Last year, I set myself a goal at the beginning of the year: to learn a new tech stack. This included the popular framework Next.js, Tailwind for CSS, and tRPC for seamless type safety across the client and server. As I began experimenting, I realized the need for a project to apply and hone these skills. That’s when the MassFaction project emerged as the perfect vehicle for this learning journey.
So, how did I fare? To be honest, I didn’t accomplish as much as I had hoped in developing the project itself, as it is a part-time endeavor. My full-time job took precedence, and finding time in the evenings and weekends for this project was challenging, especially in a year filled with busy periods.
However, I believe I made significant progress in learning Next.js and the associated tech stack. Additionally, the roadmap for the project has evolved. It now encompasses a broader focus, extending beyond just the technical aspects of building the platform. This expansion into other areas of the project is an exciting development as we move into 2024.
Drawing from the Past to Shape the Future
The initial goal of using this project to learn new technologies has expanded beyond its original scope. It’s been a while, but years ago, I dabbled in creating public sites that aggregated content, similar to platforms like Reddit, and endeavored to cultivate a community of users around those sites. One aspect that stands out from those experiences is the enjoyment I found not only in working with the technology but also in the process of attracting users and fostering a community. Engaging with the users who enjoyed and utilized the platform I created turned out to be more fulfilling than the technical development of the platform itself.
I firmly believe that my past experience will have a significant influence on the direction of this project. The knowledge and insights I’ve gained from previous endeavors provide a foundation for guiding decisions and implementing an effective roadmap and required strategies.
The Art of Digital Influence: Marketing, Social Media, and Content Creation
The popular adage ‘If you build it, they will come’ is far from the truth. In virtually every sector, competition is fierce, and consumers have an almost endless array of choices. Therefore, merely building something compelling isn’t sufficient. You need to proactively work to attract users to your new platform. To effectively draw in users, it’s essential to allocate time to different aspects of the project. This involves not only developing the platform but also dedicating a significant portion of time to marketing. Utilizing social media and content creation as key strategies in this marketing effort is crucial for reaching and engaging your target audience.
Gearing Up for the Initial Social Media Marketing
Since the platform is currently a work in progress, I wanted to establish a connection with potential users before beginning to build a social following. My strategy involved creating a simple landing page prior to releasing the initial version of the platform. This landing page, now live at massfaction.com, offers potential users the opportunity to reserve a username linked to their email address. This way, once the platform is ready for launch, we can contact those who reserved a username, starting off with a small but engaged user base.
Desktop Version:
Mobile Version:
If you want to give it a try, it’s a pretty simple process. Simply start by entering the username you would like to reserve:
Click ‘Reserve’, and if the username is available, you will be prompted to enter your email address:
After clicking ‘Submit’, you will receive an email requesting you to confirm your email address. Simply click the link provided in the email to verify your address, and the username will be reserved for you.
The Beginning of Our Social Media Following Adventure
Now that users have the option to reserve their usernames, it’s time to start focusing efforts on attracting them to the reservation page via social media. In the latter part of 2023, some time was invested in beginning the process of building a social media following on various platforms. This effort is still in its early stages, but we’ve already garnered a modest following of just over 1,000 across different social media sites.
So far, the content I’ve been publishing on social media hasn’t been of the quality I aspire to. Therefore, one of my main goals for 2024 is to develop a plan for producing relevant, high-quality content that is also efficient to create. This should not only attract more followers to our social media accounts but ultimately result in an increase in username reservations at massfaction.com.
Platform Progress: A Snapshot of the Current Development State
Learning new technology, developing social media strategies, and building a new platform simultaneously definitely requires significant time management skills, which I aim to further enhance in 2024. In 2023, whenever I had free time to dedicate to this project, I focused on experimenting with and learning the new tech. I also began developing methods and strategies for building a social following and creating content. Over the year, I reached a consensus about the initial set of features I wanted to include in the new platform. By the end of the year, I started the process of building this new platform, aiming for a launch around April 2024.
During the year, there were some minor changes to the tech stack. For example, I shifted away from using Prisma as the ORM and switched to an ORM called Drizzle, which seems to be a better fit for the project.
MVP Spotlight: Key Features of Our Upcoming Platform
In my next post, I will provide an overview of the initial features of the platform and what users can expect in terms of engagement and functionality. One challenge that often arises with niche social network projects is the likelihood of starting with a small user base. In such cases, the platform needs to offer more than just user-generated content to provide value to its early adopters. I will also discuss our plan to deliver value to these initial users in ways that don’t solely rely on them generating content themselves.