Bluumo: Rebuilding a Wellness Marketplace from the Ground Up
Role: Solo Full-Stack Developer & UX Designer
Timeline: November 2025 - January 2026 (~2.5 weeks active development)
Year: 2025-2026
Client: Bluumo (Finnish wellness services startup)
Status: Beta testing, launching Q1 2026
THE HOOK
Replaced an expensive WordPress marketing site with a full-featured native mobile marketplace platform in 2.5 weeks—eliminating the CEO's phone-booking bottleneck and handling everything from database architecture to UI design to native iOS/Android deployment as a solo developer.
THE CHALLENGE
Bluumo is a Finnish wellness services marketplace that connects customers with service providers (massage therapists, beauty professionals, physiotherapists) who deliver treatments directly to customers' homes. Think "Uber for wellness services"—convenient, professional, at-home care.
The problem:
The company had an expensive WordPress site that functioned as a marketing page, but offered zero platform functionality. Despite paying significant development costs, the system provided no operational support. The CEO was literally taking phone calls to book every single appointment, then:
Manually matching each customer with service providers
Manually creating all invoices and handling payments
Manually coordinating scheduling between parties
Dealing with a non-mobile experience in a mobile-first market
The business model was sound and customers loved the service, but the technology was actively preventing scale. Every new booking required manual intervention from the CEO, making growth impossible without proportionally scaling the operations team.
They needed:
A real two-sided marketplace that handled matching automatically
Native mobile apps for both customers and service providers
Automated booking, scheduling, and payment systems
Provider profile management and availability calendars
Customer booking interface with real-time availability
Admin dashboard for platform oversight
A solution that could scale without manual intervention
THE APPROACH
Phase 1: Discovery & Planning (November 2025)
Analyzed the existing WordPress site to understand current workflows
Interviewed stakeholders to identify pain points and must-have features
Mapped out the two-sided marketplace flow (customer booking → provider matching → service delivery → payment)
Designed the information architecture for providers, customers, and admins
Created low-fidelity wireframes for core user journeys
Selected tech stack optimized for rapid development and native mobile performance
Phase 2: Rapid MVP Development (November 2025 - January 2026)
Built the entire platform from scratch as a solo developer:
Database Architecture: Designed and implemented complete PostgreSQL schema with proper relationships, indexes, and Row Level Security policies
Authentication System: Multi-role auth supporting customers, service providers, and admins with appropriate permissions
Provider Features: Profile creation, service catalog management, availability scheduling, booking management, earnings tracking
Customer Features: Service browsing, provider discovery, booking flow, appointment management, payment processing
Matching System: Algorithm to connect customers with available providers based on service type, location, and availability
Native Mobile Apps: Cross-platform iOS and Android apps with native performance and UX
Admin Dashboard: Platform oversight, user management, booking monitoring, and analytics
Tech Stack:
Expo | React Native | TypeScript | Supabase | PostgreSQL | Claude Sonnet 4 API | iOS/Android Native Wrappers
Phase 3: Testing & Launch Prep (January 2026)
Internal testing of complete booking flow
Native app optimization for iOS and Android performance
Beta testing preparation with initial provider and customer cohorts
Final bug fixes and polish before public launch
KEY FEATURES IMPLEMENTED
For Service Providers:
Complete profile management with services, pricing, and photos
Visual availability calendar with recurring schedule support
Real-time booking notifications
Appointment management dashboard
Earnings tracking and payout history
Service area and travel preferences
For Customers:
Service browsing with filtering and search
Provider profiles with reviews and ratings
Real-time availability checking
Seamless booking flow with instant confirmation
Appointment history and upcoming bookings
Secure payment processing
Platform Infrastructure:
Two-sided marketplace matching engine
Automated payment processing and provider payouts
Real-time notifications for bookings and updates
Multi-role authentication and authorization
Comprehensive admin oversight tools
Scalable database architecture with proper security
AI assistant "Helmi" powered by Claude Sonnet 4 for customer support and booking assistance
TECHNICAL CHALLENGES SOLVED
Challenge: Building an entire two-sided marketplace platform with AI-powered support solo in under 3 weeks.
Solution: Leveraged Expo for rapid cross-platform development, Supabase for backend infrastructure, and integrated Claude Sonnet 4 API for intelligent customer assistance through "Helmi," the AI booking assistant. This allowed focus on business logic rather than boilerplate while providing automated customer support.
