v1 Sprint Plan - 20 June 2025

6 sprints to working product with paying users

Sprint Overview (2-week sprints)

Sprint 1: Foundation & Auth
Sprint 2: Core Reflection Flow
Sprint 3: Friend Profiles & Data Structure
Sprint 4: AI Processing Pipeline
Sprint 5: Payments & User Management
Sprint 6: Polish & Launch Prep

🚀 Sprint 1: Foundation & Authentication

Goal: Users can sign up, log in, and see basic app structure

Backend Setup

Express.js server setup with proper CORS

Supabase database connection

Clerk authentication middleware

Basic API routes (/api/auth/me, /api/health)

Environment variables and secrets management

Deploy to Render with CI/CD

Frontend Setup

Next.js app with Tailwind CSS

Clerk integration (magic link only)

Basic app layout with sidebar (from your reference)

Protected routes middleware

Deploy to Vercel

Database Schema

Core tables: users, reflections, friends

Clerk webhook to create users

Row Level Security policies

Database migrations setup

UI Components

Landing page (simple version of your marketing site)

Empty states for main app sections

Basic sidebar navigation

Sprint 1 Exit Criteria:

Users can sign up with magic link
Empty app shows with proper navigation
Database creates user records
All environments deployed and working

🗃️ Sprint 2: Core Reflection Flow

Goal: Users can write reflections and see them in a list

Reflection System

Database schema for reflections table

Create reflection API (POST /api/reflections)

List reflections API (GET /api/reflections)

Single reflection view API (GET /api/reflections/:id)

Home Page (Reflection Input)

Build home page component (from your reference)

Reflection form with validation

Character counter and basic UX

Success states and error handling

Auto-save drafts (localStorage)

Past Reflections Page

List view of all reflections

Date filtering and search

Pagination or infinite scroll

Individual reflection detail view

Edit/delete functionality

Data & State Management

API client setup (React Query/SWR)

Loading states and error boundaries

Optimistic updates for creating reflections

Sprint 2 Exit Criteria:

Users can write and save reflections
Past reflections are viewable in a list
Basic CRUD operations work smoothly
Good loading/error states

👥 Sprint 3: Friend Profiles & Data Structure

Goal: Friends can be manually created and have rich profile pages

Database Schema Evolution

Complete friends table with all fields

friend_items table for flexible content

friend_item_types configuration table

loved_ones, friend_socials tables

Seed data for item types

Friends List Page

Friends list with search/filter

Friend card components

Add new friend manually

Friend avatars and basic info

Sort by recent activity

Individual Friend Page

Full friend profile page (from your reference)

Tabbed interface (Overview, Loved Ones, Support, etc.)

All 6 sections with proper styling

Edit friend details inline

Add/remove friend items manually

Friend Management APIs

CRUD operations for friends

Friend items CRUD

Loved ones management

Social profiles management

Sprint 3 Exit Criteria:

Users can manually create and manage friends
Rich friend profiles with all sections working
Friends list shows all friends with good UX
Data entry for all friend attributes

🤖 Sprint 4: AI Processing Pipeline

Goal: Reflections automatically extract friend information

AI Integration Setup

Gemini API integration

Claude API fallback

Prompt storage system in database

Processing queue/job system

Core AI Pipeline

People extraction from reflections

Name resolution to existing friends

Basic attribute extraction (roses, thorns, activities)

Confidence scoring system

Error handling and retries

Review & Confirmation Flow

Review page (from your reference)

User can approve/reject extractions

Edit extracted information before saving

Merge conflicts resolution

Batch operations (approve all, etc.)

Processing Infrastructure

Background job processing

Processing status tracking

Rate limiting and cost controls

Analytics and monitoring

Sprint 4 Exit Criteria:

Reflections automatically extract friend data
Users can review and approve extractions
High-quality friend data from AI processing
Reliable, cost-controlled AI pipeline

💳 Sprint 5: Payments & User Management

Goal: Users can subscribe and access is properly gated

Stripe Integration

Stripe setup with products ($40/year, $7/month)

Checkout flow integration

Webhook handling for subscription events

Customer portal for subscription management

User Subscription System

User subscription status tracking

Payment status in database

Subscription middleware for API protection

Free trial logic (if applicable)

Admin Tools

Admin endpoint to mark lifetime users

User management interface (simple)

Subscription status dashboard

Manual user upgrades/downgrades

Access Control

Feature gating based on subscription

Usage limits for free users (if any)

Proper error messages for payment required

Smooth upgrade prompts

Sprint 5 Exit Criteria:

Users can purchase yearly/monthly subscriptions
Payments are properly processed and tracked
Access control works throughout app
Admin can manage user access manually

✨ Sprint 6: Polish & Launch Prep

Goal: Production-ready app with great UX

Performance & Reliability

Loading performance optimization

Error monitoring (Sentry or similar)

Uptime monitoring

Database query optimization

Rate limiting and security hardening

User Experience Polish

Onboarding flow and empty states

Animations and micro-interactions

Mobile responsiveness fixes

Accessibility improvements

Help documentation/tooltips

Launch Preparation

GDPR compliance basics

Data export functionality

Account deletion flow

Customer support setup (email)

Marketing Site Integration

Update marketing site with real features

Connect waitlist to actual app

Founding member pricing implementation

Analytics and conversion tracking

Sprint 6 Exit Criteria:

App feels polished and professional
All legal/compliance requirements met
Ready for public launch
Smooth user onboarding experience

🎯 Definition of Done (Each Sprint)

Technical Requirements

All features work on desktop and mobile

Tests pass (unit tests for critical paths)

No console errors or warnings

Code reviewed and documented

Deployed to staging and production

User Experience Requirements

Features are intuitive without explanation

Loading states and error messages are helpful

Data persists correctly across sessions

Performance is smooth (< 3s load times)

Business Requirements

Features align with user stories

No security vulnerabilities

Analytics tracking implemented

Admin functionality works as needed

🚨 Risk Mitigation

Technical Risks

AI Processing Complexity: Start with simple extraction, iterate
Database Performance: Index heavily queried fields early
Third-party Dependencies: Have fallbacks for Clerk, Stripe

Product Risks

User Adoption: Focus on core reflection → insight loop
AI Quality: Manual fallbacks for everything
Feature Creep: Stick to defined scope ruthlessly

Business Risks

Payment Processing: Test thoroughly in sandbox
Compliance: Legal review before launch
Support Load: Prepare standard responses and documentation

📊 Success Metrics (v1)

Technical Metrics

99% uptime
< 3 second page load times
< 5% AI processing failure rate
Zero payment processing errors

User Metrics

70% reflection → review completion rate
50% monthly active user retention
10+ friends per active user
5+ reflections per month per user

Business Metrics

5% trial → paid conversion
$40 average revenue per user
< 5% monthly churn
90% payment success rate

🎯 Post-v1 Roadmap Preview

v1.1 (Month 2)

Connection discovery between friends
Improved AI extraction accuracy
Mobile app (React Native)
Advanced search and filtering

v1.2 (Month 3)

Group reflection features
Integration with calendar apps
Bulk data import tools
Advanced analytics dashboard

v2.0 (Month 6)

Network analysis and insights
Collaboration features
Public/shared friend profiles
API for third-party integrations