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Social Platform

NOWOchat

Meaningful Social Connection & Expert Consultation Platform

3 Months

Duration

11

Total Epics

66

User Stories

95%

Completion

Project Overview

  • Dual-purpose social platform designed to foster meaningful connections through interest-based communities.
  • Provides access to vetted experts for professional guidance via text, voice, and video.
  • Unified ecosystem with persistent navigation seamlessly linking Communities, Chats, and Expert discovery.
  • Users can transition from community discussions to private, expert consultations.
  • Currently in its third and final month of development with 95% completion.

Challenges

Fragmentation of Advice

Users typically have to switch apps to find communities and then find paid experts in that field.

Trust & Verification

Ensuring that 'Experts' offering advice are legitimate and properly verified.

Engagement Noise

Typical social apps are cluttered; users needed a way to find specific sub-communities quickly.

Complex Onboarding

Balancing the need for detailed user profiles (occupation, interests) with a frictionless sign-up experience.

Monetization Flow

Integrating secure subscription and appointment booking flows directly into the chat interface.

Core Platform Features

  • Multi-Method Auth: Secure login via Email, Phone (OTP), Google, or Facebook with automatic profile creation for social logins.
  • Expert Marketplace: Dedicated discovery tab for experts with detailed profiles, reviews, and 'Chat Now' subscription workflows.
  • Real-time Communication: One-on-one chats supporting text, media, voice notes, and high-quality voice/video calls.
  • Community Hub: Interest-based groups with sub-community channels, enabling users to join specific discussions relevant to them.
  • Safety & Moderation: Comprehensive tools to Block, Report, Mute notifications, and remove friends directly from chat interfaces.

Expert Verification System

  • Digital KYC workflow requiring government ID (Aadhar), professional certificates, and selfie verification.
  • Verification time reduced from 3–5 days (manual) to 24 hours (streamlined).
  • User onboarding drop-off reduced from ~40% to <20% with Social Login.
  • Integrated subscription plans (trial, audio, video) with calendar-based appointment booking.
  • Structured sub-community chats to keep discussions relevant and focused.

Technical Architecture

  • Frontend: React Native with Redux, FlatList optimized rendering, and WebSockets for real-time updates.
  • Backend: Node.js, Firebase Auth, SMS Gateway, Express.js, S3 Storage, Socket.io, WebRTC.
  • Data Layer: MongoDB/PostgreSQL with encrypted storage, Ledger DB, and transaction logs.
  • Communication Engine: Signaling server for WebRTC voice/video calls and chat message routing.

Risk Management

  • Fake Expert Profiles (High Impact): Mandatory Aadhar & Selfie verification steps — Implemented.
  • Video Call Latency (Medium Impact): WebRTC integration with fallback audio — Testing.
  • Harassment in Chats (High Impact): Block, Report, and Mute features — Implemented.

Development Timeline

  • Month 1 — Foundation: Auth, UI Shell, DB Setup (Completed).
  • Month 2 — Core Features: Chat, Community, API & Expert Logic (Completed).
  • Month 3 — Advanced & Polish: Video calls, optimization, full QA (In Progress).

Technology Stack

React NativeReduxNode.jsFirebase AuthExpress.jsWebRTCSocket.ioMongoDBPostgreSQLS3 Storage

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