Undisclosed Project #1

My Role: Software Developer

Technologies

Project Overview

This project was developed for a corporate startup backed by a major German automotive enterprise. The goal was to create a digital marketplace for group-based outdoor activity bookings, providing a seamless user experience for planning, voting, and confirming activities in real-time. A core feature of the platform was an intelligent recommendation engine that suggested activities based on user preferences and a structured payment processing system.

To ensure the platform’s scalability and maintainability, we developed a cloud-agnostic solution deployed on Kubernetes, leveraging Auth0 for authentication and Terraform for infrastructure as code. Over a six-month period, we successfully delivered a proof of concept (PoC) that demonstrated the platform’s viability to stakeholders.

My Role

As one of the two developers, I was actively involved in all aspects of the project, from designing the architecture and implementing core features to optimizing the user experience and ensuring a secure and scalable infrastructure. Additionally, I contributed to project presentations for key stakeholders and the board of directors.

Technical Project Description

Architecture and Development

• Designed a cloud-agnostic system architecture to ensure flexibility in deployment.
• Developed the backend using Express.js, with input validation handled by yup and Joi.
• Built the frontend using React.js, styled with Tailwind CSS for a modern and responsive UI.

Feature Implementation

• Implemented a real-time voting system to allow users to collaboratively decide on activities.
• Developed a recommendation engine to suggest activities based on group preferences.
• Integrated PayPal payment processing, ensuring secure transactions and automatic revenue distribution.

Authentication and Security

• Configured Auth0 for authentication and access control, providing a seamless login experience.
• Implemented role-based access control to protect user data and payment information.

Infrastructure and Deployment

• Utilized Terraform for infrastructure as code, making deployments reproducible and manageable.
• Deployed the application on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to ensure scalability and high availability.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

• Worked closely with business stakeholders to align technical implementation with business goals.
• Presented project progress and final PoC to the board of directors, demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of the platform.

Challenges

• Real-Time Collaboration: Ensuring a smooth experience for multiple users interacting with the platform simultaneously.
• Payment Processing: Implementing a robust system for secure payments and automated revenue distribution.
• Cloud-Agnostic Deployment: Designing the infrastructure to be portable across different cloud providers.

Achievements

• Delivered a functional PoC within six months, proving the platform’s potential.
• Implemented real-time voting and activity recommendations, enhancing user engagement.
• Successfully integrated PayPal payments, ensuring seamless financial transactions.
• Presented the project to the board of directors, receiving positive feedback and stakeholder buy-in.

Current Status

The proof of concept was successfully delivered, and the project was well-received by stakeholders. The corporate startup evaluated the next steps for further development and potential market launch.