Challenge: Complex role-based permissions across customers, providers, and admins with different data access needs.
Solution: Implemented comprehensive Row Level Security policies in PostgreSQL, ensuring data privacy while enabling appropriate access for each user role.
Challenge: Real-time matching between customer booking requests and provider availability.
Solution: Built availability checking system using PostgreSQL queries optimized for date/time range overlaps, with real-time updates via Supabase subscriptions.
Challenge: Native mobile app deployment for both iOS and Android platforms.
Solution: Used Expo's native wrapper system to generate performant native apps from a single codebase, currently optimizing platform-specific features and performance.
THE RESULTS
Dramatic Timeline Compression: Rebuilt entire platform in ~2.5 weeks vs. the expensive, lengthy WordPress development
Complete Automation: Eliminated manual booking matching, scheduling, and invoicing—enabling true scalability
Native Mobile Experience: Purpose-built iOS/Android apps replacing clunky mobile web experience
Real Platform Features: Implemented actual marketplace functionality that the WordPress site could never support
Cost Efficiency: Solo developer delivering full platform vs. expensive agency WordPress customization
Ready for Beta: Platform approaching launch with complete feature set in place
KEY LEARNINGS
Right Stack Matters: Choosing Expo + Supabase enabled solo development at a pace that would typically require a full team
MVP Ruthlessness: Strict feature prioritization allowed shipping a complete, functional platform in record time
Platform Fundamentals: Proper database design and authentication architecture from day one prevented technical debt
Solo Development Trade-offs: Working alone meant complete control and rapid decision-making, but required careful scope management
Native vs. Web: For a service marketplace, native mobile apps are non-negotiable—the UX difference is dramatic
WHAT'S NEXT
iOS and Android native optimization and testing
Beta launch with initial provider and customer cohorts
User feedback gathering and rapid iteration
Platform refinements based on real-world usage
Marketing website and provider onboarding materials
Scale testing and performance optimization
Public launch and growth features (referrals, reviews, etc.)
Platform: bluumo.vercel.appBluumo: Rebuilding a Wellness Marketplace from the Ground Up
Role: Solo Full-Stack Developer & UX Designer
Timeline: November 2025 - January 2026 (~2.5 weeks active development)
Year: 2025-2026
Client: Bluumo (Finnish wellness services startup)
Status: Beta testing, launching Q1 2026
THE HOOK
Replaced an expensive WordPress marketing site with a full-featured native mobile marketplace platform in 2.5 weeks—eliminating the CEO's phone-booking bottleneck and handling everything from database architecture to UI design to native iOS/Android deployment as a solo developer.
THE CHALLENGE
Bluumo is a Finnish wellness services marketplace that connects customers with service providers (massage therapists, beauty professionals, physiotherapists) who deliver treatments directly to customers' homes. Think "Uber for wellness services"—convenient, professional, at-home care.
The problem:
The company had an expensive WordPress site that functioned as a marketing page, but offered zero platform functionality. Despite paying significant development costs, the system provided no operational support. The CEO was literally taking phone calls to book every single appointment, then:
Manually matching each customer with service providers
Manually creating all invoices and handling payments
Manually coordinating scheduling between parties
Dealing with a non-mobile experience in a mobile-first market
The business model was sound and customers loved the service, but the technology was actively preventing scale. Every new booking required manual intervention from the CEO, making growth impossible without proportionally scaling the operations team.
