01
Markets as configuration
Problem
Each market has its own data and flow, but six separate apps would be unmanageable.
How we solved it
A shared shell with per-market configuration, so launching a new market doesn't mean a redesign.
Case study · 14Social Commerce
myTerrace
A social commerce web app where one account can sell goods, post jobs, rent rooms, sell tickets and offer services.
In active development
- Client
- myTerrace
- Industry
- Social Commerce · Multi-vertical Marketplace
- Platform
- Web
- Timeline
- 12 months, ongoing
- Outcome
- Six markets running on one account, inbox and wallet
- 6Hubs on one platform
- 1Inbox for every transaction
- 1Wallet with Connect payouts
01
Overview
myTerrace runs six markets (goods, jobs, rentals, events, freelance and services) on one account, with a single feed, inbox and wallet. We shaped the hub navigation and new-user registration, then connected the services behind them: Firestore messaging, Stripe Connect payments, Shippo labels and the Myte AI helper.
02
The challenge
Someone who wants to sell a phone, rent a spare room and hire a designer normally needs a separate app, login and payment method for each, and each app handles trust differently. Deals across borders add missing escrow, shipping and language barriers. myTerrace wanted all of it on one account, without forcing six very different kinds of listing into the same mold.
03
Our approach
We built one hub framework and made each market a configuration of it. Shared parts such as the feed, chat, wallet and profile are written once, and each market supplies its own categories, form and detail layout. The API runs on Bun with TypeScript, while Firestore carries realtime chat.
04
How we built it
4 steps, from architecture to launch.
- 01
A configurable hub
Each market declares its categories, listing fields and detail layout, and inherits navigation, feed, chat and wallet.
- 02
Messaging without a backend server
Rooms open on first contact and are reused, with typing state, read receipts and in-chat offers.
- 03
Payouts set up during sign-up
Registration creates the Stripe customer and the Connect Express account, with identity checks handled by Stripe.
- 04
Shipping and language
A three-step Shippo flow prints labels, and language tags decide which listings each buyer sees.
05
Problem → How we solved itTechnical challenges
02
Realtime chat with no chat server
Problem
Live messaging and offer negotiation usually need dedicated infrastructure.
How we solved it
Firestore subscriptions carry messages, offers and read state, kept in sync across tabs.
03
Language-aware matching
Problem
Buyers kept finding sellers they couldn't communicate with.
How we solved it
Users pick languages at sign-up, and listings carry the seller's languages, which shape search and recommendations.
06
6 screensScreens
07
5 featuresWhat we shipped
- 01
Six markets, one account
Goods, jobs, rentals, events, freelance and services, each with its own feed and filters.
- 02
Listing wizard
Pick a market first, then get the form that market needs.
- 03
Chat and offers
Messages, photos, offers and counter-offers tied to each listing, plus the Myte AI helper in the inbox.
- 04
Wallet and payouts
Top-ups, withdrawals, saved cards and seller payouts through Stripe Connect, with paid boosts for listings.
- 05
Orders and shipping
Cart, checkout, returns and ratings, with Shippo labels and QR drop-off codes.
08
Tech stack
- React + Vite
- Single-page app for every hub
- Bun + TypeScript
- REST API backend
- Recoil + React Query
- UI state and server cache
- Firebase
- Firestore chat, storage and push
- Stripe Connect
- Wallets, payments and seller payouts
- Shippo
- Carrier quotes and printable labels
- OpenAI
- The in-inbox AI helper
- Google Maps + Leaflet
- Maps and location
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