The category gap

Lisbob is the digital assistant for expats moving to Portugal, Spain and Italy. It runs a content and services business. It helps people with admin (NIF, NHR, NISS, AIMA, Finanças). It helps them settle in (banking, housing, mobility, language). And it has built a large owned audience: about 40,000 members in dedicated Facebook groups, plus a YouTube channel for Portuguese expats.

For that audience, language was the biggest pain point. And the most poorly served. Most apps teach Brazilian Portuguese. Lisbob's users live in European Portugal. The two are different. Different enough to make a Brazilian Portuguese learning app useless at the bakery. Useless at the tax office. Useless at the AIMA appointment.

The brief was simple. Lisbob wanted a European Portuguese learning app built for expats. Not a generic tool. A focused, branded, monetized European Portuguese learning app its community could adopt on day one. A European Portuguese learning app that felt native to Portugal. Not Brazil.

This kind of brief is exactly what we build at Stellarwind for premium expatriation agencies.

The strategic intent

Lisbob came to us with a clear goal. And a hard execution problem.

The goal:

Convert the Facebook + YouTube audience (≈ 40,000 members) into a paying user base
Own a category — European Portuguese (PT-PT) learning — where mainstream apps default to Brazilian
Ship a revenue-generating European Portuguese learning app, not another freebie
Target audience set in the brief: expats aged 30–65, mostly beginners, planning to move to Portugal

The execution problem

Building a European Portuguese learning app for this audience meant solving six problems at once.

A consumer-grade mobile feel on day one. iOS and Android. Native quality.
A gamification engine strong enough to compete with the apps users already use. XP. Levels. Badges. Streaks. Real-time leaderboards.
A pedagogical engine driven by Lisbob's expert content
A European Portuguese voice layer. Native pronunciation. Playback control.
A monetization layer. Turned on without rewriting the app.
A delivery process tight enough to launch on stores. Not just to demo.

The scope below is what we built. None of it was descoped.

A fixed-scope, milestone-based delivery

We delivered Olá Quest under a fixed-scope, milestone-based engagement. It was governed by a Service Agreement and amendments. Revision rounds were capped per milestone. Scope is locked. Revisions are bounded. Payments are tied to milestone acceptance. The client always sees what comes next.

This is the model we use on every premium build. Read more on our services page or browse our other case studies.

Eight milestones. Contract to public store launch.

| # | Milestone | Outcome | | --- | ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | M0 | Initial project deposit & kickoff | Workspace, brief, branding, credentials, commencement | | M1 | UX/UI design & wireframes | Full Figma wireframes, complete user journeys, design system | | M2 | Project setup & front-end development | Component library, dashboard, Firebase backend wired | | M3 | B2C basic features (XP, badges, dashboard, themes) | Core gamification engine and learning structure live | | M4 | B2C advanced features (TTS, real-time leaderboard) | Audio + competitive layer live | | M5 | User testing & final QA | Beta tested on iOS + Android. Performance and security validated. | | M6 | App Store + Google Play deployment | Store assets, ASO, listings, submission, post-launch monitoring | | ES1 | RevenueCat monetization (Amendment N°2) | Subscription system live across iOS + Android |

Each milestone closed with formal client acceptance. All 106 tasks across the 8 milestones were completed.

What we built, grouped by business value

A gamification engine that drives daily return

A European Portuguese learning app needs users back every day. Or it dies in week 2. We built the full retention loop.

XP engine with progression logic
Auto level-up with custom popups
Badge engine with auto unlock
Achievements page with earned and locked states
Streak counters
Weekly progress tracking
Theme progression with unlock system

A real-time competitive layer

Competition keeps a learning app alive. We built it natively.

XP-based global ranking
Real-time leaderboard on Firebase Realtime Database
All-time, weekly, and monthly filters
Auto resets via Firebase Cloud Functions
User position tracking and notifications

A native European Portuguese voice layer

This is the feature that justifies the entire positioning of the European Portuguese learning app. Mainstream apps cannot offer it. They default to Brazilian.

