In the context of the rapidly growing Pickleball movement, which still lacks specialized support tools, matchmaking between players of varying skill levels is a common problem, directly impacting the competitive experience and user retention. A sports startup was looking to build a platform that would allow the player community to transparently record their match results and rank their skill levels based on real-world data. That's where Haposoft came in. We developed a multi-channel platform – website, administration system, and mobile app – using technology to solve this problem and lay the foundation for a customer subscription business model.
About Customers
Our client is a startup operating in the sports industry, targeting the community of pickleball players – a sport experiencing rapid growth in participation. Their business model is subscription-based, where customers pay a recurring annual fee. Therefore, the product needs to create sufficient value to justify players' willingness to pay the recurring fee.
However, the lack of a reliable skill ranking tool – something golf already has with its handicap system – makes matchmaking between players of different skill levels a major obstacle to building a fair and sustainable competitive community. This project highlights how technology can be applied to validate a new business model in a niche market.
Challenge
Customers face three main challenges in the platform building process:
- Unfair Matchmaking: Without an objective skill ranking tool, new and experienced players are easily matched together, making the game uncompetitive and negatively impacting the experience for both sides.
- Multi-Platform Deployment in a Short Timeframe: The project required the simultaneous development of three components – a website, an administration system, and a mobile application – within approximately two months, demanding close coordination between all departments.
- Validating the New Business Model: The subscription model has never been applied to this product before, so a phased deployment strategy is needed to mitigate risks before officially charging users.
These challenges not only affect the competitive experience but also directly impact the product's commercial viability.
Solution
To address the challenges faced by our customers, Haposoft has developed a solution consisting of three main components: a referral website, a mobile application, and a management system, designed to effectively handle each challenge. By focusing on automated scoring, a seamless registration experience, and phased deployment, we ensure the platform can quickly validate the real-world business model. Simultaneously, the referral website, built on NextJS, serves as the first touchpoint with new users, introducing the product before they download the application.
1. Automatic Match Recording & Ranking System
We develop mobile applications on React Native. This application allows simultaneous release on iOS and Android from a single codebase, directly addressing the problem of mismatched matchmaking. The app enables players to create matches, record results, and automatically calculate rankings based on actual match data, eliminating subjective ranking. This solution simplifies the process of finding opponents of a suitable skill level and enhances fairness in competition.
Key features:
- Match report:Players create their own matches and enter match results directly on the app.
- Automatic scoring:The system automatically calculates ranking points based on actual match results, requiring no manual intervention.
- Real-time leaderboard:Continuous updates ensure players always know their current position within the community.
2. Seamless Registration & Notification Experience
To reduce barriers to creating new accounts, the system integrates OTP via Zalo OA (Using the Zalo ZNS package developed by Haposoft) – leveraging the familiar channel of Vietnamese users instead of traditional SMS. Simultaneously, the system integrates Firebase Cloud Messaging to send real-time match notifications and account updates, helping players avoid missing important information between app openings.
Key features:
- Verification via Zalo OTP: Fast registration reduces the barrier to conversion for new users.
- Real-time notifications: Get instant match schedule and account updates via Firebase Cloud Messaging.
3. Centralized Management System
To operate the platform effectively, we developed a management system using Node.js and MySQL, stored on AWS EC2 allowing the operations team to centrally track user data, match data, and ranking history – the primary data source for the platform's operational metrics.
Key features:
- Centralized data management: Track users, matches, and rankings from a single interface.
- Monitoring operational data: Provide real-world data to measure matchmaking effectiveness and platform usage.
Result
The solution implemented by Haposoft has yielded remarkable initial results right from its launch:
► Verify market needs: Immediately after its launch, the system attracted more than 15,000 players to register and use. This demonstrates a clear need for a transparent qualification assessment system within the Pickleball community.
► High matchmaking success rate: The platform has stored more than 75,000 match results, which creates a large database for calculating scores, rankings, and tracking players' performance in real time.
► Growth across both mobile platforms: The app has been released on both iOS and Android, allowing customers to quickly reach users across popular platforms.
► Implementing in phases helps reduce risks: Testing with real data before implementing a pricing model helps customers validate the product before making a full investment in commercialization.
► The scope is clear for the next phase: The platform currently supports matchmaking between regular players and does not yet support tournament organization – this is a planned item in the client's next roadmap.
Conclude
By solving the problem of unfair matchmaking and simultaneously building three platforms in a short time, Haposoft has helped its clients have a product ready to validate their subscription business model in a niche market. With 15,000 active users and nearly 76% of matches successfully matched in the initial phase, clients now have real data to continue investing in and expanding the product in subsequent phases.
Why Choose Us?
Businesses looking to build a new community platform or subscription product can trust Haposoft. We possess the expertise to handle multiple system components simultaneously – websites, mobile applications, and administration systems – in a short timeframe, while also advising on phased deployment strategies to mitigate risks when validating new business models.
Interested in building a new community platform or subscription product? Contact Haposoft to explore how our enterprise system development services can help you validate and scale your product.
