Backend Roadmap

Phase 1: MVP - Core Social & Reading Features

Modules to Build

• Identity — Basic auth, OAuth, user profiles.
• Catalog — Book/author data import & management.
• Shelves — User reading lists & progress tracking.
• Reviews — Ratings & reviews with comments.
• Social — Following, activity feed, basic notifications.
• Search — Basic full-text search over books/authors/users.
• Monetization — Set up free tier, simple subscription backend (Stripe sandbox).

Phase 2: Engagement & Monetization

Modules to Build

• Challenges — Reading goals & community challenges.
• Gamification — Badges, points, streaks, and basic leaderboards.
• Recommendations — Basic collaborative filtering, non-AI suggestions.
• Monetization — Set up free tier, simple subscription backend (Stripe sandbox), add premium features.
• Media — Support book cover uploads, richer user avatars.
• Search — Add premium filters and sponsored results.

Phase 3: Scale & Operational Maturity

Modules to Build

• Admin — User moderation, content flagging, publisher tools.
• Analytics — Basic usage metrics, engagement reports.
• Monetization — Sponsorship campaigns and affiliate program management.
• Recommendations — Integrate advanced AI models, personalized suggestions.
• Media — Add audio snippet uploads, CDN acceleration.

Phase 4: Advanced Features & Growth

Possible Future Modules/Features

• Advanced Notifications — Rich push notifications, SMS alerts.
• Events & Community Monetization — Paid author Q&As, book festivals.
• Data Insights — Sell anonymized market intelligence.
• Media — Video uploads, audiobook clips.