Google Cloud Text-to-Speech tuned for European Portuguese (PT-PT)
Pronunciation practice with audio controls
Voice playback with speed control

A complete dashboard and content surface

Custom dashboard with XP, level, badges, streaks
Reusable component library
Theme selection and unlock progression
Notification and popup system

A monetization layer (Amendment N°2)

The monetization layer was added under a contract amendment. After the app shipped. Designed to switch on without rewriting the product.

RevenueCat SDK integrated into FlutterFlow
Subscription products and entitlements configured
Paywall UI and purchase flows
Subscription status checks and content gating
App Store + Google Play in-app purchase products
Restore purchases functionality
End-to-end purchase flow tested in sandbox

A production launch, not a demo

Onboarding journey mapped end-to-end
Cross-device testing on iOS and Android
Performance and loading optimization
Security and data protection checks
App Store + Google Play screenshots, descriptions, ASO keywords
Privacy policy and terms of service
iOS and Google Play submission and approval coordination
7-day post-launch warranty with bug-fix coverage

Architecture & stack

The European Portuguese learning app runs on this stack.

| Layer | Technology | | ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | Mobile runtime | FlutterFlow (iOS + Android, single codebase) | | Authentication | Firebase Auth | | Persistent data | Cloud Firestore | | Real-time data | Firebase Realtime Database | | Scheduled logic | Firebase Cloud Functions | | Push notifications | Firebase Cloud Messaging | | Voice synthesis | Google Cloud Text-to-Speech (PT-PT voices) | | Monetization | RevenueCat | | Distribution | App Store + Google Play | | Design system | Custom UI kit, Fredoka + Rubik typography |

The stack was picked for one reason. It is the right balance of speed and ops for a launching consumer app. FlutterFlow keeps iOS and Android in one codebase. Firebase covers real-time and scheduled work. No separate infrastructure. RevenueCat removes the largest source of edge cases in cross-platform billing.

If you are exploring a similar European Portuguese learning app — or any branded consumer mobile product — we can walk you through the trade-offs. Book a strategy call. Or check our services for relocation agencies. We will tell you honestly whether this stack fits your context.

Business outcome — validated

1,300+ paying customers in the first 30 days post-launch.

A consumer mobile app rarely converts a content audience into paid users at this rate inside a month. Especially on a first product. Especially on a niche European Portuguese learning app for expats. Olá Quest did.

Delivery outcome — auditable

3-month build from contract signature to public store launch
8 / 8 milestones delivered, all completed and accepted
106 / 106 tasks shipped, including the RevenueCat amendment
Public launch on iOS + Android achieved within the contracted scope
Zero milestones descoped. Zero tasks dropped.

Strategic outcome

Lisbob now owns a branded, monetized European Portuguese learning app. It converts its expat audience into paying users. No dependence on third parties for monetization.

The European Portuguese learning app sits in a category where major incumbents do not compete on the same variant. That gives Lisbob structural defensibility on its core ICP.

Post-handover, the app has continued to evolve under Lisbob's ownership. What we shipped was extensible. Not throwaway.

Why this European Portuguese learning app works

A typical language app converts 1–3% of free users to paid in the first month. Olá Quest cleared that bar fast. Three reasons.

The European Portuguese learning app category is structurally underserved. Lisbob owned the audience already. We did not have to find users. We had to convert them. And the product had paying intent built in from day one. Not bolted on later.

That is the playbook. Pick a real category gap. Build a focused European Portuguese learning app — or any focused product. And ship the monetization layer with the product. Not after.

Project meta

| Field | Value | | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | Industry | Expatriation | | Build duration | 3 months (June 2025 → September 2025) | | Milestones | 8 (M0 → M6 + ES1 RevenueCat) | | Tasks delivered | 106 | | Platforms | iOS + Android (App Store + Google Play) | | Languages of delivered V1 | English UI, TTS in European Portuguese | | Post-launch warranty | 7 days | | Project status | Completed and live in production |

Want to ship a similar European Portuguese learning app — or any branded mobile product for your audience? Explore our other case studies, our services, or book a strategy call. We will tell you honestly whether this approach fits your context.

Measured in revenue, not promises.