the core need is React stabilization and technical judgment. NOT A GOOD FIT IF YOU - Want to immediately rebuild everything without inspecting the code - Prefer only greenfield builds - Avoid testing - Ship based on “looks fixed” - Are primarily a UI/landing-page developer - Are uncomfortable reviewing or challenging AI-generated code - Prefer not to communicate by voice/video at least once before starting PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS WHEN APPLYING 1. Tell me about an existing React app you helped stabilize or debug. What was wrong, and how did you trace it? 2. How would you approach a bug where a user changes state in one surface and other surfaces show stale or conflicting data? 3. What kinds of regression tests would you write for state/persistence bugs? 4. How do you evaluate AI-generated code before allowing it into a production app? 5. Are you comfortable having a brief phone or video conversation before work begins? 6. Are you open to this becoming an ongoing engineering relationship if the first assessment goes well? 7. If you had to choose between stabilizing in place, partially rebuilding the foundation, or rebuilding clean, what would you inspect first before recommending a path? I am looking for a thoughtful technical partner for the assessment phase first. If the fit is strong, there may be ongoing stabilization and development work after that.