They needed:
A real two-sided marketplace that handled matching automatically
Native mobile apps for both customers and service providers
Automated booking, scheduling, and payment systems
Provider profile management and availability calendars
Customer booking interface with real-time availability
Admin dashboard for platform oversight
A solution that could scale without manual intervention
THE APPROACH
Phase 1: Discovery & Planning (November 2025)
Analyzed the existing WordPress site to understand current workflows
Interviewed stakeholders to identify pain points and must-have features
Mapped out the two-sided marketplace flow (customer booking → provider matching → service delivery → payment)
Designed the information architecture for providers, customers, and admins
Created low-fidelity wireframes for core user journeys
Selected tech stack optimized for rapid development and native mobile performance
Phase 2: Rapid MVP Development (November 2025 - January 2026)
Built the entire platform from scratch as a solo developer:
Database Architecture: Designed and implemented complete PostgreSQL schema with proper relationships, indexes, and Row Level Security policies
Authentication System: Multi-role auth supporting customers, service providers, and admins with appropriate permissions
Provider Features: Profile creation, service catalog management, availability scheduling, booking management, earnings tracking
Customer Features: Service browsing, provider discovery, booking flow, appointment management, payment processing
Matching System: Algorithm to connect customers with available providers based on service type, location, and availability
Native Mobile Apps: Cross-platform iOS and Android apps with native performance and UX
Admin Dashboard: Platform oversight, user management, booking monitoring, and analytics
Tech Stack:
Expo | React Native | TypeScript | Supabase | PostgreSQL | Claude Sonnet 4 API | iOS/Android Native Wrappers
Phase 3: Testing & Launch Prep (January 2026)
Internal testing of complete booking flow
Native app optimization for iOS and Android performance
Beta testing preparation with initial provider and customer cohorts
Final bug fixes and polish before public launch
KEY FEATURES IMPLEMENTED
For Service Providers:
Complete profile management with services, pricing, and photos
Visual availability calendar with recurring schedule support
Real-time booking notifications
Appointment management dashboard
Earnings tracking and payout history
Service area and travel preferences
For Customers:
Service browsing with filtering and search
Provider profiles with reviews and ratings
Real-time availability checking
Seamless booking flow with instant confirmation
Appointment history and upcoming bookings
Secure payment processing
Platform Infrastructure:
Two-sided marketplace matching engine
Automated payment processing and provider payouts
Real-time notifications for bookings and updates
Multi-role authentication and authorization
Comprehensive admin oversight tools
Scalable database architecture with proper security
AI assistant "Helmi" powered by Claude Sonnet 4 for customer support and booking assistance
TECHNICAL CHALLENGES SOLVED
Challenge: Building an entire two-sided marketplace platform with AI-powered support solo in under 3 weeks.
Solution: Leveraged Expo for rapid cross-platform development, Supabase for backend infrastructure, and integrated Claude Sonnet 4 API for intelligent customer assistance through "Helmi," the AI booking assistant. This allowed focus on business logic rather than boilerplate while providing automated customer support.
Challenge: Complex role-based permissions across customers, providers, and admins with different data access needs.
Solution: Implemented comprehensive Row Level Security policies in PostgreSQL, ensuring data privacy while enabling appropriate access for each user role.
Challenge: Real-time matching between customer booking requests and provider availability.
Solution: Built availability checking system using PostgreSQL queries optimized for date/time range overlaps, with real-time updates via Supabase subscriptions.
Challenge: Native mobile app deployment for both iOS and Android platforms.
Solution: Used Expo's native wrapper system to generate performant native apps from a single codebase, currently optimizing platform-specific features and performance.
THE RESULTS
Dramatic Timeline Compression: Rebuilt entire platform in ~2.5 weeks vs. the expensive, lengthy WordPress development
Complete Automation: Eliminated manual booking matching, scheduling, and invoicing—enabling true scalability
Native Mobile Experience: Purpose-built iOS/Android apps replacing clunky mobile web experience
Real Platform Features: Implemented actual marketplace functionality that the WordPress site could never support
Cost Efficiency: Solo developer delivering full platform vs. expensive agency WordPress customization
Ready for Beta: Platform approaching launch with complete feature set in place
KEY LEARNINGS
Right Stack Matters: Choosing Expo + Supabase enabled solo development at a pace that would typically require a full team
MVP Ruthlessness: Strict feature prioritization allowed shipping a complete, functional platform in record time
Platform Fundamentals: Proper database design and authentication architecture from day one prevented technical debt
Solo Development Trade-offs: Working alone meant complete control and rapid decision-making, but required careful scope management
Native vs. Web: For a service marketplace, native mobile apps are non-negotiable—the UX difference is dramatic
WHAT'S NEXT
iOS and Android native optimization and testing
Beta launch with initial provider and customer cohorts
User feedback gathering and rapid iteration
Platform refinements based on real-world usage
Marketing website and provider onboarding materials
Scale testing and performance optimization
Public launch and growth features (referrals, reviews, etc.)
Platform: bluumo.vercel.app