Mobile Developer

Jake Wharton Portfolio

Creator of some of Android's most widely-used open-source libraries (Retrofit, Picasso, ButterKnife, the original AndroidX KTX libraries) — a deliberately bare-bones site for a body of work that speaks for itself.

AndroidKotlinKotlin MultiplatformOpen Source

What makes it work

A breakdown of the choices that make this portfolio stand out.

1

Library ubiquity as the entire credibility case

Retrofit and Picasso are dependencies in a huge share of production Android apps — when your libraries are already inside the apps a hiring manager's own team maintains, no case study is needed.

2

Sustained relevance across platform eras

From pre-Material-Design libraries through modern Kotlin Multiplatform work, the work spans over a decade of platform shifts.

3

A homepage with almost zero design effort, by design

Seven plain text links — blog, presentations, GitHub, résumé — with no visual flourish, consistent with a reputation built entirely on code quality.

What Mobile Developers can take from this

Specific, actionable tips to apply to your own portfolio — no generic advice.

  • If your open-source work is already inside the apps your target employers maintain, say so plainly.

  • Longevity across multiple platform eras is a stronger signal than any single popular project.

  • A near-zero-design homepage is a legitimate choice once your code is the actual proof of skill.

  • Keep talks and writing aligned to current projects, not just retrospectives.

Ready to build your portfolio?

Follow the Mobile Developer roadmap — skills, projects, and timeline to get hired.

Mobile Developer Roadmap