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>Accelr8 - Hacker House Management Software

Archived
Started: March 2, 2025Completed: April 19, 2025Company: Accelr8

Software for scaling hacker house management. From application to residency to alumni status, fully manage the operations of multiple hacker house locations.

>Problem & Solution

Problem

Managing hacker houses involves complex operational challenges that multiply as organizations scale. Without specialized software, house operators struggle with inefficient manual processes for resident applications, onboarding, room assignments, maintenance tracking, and community management. These administrative burdens limit growth potential and create inconsistent experiences across locations, while the lack of centralized oversight makes it nearly impossible to efficiently manage a network of properties. Existing property management solutions fail to address the unique community and collaborative aspects of hacker houses.

Solution

Built a full-stack web application using Next.js, React, and TypeScript to facilitate the management of multiple Accelr8 hacker houses. The system features role-based access control (resident, admin, super-admin, applicant) with tailored interfaces for each user type. Implemented a dual-database architecture using Sanity CMS for dynamic content and Supabase/PostgreSQL for operational data and sensitive information.

>Challenges

Complex Data Modeling

Designing a data model that could handle multiple user roles (resident, admin, super-admin, applicant) and their corresponding permissions while maintaining relationships between houses, residents, and applications.

Dual Database Architecture

Managing the separation of concerns between Sanity CMS for dynamic content and Supabase/Postgres for operational and sensitive data, which created complexity in data fetching and recombination.

Multi-Role User Interface Design

Creating intuitive interfaces that served the distinct needs of four different user types while maintaining a consistent design language and avoiding code duplication.

Application Pipeline Complexity

Designing a seamless application-to-residency pipeline that could handle various states, approval stages, and transitions while providing appropriate visibility to both applicants and administrators.

Evolving Requirements

Adapting to changing project scope and requirements, particularly when the application pipeline functionality was added, which required significant architecture adjustments to accommodate the new user role and workflows.

Schema Design Complexity

Creating flexible yet structured schema definitions that could accommodate the diverse content needs of multiple hacker houses while maintaining consistency and allowing for future expansion.

>Approach

AI-Assisted Schema Design

Used LLMs to brainstorm requirements, map UX flows, and generate Sanity schema definitions in TypeScript that could be directly implemented in the frontend.

Role-Based Architecture

Designed the application with a role-based architecture from the ground up, creating distinct user journeys and interfaces for residents, admins, super-admins, and applicants while maintaining a cohesive overall experience.

Dual Database Strategy

Implemented a strategic separation of concerns between Sanity CMS for dynamic content and Supabase/PostgreSQL for operational and sensitive data, with a custom data fetching layer to seamlessly recombine information for the frontend.

Component-Based UI Development

Utilized ShadCN UI components with TailwindCSS to create a consistent design system across the application, allowing for rapid development of complex interfaces while maintaining visual coherence.

End-to-End Application Pipeline

Created a comprehensive application-to-residency pipeline that guided users from initial interest through application, approval, onboarding, and finally to resident status, with appropriate interfaces at each stage.

>Technical Insights

Role-Based Access Control Implementation

Implemented a comprehensive RBAC system that dynamically rendered different UI components and access permissions based on user role (resident, admin, super-admin, applicant). This required careful state management and conditional rendering throughout the application.

Dual Database Integration

Created a data fetching layer that seamlessly combined content from Sanity CMS and operational data from Supabase/PostgreSQL, presenting unified data objects to the frontend while maintaining separation of concerns in the backend.

>Technologies

Sanity
NextJS
React
Supabase
TailwindCSS
ShadCN
TypeScript
PostgreSQL

>Results

  • Created a scalable platform capable of managing multiple hacker house locations through a single administrative interface
  • Streamlined the resident application process, reducing administrative overhead and improving the applicant experience

>Key Metrics

Administrative Time Savings60 %
Scalability5 x

>Key Learnings

  • Gained experience with dual-database architecture, learning to effectively separate concerns between a CMS (Sanity) and relational database (PostgreSQL)
  • Developed skills in AI-assisted development by using LLMs to help design schema definitions and map user experience flows
  • Mastered role-based access control implementation in Next.js applications, creating dynamic interfaces that adapt to user permissions while maintaining security
  • Developed expertise in designing multi-stage user workflows, particularly for application processes that transition users between different system roles
  • Gained valuable experience in adapting to evolving project requirements while maintaining architectural integrity and code quality
  • Improved skills in component-based UI development using modern frameworks like ShadCN and TailwindCSS to create consistent, scalable interfaces
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