The initial framework and backend for a student lifestyle app, covering user accounts, subscription payments, and database setup.
THE OBJECTIVE
The Problem & Architecture Mandate
The goal of the Treaty MVP was to establish the initial technical foundation for a student lifestyle app. This involved setting up user authentication, database security, and payment processing so the team would have a working base ready for ongoing development.
ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH & EVOLUTION
Engineering Iterations & Milestones
PHASE 01Production Milestone
Phase 01: User Accounts and Route Protection
Clerk handles user authentication, pairing global route protection with session state to keep the dashboard, finance, and schedule restricted to logged in accounts.
PHASE 02Production Milestone
Phase 02: Payment Verification and Subscriptions
Paystack powers subscription billing through secure server actions that independently verify transactions and calculate expiration timestamps to prevent payment spoofing.
PHASE 03Production Milestone
Phase 03: Database Structure and Security
Supabase provides the relational database layer with strict Row Level Security policies, ensuring members can only query their own subscription records.
PHASE 04Production Milestone
Phase 04: Scoping Down Features
Simplifying early planning documents removed internal wallets and group plans in favor of clear individual time based tiers that were faster to verify and hand over.
ARCHITECTURAL CONCLUSION
System Longevity & Durability
Focusing on the core backend layers first, including accounts, payments, and data security, kept the initial build reliable and made the handover straightforward.
THE RESULTS
The MVP backend is fully functional with working login, server-verified payments, and secured database tables, ready for the next phase of development.