vouchforme.online

Category
Growth
Date
Growth Subcategory
Project
Status
Building in Public

GitHub: github.com/shudshudshud/vouchformeonline2

Live Site: app.vouchforme.online

Status: Prototype (Client hosted on Netlify, server currently down)

Timeline: August 2024 - Present

Project Overview

VouchForMe.online is a full-stack testimonial platform that allows users to collect, manage, and showcase recommendations from colleagues and friends. The platform enables users to view all existing testimonials without logging in, while requiring Google OAuth2 authentication to submit new testimonials.

I built this as a practical demonstration of my full-stack development capabilities, implementing user authentication, data persistence, and responsive UI components.

Core Problems Solved:

  • Traditional recommendation collection is fragmented across LinkedIn, emails, and text messages
  • No central place to manage and showcase different types of testimonials (work, personal)
  • Difficulty verifying the authenticity of testimonials

Tech Stack:

  • Frontend: React.js with Material UI components
  • Backend: Node.js with Express.js
  • Database: MongoDB with Mongoose ODM
  • Authentication: JWT for authentication and session management
  • Infrastructure: AWS EC2 for hosting, S3 for file storage (inactive), Netlify for current frontend hosting

Lessons & Next Steps

Key Learnings:

  • Implementing secure JWT-based authentication flow
  • Creating a responsive React application with Material UI
  • Setting up and managing MongoDB models and relationships
  • Deploying full-stack applications on AWS infrastructure

User Feedback:

  • Users have found the platform useful for consolidating testimonials for specific purposes like job applications and landlord references
  • 1-2 users expressed interest in embedding testimonial collections into their personal websites

Future Development Plans:

  1. Multi-Page Profiles: Allow users to create different testimonial pages for various purposes (job applications, dating profiles, freelance work)
  2. Embedding Feature: Develop embed widgets for personal websites and portfolios
  3. Enhanced Authentication: Implement Magic Link login and email verification for company domains
  4. Monetization: Stripe integration for premium features
  5. Verification System: Add mechanisms to verify testimonial authenticity

Version History:

  • v0.1 (Aug 2024): Initial live version with basic testimonial submission and viewing
  • v0.2 (Current): Service partially offline due to AWS free tier expiration; frontend maintained on Netlify
  • v0.3 (Planned): Multiple testimonial pages per user and embed functionality