MyCircle was inspired by the need to strengthen local communities through digital connection. In neighborhoods where people live side-by-side but rarely interact, we saw an opportunity to create a platform that brings neighbors together for mutual benefit—whether finding a skilled electrician, trading items, or discovering local services.
Building MyCircle taught us the complexities of full-stack development across multiple platforms. We architected a MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) backend with a React web app and React Native mobile app, implementing real-time chat via Socket.io, Google OAuth authentication, and Firebase integration for notifications. The Services marketplace feature, where users can discover professionals by skill with endorsement-based rankings, required careful database design and flexible search algorithms using MongoDB regex queries.
The biggest challenges were achieving feature parity across web and mobile platforms, managing real-time state synchronization, and debugging platform-specific issues like Android Google Sign-In SHA-1 fingerprint configuration. Optimizing the MongoDB queries for the Services search feature while maintaining performance taught us valuable lessons about database indexing and query optimization. Through iterative development and extensive testing, we created a platform that truly connects communities in meaningful ways.
Tech Stack: React, React Native, Node.js, Express, MongoDB, Socket.io, Firebase, Google OAuth, Cloudinary
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