Marketplace, exam prep or remittance front end: build the MVP

An MVP for one of these ideas is the smallest working product that lets real users do the one thing it exists for. I build the web front end, the database and the admin side, and connect to the services that carry the regulated or specialised parts. The skill is choosing what to leave out of version one.

Exam prep and quiz platforms

The core objects: questions (type, options, correct answer, explanation, topic, difficulty), tests (a set of questions with a time limit), attempts (answers, time per question, score) and users. Screens a learner sees: a topic picker, a timed test with a question palette, a result page that shows right and wrong answers with explanations, and a history of weak topics. The admin side needs bulk question import from a spreadsheet, a review queue for errors, and tagging. Failure modes to design for: a browser refresh in the middle of a timed test, two devices logged in at once, and answer keys leaking into the page source before submission. Scoring is done on the server.

Marketplaces in the style of second-hand resale

The core: listings with photos, category, condition and price; search and filters; messaging between buyer and seller; offers; orders; reviews. The hard parts are trust and logistics: photo moderation, reports, blocking, fake listings, and what happens when a seller never ships. For payment, a marketplace payments provider that supports splitting funds and seller payouts is needed, and the provider decides what it will onboard. I build the listing, search and order flows and integrate the provider, and you handle the provider’s seller verification.

Remittance and fintech front ends

Here the licensed partner does the regulated work: holding funds, checking identity, screening, moving the money. My part is the customer-facing front end that calls the partner’s API: sign-up, a quote and rate screen, recipient details, a payment step, transfer status tracking and history. I treat the partner’s documented sandbox as the source of truth for fields, statuses and errors, and I design for the awkward states: a quote that expires, a transfer held for review, and an identity check that fails. Which countries, limits and checks apply is set by the partner and the regulators, so confirm that with them and your legal adviser, not with me.

When an off-the-shelf tool is the better choice

For quizzes, an existing course or quiz platform may be enough for a first test. For a marketplace, a hosted marketplace product can validate demand faster than a custom build. For money transfer, a white-label product from a licensed provider may be a better starting point than a custom front end. I will say so if I think it fits your idea.

What I need from you

• A one-page description of the user, the single main action, and what is out of scope for version one.
• For fintech or marketplaces: the partner or provider chosen, API access and sandbox credentials, and their documentation.
• For exam prep: sample questions and the structure of your tests.

I deliver working software on a staging address, you test it with a few real users, then it goes live on your domain and accounts. The price is fixed up front, and monthly maintenance is optional.