The Engineering Challenge: Refactoring & Data Integration
The project involved inheriting a previously incomplete codebase, requiring significant cleanup, refactoring, and re-architecture to make it launch-ready. The key technical challenge was unifying static, CMS-driven content with dynamic, high-value financial data, all while integrating three disparate data sources (FTP, XML, Hubspot) to power user access and real-time stock insights.
Strategic Technical Decisions
1. Next.js (Front-End Framework)
- Decision Rationale: Chosen for its versatility and stability in handling both static, content-managed pages (via SSG) and dynamic, server-rendered routes (for logged-in user dashboards and data views) required for a modern financial platform.
- Strategic Value Highlighted: Hybrid Rendering: Seamlessly blends high-speed editorial content with secure, personalized, and constantly updated financial data.
2. Sanity CMS (Content Management)
- Decision Rationale: Implemented as the primary content hub for all editorial, design, and new page creation. Its flexible schema and structured data approach were ideal for scaling the site and accommodating rapid design changes originating from Figjam mockups.
- Strategic Value Highlighted: Editorial Flexibility: Enables rapid deployment of new page designs and structures, significantly improving marketing and editorial workflows.
3. Supabase (Backend Services & Database)
- Decision Rationale: Selected as the unified backend solution for hosting the core PostgreSQL database, managing OAuth 2.0 social logins, and providing robust backend services for querying dynamic data.
- Strategic Value Highlighted: Backend Consolidation: Provides a scalable, modern, and single platform for database management, user authentication, and serving critical financial data.
Key Contributions & Data Pipeline Delivery
- Refactoring and Cleanup: Successfully refactored and stabilized the existing codebase, bringing the system to a production-ready state suitable for launch.
- Data Ingestion Pipelines (Cronjobs):
- FTP Stock Alerts: Developed and managed a scheduled cronjob to connect to an FTP server, ingest sensitive stock analysis files (Excel spreadsheets), transform the data, and reliably save it into the Supabase PostgreSQL database for fast querying by the front-end.
- XML Feed Integration: Implemented a second cronjob to fetch structured data from an external XML feed and save the content directly into Sanity CMS, powering dynamic news and content sections.
- Authentication & Pricing Logic:
- Integrated Supabase OAuth 2.0 for secure and simple social login for subscribers.
- Developed API logic to communicate with HubSpot, checking specific contact properties to enforce accurate pricing conditions and access levels for logged-in users.
- Front-End Development: Built a library of modular, performant React components that efficiently consume data from both the Sanity API (content) and the Supabase API (financial data).
Project Outcome
- Scalable Foundation: Successfully delivered a reliable and maintainable foundation, replacing the unstable prior architecture.
- Content-Data Synchronization: Created a seamless, secure flow between static content and dynamic, time-sensitive investment insights.
- Editorial Power: Empowered the client to build new pages and manage all core content through Sanity CMS, significantly improving editorial control and speed.
