DEV Community: Suganth Manoharan

🗺️ GMB Booking Feature Roadmap: What Should I Build Next?

Suganth Manoharan — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:33:18 +0000

GMB Booking is still in test mode, and I'm at a crossroads. Got a ton of feature ideas but limited time before launch. Need your developer brain to help me prioritize what actually matters vs what's just feature bloat.

The Feature Dilemma 🤯

Classic developer problem: I keep thinking of "cool features" but I need to focus on what users actually want. Help me separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves!

Current MVP Features ✅

What's already built:

Basic booking calendar
Payment integration (Razorpay)
Email confirmations
Simple business dashboard
Mobile responsive design

Feature Ideas I'm Considering 💡

Integrations:

WhatsApp booking confirmations
Google Calendar 2-way sync
Zoom meeting auto-generation
SMS reminders via Twilio

Business Features:

Multi-location support
Staff scheduling management
Custom booking forms
Analytics dashboard
Customer database/CRM

User Experience:

Booking widget for websites
Social media booking buttons
Waitlist management
Group/bulk bookings
Recurring appointment setup

Technical Enhancements:

API for third-party integrations
White-label solution
Multi-language support
Offline booking capability

Test The Current Version 🔗

Platform: https://gmbbooking.netlify.app/
Status: Test mode (use dummy UPI for Razorpay)

The Real Questions 🤔

Which features would make you switch from Calendly?
What's missing from current booking platforms?
As a developer, what integrations do you wish existed?
Should I focus on simplicity or feature richness?
What would make this worth paying for?

My Current Thinking 🧠

Phase 1 (Launch): Keep it stupidly simple
Phase 2 (Month 2): Add WhatsApp + better analytics
Phase 3 (Month 4): API + integrations
Phase 4 (Month 6): Advanced business features

But honestly, I have no idea if this makes sense! 🤷‍♂️

What I'm Struggling With 😵‍💫

Scope creep: Every day I think of 5 new features
User research: Limited feedback from real businesses
Competition: What features do I need to compete?
Resources: Solo dev with limited time/money
Technical debt: Some features require major refactoring

The Honest Ask 🙏

I need to ship something in 2 weeks, then iterate. But I want to build the RIGHT next features, not just random stuff.

Your input helps me:

Avoid building features nobody wants
Prioritize based on real developer needs
Focus on differentiation vs competition
Make smart technical architecture decisions

Quick Vote 🗳️

If you had to pick ONE next feature after launch:

A) WhatsApp integration
B) Google Calendar sync
C) Better analytics dashboard
D) Booking widget for websites
E) Something else (comment below)

Drop your thoughts! What features would make this actually useful for you or your clients?

🎯 GMB Booking: Test My User Flow & Tell Me What Sucks

Suganth Manoharan — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:52:09 +0000

I need your brutally honest feedback on GMB Booking - my booking platform that's currently in test mode. I've been heads down coding for weeks, and now I need fresh eyes to tell me what's working and what's complete garbage.

What I'm Looking For 🔍

Real user experience feedback:

Is the booking flow intuitive or confusing?
Does it feel fast or sluggish?
Any UI/UX decisions that make you cringe?
Where did you get stuck or frustrated?
Mobile experience - smooth or janky?

Test It Out 🚀

Platform: https://gmbbooking.netlify.app/
How to test:

Try creating a booking as a customer
Go through the complete flow (including payment)
Test on both desktop and mobile
Payment: Use dummy UPI details (Razorpay test mode)

Specific Questions 🤔

First impression: What's your immediate reaction? -** Booking process**: Too many steps or too simple?
Payment flow: Feels secure or sketchy?
Overall experience: Would you actually use this?
Compared to others: How does it stack against Calendly/Fresha?

What I'm Worried About 😰

Is the onboarding clear enough?
Does the booking confirmation feel trustworthy?
Are there any obvious bugs I'm blind to?
Is the value proposition clear from the UI?

Current Status 📊

Development: ~95% complete
Testing phase: Looking for breaking points
Performance: Decent but could be faster
Mobile: Works but needs polish

The Real Talk 💯

I've been staring at this code for so long, I can't tell if it's actually good or if I'm just used to it. I need developers who will:

Actually click around and test stuff
Point out stupid design decisions
Tell me if the flow makes sense
Find the bugs before real users do

Quick Feedback Format 📝

If you test it, just drop a comment like:

Overall: Good/Bad/Meh
Flow: Smooth/Confusing/Broken
Speed: Fast/Slow/Acceptable
Mobile: Works/Doesn't work/Needs work
One thing to fix: [Your biggest complaint]

What's Next 🎯

Planning to launch in 2 weeks, so this is my last chance to fix major UX issues before real users start complaining.

Your feedback directly impacts the final product! Don't hold back - roast it if it deserves it. 🔥

💰 From Side Project to Revenue: GMB Booking Monetization Journey

Suganth Manoharan — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 05:47:23 +0000

Remember that booking platform I've been building? GMB Booking is testing and I'm now diving into the scary world of monetization. Need some wisdom from devs who've been there!

