VAI-VEX
2025archivedCustom community platform for developers, blending Reddit-style discussions with Skool-style courses on real-time Convex infrastructure.
// GitHub
// Problem
My AI community of 100+ engineers was stuck on Skool—a platform that felt outdated for a high-tech audience. The UX was clunky, customization was impossible, and the features didn't match what developers expected.
// Solution
Reverse-engineered Skool's five APIs to extract member data, then built a hybrid platform combining Reddit's threaded discussions with Skool's learning paths. Core features: Signal (curated feed), Dojo (voice rooms), and Swipe (prompt library).
// What I Built
Full-stack community platform on Next.js 15 and Convex. React 19 frontend with 46 shadcn/ui components including command palettes, resizable panels, and voice room interfaces. Convex handled real-time subscriptions, serverless functions, and Clerk authentication. Custom OKLCH design system with dark mode and IBM Plex Mono typography.
// Technologies
Convex → PostgreSQL + Drizzle
Migrated from Convex to PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM for schema management and migrations.
Clerk → Redis Sessions
Replaced managed auth with Redis-backed sessions and custom auth flow.
Convex Subscriptions → WebSockets
Built custom WebSocket server for real-time updates instead of Convex subscriptions.
Next.js + TypeScript
App Router with Bun runtime. 92% TypeScript codebase.
Docker + Biome
Containerized Postgres/Redis for local dev. Biome for linting.