Building a Production SaaS with Next.js 16
Here is the complete architecture of LeadHunting AI — a production SaaS built on Next.js 16.
Tech Stack
- Frontend: Next.js 16 (App Router), React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui
- Backend: Prisma ORM v6, Supabase PostgreSQL
- AI: Google AI Studio (Gemini Flash, Imagen 3, Veo 2, TTS) — all free tier
- Payments: Stripe (dynamic pricing via price_data)
- Email: Amazon SES + Gmail SMTP + Brevo + Resend (cascade failover)
- Deployment: Vercel Hobby (free)
Key Architecture Decisions
1. SPA + Server-Side Rendering Hybrid
Marketing pages are server-rendered for SEO. Dashboard is client-rendered for interactivity.
2. Built-in Cron Scheduler (No Vercel Cron)
A heartbeat endpoint triggered by real traffic runs all background tasks. No paid cron service needed.
3. Credit Billing System (500%+ Margin)
Users pre-pay credits. Credits deducted before AI generation. Auto-refund on failure. Admin uses $0 free tier.
4. Multi-Provider Email Cascade
SES → Gmail SMTP → Brevo → Resend → Log-only. 33,000+ free emails/month.
5. Autonomous Content Pipeline
Every 6 hours: Gemini generates blog post → Imagen creates image → TTS creates audio → Veo creates video → auto-publishes to DEV.to + Hashnode.
6. Security Headers
CSP (no unsafe-eval), COEP, COOP, CORP, HSTS, X-Content-Type-Options.
7. Compliance Engine
CAN-SPAM (unsubscribe + physical address), TCPA (consent tracking), GDPR (data export + erasure).
Cost Breakdown
All services on free tier = $0/month admin cost. Users pay credits at 500%+ margin.
Links
Originally published on leadhunting.app
Top comments (1)
Solid writeup. What would you cut first if you were shipping a v1 alone in a weekend?