The Reality Check 📊

Been building GMB Booking and getting close to launch. Here's where I'm at:

Development: 95% complete, final testing phase
User testing: Getting feedback from beta testers
Competition: Fresha and Calendly dominating, but I see gaps
Revenue: $0 (still in pre-launch phase)

Monetization Dilemma 🤯

Here's where I'm stuck - which pricing model makes sense for a booking MicroSaaS?

Option 1: Freemium

Free tier: 50 bookings/month
Pro tier: $15/month unlimited
Enterprise: $50/month + advanced features

Option 2: Per-booking fee

$0.50 per successful booking
No monthly fees
Scales with business growth

Option 3: Tiered SaaS

Month Plan: $5/month
Year Plan: $3.5/month

What I'm Wrestling With 🥊

Pricing psychology - What do small businesses actually pay for?
Value proposition - Am I solving a $15/month problem or $50/month problem?
Market positioning - Race to the bottom or premium positioning?
Payment friction - Monthly commitment vs pay-per-use?

The Beta Testing Phase 🔗

Testing URL: https://gmbbooking.netlify.app/

Current status: Pre-launch beta testing

Quick booking setup
Payment processing (Razorpay test mode - use dummy UPI)
Booking Dashboard
Affiliate Referral
Mobile-optimized

Looking for developers to test the flow and break it before launch!

Questions for Revenue Wizards 🧙‍♂️

- What pricing model worked for your SaaS?
- How do you validate willingness to pay?
- Free tier: customer acquisition tool or revenue killer?
- Should I focus on volume or premium customers?
- Any creative monetization ideas I'm missing?

The Honest Struggle 😅

Part of me wants to keep it free forever (developer guilt), but another part knows I need revenue to improve the platform and compete seriously.

Also considering:

White-label licensing to agencies
Marketplace model (take % of bookings)
Add-on services (custom integrations, setup help)
Affiliate program with complementary tools

Early Beta Feedback 💬

"Love the simplicity, excited to see the final version"
"Pricing needs to be competitive with Calendly to consider switching"
"Would definitely pay for WhatsApp integration"
"UI feels clean, booking flow is intuitive"

What's your take? Have you monetized a competitive space? How do you price against established players?

Drop your revenue strategy thoughts! 🚀

🛠️ Built GMB Booking in 2 Weeks - Tech Stack Review & Feedback Needed

Suganth Manoharan — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:42:20 +0000

What's up devs! 🔥

Just shipped the MVP of GMB Booking - a booking platform MicroSaaS. Looking for some technical feedback from fellow developers before I scale this thing up.

The Build 💻

Started this as a side project to solve booking headaches for local businesses. Went from idea to deployed MVP in about 2 weeks of evening coding sessions.

Tech Stack Deep Dive 🚀

Would love your thoughts on my choices:

Frontend: React/Tailwind Css
Backend: Node/Express.js
Database: MongoDB
Payments: Razorpay integration
Deployment: Netlify/Render

What I'm Curious About 🤓

Architecture decisions - Would you have built it differently?
Scalability concerns - What bottlenecks do you see coming?
Security review - Any red flags in the booking/payment flow?
Performance optimization - Where can I improve speed/UX?
Code quality - Does the user flow feel smooth or janky?

Live Demo Time 🎯

Try it here: https://gmbbooking.netlify.app/

Testing Notes:

Payment gateway is in test mode (dummy UPI works)
Try breaking it - seriously, find the bugs!
Mobile responsiveness feedback appreciated

The Real Talk 💯

This is my first serious attempt at a booking platform. I know the market is saturated, but I'm betting on execution and niche focus over feature bloat.

Questions for experienced devs:

How do you handle appointment conflicts at scale?
Best practices for calendar integrations?
Tips for optimizing booking confirmation flows?
Worth open-sourcing parts of this?

Drop your technical feedback! Roast my code, suggest improvements, or just tell me what you'd do differently. All feedback helps me level up! 🙏

🚀 Building GMB Booking: Can a MicroSaaS Survive Against Giants Like Fresha & Calendly?

Suganth Manoharan — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 07:12:21 +0000

I'm working on GMB Booking - an online booking platform MicroSaaS, and I'd love your honest feedback and advice.

The Challenge 🤔

The booking platform space is dominated by established players like:

Fresha (salon/spa focused)
Calendly (general scheduling)
Acuity Scheduling
Booksy
And many more...

The Question 💭

Is it worth developing a MicroSaaS in this competitive niche? What unique angle or features should I focus on to differentiate and actually compete?

What I'm Looking For 🎯

Niche/positioning ideas - What underserved market could I target?
Feature differentiation - What pain points do existing solutions miss?
User flow feedback - I'll share the link below for you to test
Honest reality check - Should I pivot or push forward?

Test the Platform 🔗

Link: GMBBooking

Note: Payment gateway is in test mode (Razorpay) - you can use dummy UPI details for testing the complete flow.

My Current Thoughts 💡

I'm considering focusing on:

Ultra-simple setup for small businesses
Local business optimization (GMB integration)
Affordable pricing for micro-businesses
Industry-specific templates

What do you think? Have you built in competitive spaces? How did you find your edge?

Drop your thoughts, brutal feedback welcome! 🙏