StudentShare

Inspiration

Always seeing group buys and subscription family plans, but it's hard to find people to join. My friends weren't interested or too busy. I wanted a way to find other students to split costs with.

What it does

StudentShare is a trust-based matchmaking platform exclusively for university students. Users must verify with a valid .ac.uk email to join.

Once verified, a student can:

• Post a Deal: Offer open spots on their own subscription (like a Spotify Family plan) or a local deal (like a 2-for-1 coupon).

• Join a Deal: Browse all open listings, filter by category, and request to join a group.

When a host accepts a new member, they are both added to a private, deal-specific group chat. This is where they can safely coordinate payment (via Paypal, etc.) and share any necessary account details.

How we built it

We bootstrapped the entire application using Lovable, which generated the Next.js/React frontend and a Supabase backend. From there, we exported the code and dove into the TypeScript files to customize the UI, refine the database logic, and build out more functionality.

Challenges we ran into

• Establishing Trust: The biggest challenge was "how do you trust a stranger online with money?" We solved this by making .ac.uk email verification a non-negotiable requirement for all users, creating a closed ecosystem of verified students.

• Payment & Scope: Building a payment processor is incredibly complex. We had to decide whether to handle money directly. We strategically scoped this out and decided the app's job is matchmaking, not payment processing. The private group chat for accepted members was our solution to facilitate external payment coordination.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• The Full User Loop: We built a complete, end-to-end user flow. A user can sign up, get verified, post a deal, manage applicants (accept/decline), and join another user's deal.

• The Verification System: Implementing the mandatory student email verification is our proudest accomplishment. It's the core feature that makes the entire platform viable and feel safe.

• Rapid Prototyping: Going from a simple idea to a functional, database-driven web application in a very short amount of time. Using Lovable for the foundation allowed us to focus our efforts on the unique features that matter.

What we learned

• AI as an Accelerator: We learned that AI tools like Lovable are incredible accelerators. They build the 80% (the boilerplate, the database schema, the auth pages), but the critical 20%, the custom logic and unique user experience, still requires hands-on TypeScript development.

• The Power of Scoping: We learned the importance of defining a clear product scope. Actively deciding not to build an internal payment system was a key decision that allowed us to actually finish the project and focus on the core problem.

• Backend is Hard: Even with a great tool like Supabase, managing relational data (users, deals, and a "members" join table) and secure permissions (who can see what chat) was a significant and valuable learning experience.

Built With

• typescript
• vite