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Active Users· 2025

ServiceLink Marketplace

Home repair marketplace with Django REST Framework backend, React Native Expo mobile app, offline-first sync, text-to-speech accessibility, and Stripe payment integration with WCAG compliance.

Technical case study by Rojit Pokharel — Full-Stack Web Developer & System Architect, Kathmandu, Nepal

DjangoDRFReact NativeExpoStripePostgreSQL

Stack diagram

Frontend
React NativeExpo
Application
DjangoDRF
Payments
Stripe
Data
PostgreSQL
Client / Problem
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  • ›Customers had no trusted way to find and book home repair professionals; providers had no pipeline of qualified leads.
  • ›Field conditions meant poor connectivity — the mobile app could not depend on a live API connection.
  • ›The product needed to serve users with accessibility needs, including low-vision users who rely on screen readers.
  • ›Payments between customers and providers had to be handled securely and simply.

Client: Home services startup connecting customers with vetted local repair professionals

My Role
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  • ›Full-stack developer — Django REST Framework backend, React Native Expo mobile app, offline sync engine, accessibility layer, and Stripe payment integration.
  • ›Designed the marketplace data model and the offline-first synchronization protocol.
Architecture
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  • ›Django REST Framework API serving the React Native Expo client.
  • ›Offline-first mobile architecture: local-first writes with a background sync engine that reconciles when connectivity returns.
  • ›Stripe payment integration for marketplace transactions.
  • ›Text-to-speech and screen-reader-friendly UI for accessibility compliance.
Database Design
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  • ›Marketplace schema: services, providers, bookings, reviews, payments, and messages.
  • ›PostgreSQL with foreign keys across bookings → providers and payments → bookings.
  • ›Sync-friendly design — client-generated IDs and updated-at timestamps so offline changes merge without conflicts.
API Architecture
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  • ›DRF view sets for services, providers, bookings, and reviews with serializer validation.
  • ›Sync endpoint that exchanges incremental changes between device and server based on updated_at watermarks.
  • ›Idempotent booking and payment endpoints so retried requests do not double-create records.
Authentication
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  • ›Token-based auth for mobile clients with role separation between customers and providers.
  • ›JWT with refresh rotation for long-lived mobile sessions.
  • ›Stripe Connect-style flow to route marketplace payouts to the correct provider.
Payment Architecture
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  • ›Stripe integration for secure marketplace payments and provider payouts.
  • ›Idempotency keys prevent duplicate charges on retried requests over flaky mobile networks.
Deployment
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  • ›Django app behind Nginx with SSL, PostgreSQL for the primary store.
  • ›Environment-based configuration across development, staging, and production API.
Performance Optimization
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  • ›Offline-first sync reduced API round-trips and made the app usable in low-connectivity areas.
  • ›Incremental sync rather than full payload transfer kept mobile data usage low.
  • ›Indexed updated_at columns keep the sync watermark query fast as data grows.
Problems Encountered
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  • ›Users on construction sites and rural areas lost connectivity mid-booking.
  • ›Accessibility requirements demanded full screen-reader and text-to-speech support, not an afterthought.
  • ›Payment retries over unreliable networks risked duplicate charges.
How I Solved Them
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  • ›Built a local-first data layer with a background sync engine and conflict resolution based on timestamps.
  • ›Implemented WCAG-compliant components with text-to-speech output and screen-reader labels tested against assistive tech.
  • ›Used idempotency keys on payment endpoints so retries are safe and clients can resume interrupted flows.
Results
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  • ›Live marketplace with an offline-capable mobile app for both customers and providers.
  • ›WCAG compliance and text-to-speech accessibility made the platform usable by a wider audience.
  • ›Secure Stripe payments with reliable behavior on poor connections.
Lessons Learned
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  • ›Offline-first is a data-model decision, not a client-layer afterthought.
  • ›Accessibility wins users and differentiates a marketplace in a crowded space.
  • ›Idempotency on payment endpoints is the difference between a retry and a chargeback.
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Answers

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Direct answers to questions about Rojit Pokharel and the technologies used across these projects.

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