tecvico-website/docs/marketplace-roadmap.md

Marketplace Roadmap — Simple → Advanced

Expand the existing Tecvico Django site into a freelance/project marketplace (Upwork / Fiverr style).

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Is This Doable on the Current Stack?

Yes. Django is a standard choice for marketplaces (e.g. early Instacart, Disqus patterns). Your repo already has the right foundation:

Already in place	Reuse for marketplace
Django + PostgreSQL + Docker	Core backend — no rewrite needed
apps.core (branding, site settings)	Global config, fees, categories
apps.pages (CMS, hero, sections)	Marketing pages + marketplace landing
File uploads (contact_uploads, product releases)	Proposals, deliverables, gig media
Admin panel	Moderation, disputes, user management
Templates + static CSS/JS	Extend UI; add dashboards incrementally

New apps to add (keeps existing code intact):

• apps.accounts — profiles, roles, verification
• apps.marketplace — projects, gigs, proposals, contracts
• apps.messaging — threads (Plan 1: polling/refresh; Plan 3: Channels/WebSockets)
• apps.payments — Stripe from Plan 2 onward

What gets harder later (not blockers now): real-time chat, escrow/payouts, dispute automation, high traffic (Redis, Celery, CDN). None require leaving Django.

Verdict: Plan 1–2 are a natural extension. Plan 3 adds services (Stripe Connect, WebSockets, background jobs) but stays on the same project.

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Plan 1 — Simple (MVP) · 3–5 weeks

Goal: List projects, apply, message. Off-platform payment OK.

Milestone	Weeks	Deliverable
M1 Auth & profiles	1–2	Registration, login, password reset, client/freelancer role
M2 Listings	3–4	Project CRUD, categories, search/filters
M3 Proposals	5–6	Apply, withdraw, client shortlist
M4 Comms & admin	7–8	Messaging, emails, moderation

Feature detail

Accounts

• Email/password signup; role pick (client, freelancer, or both)
• Profile: display name, avatar, bio, location, hourly rate (optional), skills (tags), portfolio URLs
• Public profile URL (/u/username/)

Projects

• Fields: title, rich description, category, budget type (fixed/hourly/range), amount, deadline, attachments
• Status: draft → open → closed → archived
• Client dashboard: my projects, applicant count, close/reopen

Discovery

• List page with filters: category, budget range, posted date
• Full-text search on title + description
• Sort: newest, budget high/low

Proposals

• Cover letter, bid amount, estimated delivery days
• One proposal per freelancer per project; edit until client views
• Client view: compare proposals, mark shortlisted/rejected

Messaging

• Thread per project between client and applicant (after apply or invite)
• Attach files (reuse existing upload patterns)
• Email on new message/proposal (Django email backend)

Admin

• Approve/suspend users and listings; view contact-style audit trail

Out of scope: payments, contracts, reviews, gigs.

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Plan 2 — Medium (Transactional) · 2–3 months

Goal: Hire and pay on-platform. Gigs (Fiverr) + custom projects (Upwork).

Milestone	Weeks	Deliverable
M1 Foundation	1–4	Plan 1 + email verify, profile completeness, S3/local media
M2 Gigs	5–8	Service listings with 3 tiers
M3 Contracts	9–12	Award, milestones, deliverables
M4 Payments	13–16	Stripe escrow, release, platform fee
M5 Trust	17–20	Reviews, dashboards, manual disputes

Feature detail

Gigs (Fiverr-style)

• Gig: title, gallery (images/video), category, FAQ, requirements form
• Packages: Basic / Standard / Premium — price, delivery days, revision count, feature bullet list
• Extras: add-ons (e.g. +$50 rush delivery)
• Order flow: client picks package → answers requirements → pays → freelancer accepts

Contracts (Upwork-style)

• Client awards proposal → contract generated (scope, total, deadline)
• Milestones: name, amount, due date; client funds each before work starts
• Deliverable upload per milestone; client approve or request revision (limited rounds)
• Order states: pending_payment → active → delivered → revision → completed / cancelled

Payments (Stripe)

• Checkout Session on award/order; funds held (platform balance or Stripe separate charges)
• Release to freelancer on milestone approval minus commission (e.g. 10–20%)
• Refund rules: cancelled before start; partial on dispute
• PDF invoice/receipt per transaction

Trust

• Double-blind reviews after completion (1–5 stars + text)
• Public rating on profile; aggregate on gig
• Dispute form: reason, evidence files → admin resolves manually

Dashboards

• Client: spend, active orders, past hires
• Freelancer: earnings, pending clearance, gig analytics (views, orders)

Out of scope: hourly time tracker, OAuth, multi-currency, automated disputes.

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Plan 3 — Advanced (Full Platform) · 4–6 months

Goal: Production marketplace with discovery, compliance, and scale.

Milestone	Months	Deliverable
M1 Core hardening	1–2	Plan 2 + 2FA, OAuth, rate limits
M2 Discovery	3–4	Search, recommendations, skill tests
M3 Collaboration	5–6	Time tracking, workspace, real-time chat
M4 Payments+	7–8	Stripe Connect, multi-currency, KYC hooks
M5 Trust & safety	9–10	Auto disputes, moderation, fraud signals
M6 Growth	11–12	API, referrals, analytics, PWA

Feature detail

Auth & identity

• Google / LinkedIn OAuth; TOTP 2FA
• Identity verification hook (Stripe Identity or manual)
• Verified badge on profile

Discovery & matching

• Elasticsearch/PostgreSQL full-text: skills, rate, location, availability
• Saved searches + email alerts for new matching projects/gigs
• Skill tests (quiz → badge on pass)
• “Recommended for you” (rules-based first; ML optional later)

Collaboration

• Hourly contracts: weekly hour cap, manual or screenshot time log
• Shared order workspace: brief, files, milestone checklist
• Real-time chat (Django Channels + Redis): typing, read receipts, file drag-drop
• Video intro on profile; calendar link for intro calls

Payments & compliance

• Stripe Connect Express: freelancer onboarding, automatic payouts
• Multi-currency display; platform fee per region
• Tax form collection hook (W-9 / W-8BEN — integrate when legally required)
• Chargebacks and refund automation with audit log

Trust & safety

• Dispute pipeline: open → evidence window → mediator → verdict → auto payout split
• Content moderation queue (profiles, gigs, messages flagged by users or keywords)
• Fraud heuristics: duplicate accounts, velocity limits, payment anomalies

Growth & ops

• Freelancer subscriptions: featured gig, lower commission tier
• Referral codes (credit for referrer/referee)
• Public REST API + webhooks (order.completed, payment.released)
• Admin analytics: GMV, take rate, conversion funnel, dispute rate, cohort retention
• SEO pages for categories and top gigs; structured data (JSON-LD)

Out of scope: native iOS/Android (PWA first).

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Comparison

	Simple	Medium	Advanced
Projects + proposals	✓	✓	✓
Gigs / packages	—	✓	✓
Messaging	refresh	refresh	real-time
Stripe / escrow	—	✓	Connect + multi-currency
Milestones + hourly	—	milestones	both
Reviews	—	✓	✓ + badges + tests
Disputes	—	manual	automated
API / analytics	—	basic reports	full

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Recommended Path

1. Plan 1 on this repo — add apps.accounts + apps.marketplace; keep marketing site live.
2. Plan 2 when volume justifies escrow — biggest lift is payments + order state machine.
3. Plan 3 when GMV supports ops — disputes, compliance, and real-time infra need people, not just code.

Timelines assume extending the current codebase; full UI redesign adds ~20%.