Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working on something close to my heart – a pet sitting marketplace platform designed for Chennai, India. The goal is simple: make it easier for pet owners to find trusted sitters nearby while giving sitters the tools they need to offer reliable care. Think of it as an Airbnb-style platform, but for pets. 🐾
This is a solo development journey, and I’ve been documenting my progress step by step. Here’s a look at what’s been built so far, the decisions I’ve made, and what’s coming next.
🏗️ Architecture & Tech Stack Decisions
From the beginning, I knew the platform needed to be scalable, responsive, and secure. After evaluating different options, here’s the stack I committed to:
- Frontend**: React + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS (for speed and type safety)
- Backend**: Supabase (database + authentication)
- Payments**: Stripe integration
- File Storage**: Cloudinary (for pet images & sitter documents)
- Maps & Location**: Google Maps API
- Messaging**: Real-time WebSockets
The design direction is desktop-first responsive , with a clean marketplace-style layout that focuses on search and discovery. I also chose a pet-friendly color palette to make the platform approachable and fun.
✅ Progress So Far
Here’s a breakdown of what’s already working:
Phase 1 – Foundation Setup
- Project bootstrapped with Vite + React + TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS configured with custom colors
- Supabase connected and tested
- Complete PostgreSQL schema with 8+ tables (users, pets, sitters, bookings, messages, reviews, payments)
- Authentication system in place: sign up, login, profile management
- Core UI: Header, Footer, Hero Section, Profile Page
Phase 2 – Booking System
- Multi-pet booking support (owners can book for multiple pets at once)
- Flexible sitter pricing (based on pet type, size, duration)
- Custom booking flow → Request → Quote → Confirmation → Service → Payment
- Advanced filtering, list/grid views, and real-time sitter availability
Phase 3 – Core User Features
- User profile setup wizard with image upload
- Pet management system with a 3-step pet profile creation flow
- Clean and responsive UI cards for pets and sitters
- Strong integration between Supabase and frontend
Phase 4 – Sitter Profiles
- 4-step sitter onboarding wizard (About, Preferences, Pricing, Skills)
- Rate and location configuration
- Certification & skill tracking
- Professional sitter profile cards with reviews
🔥 Current Status
The development server is fully operational, the booking flow works, and payments through Stripe are integrated. Supabase is stable, and Google Maps is live on the platform. At this stage, the project is not just an idea on paper—it’s a working MVP.
✅ Authentication – working
✅ Database schema – live
✅ Booking system – functional
✅ Stripe – integrated
✅ UI/UX – responsive and accessible
✅ Supabase + Tailwind – stable
🎯 What’s Next
I’m currently pushing into Phase 5: Advanced Features:
- 🔍 Search & discovery system with map-based filtering
- 💬 Real-time messaging between sitters and owners
- 📸 Cloudinary integration for image uploads
- ⭐ Review & rating system
- 📧 Email notifications for booking updates
- 📱 Preparation for mobile app version
💡 Reflection
This project has been a massive learning experience so far. From setting up complex database schemas to refining user flows for real-world usability, every stage has taught me something new.
The vision is to build a trustworthy, easy-to-use pet sitting platform for Chennai’s growing community of pet parents. I still have features to polish, but seeing the MVP take shape has been incredibly motivating.
🐶🐱 If you’re a pet lover, sitter, or just curious about tech builds like this, stay tuned—I’ll continue sharing updates as the platform grows.
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