Gemsy — a SaaS product for increasing Amazon seller rankings
Gemsy is a two-sided SaaS platform for Amazon authors that allows them to receive book reviews through an internal credit system.
The product was developed from scratch for the U.S. market. The goal was to build a scalable platform with an internal economy, billing, and a quality control system.
Business objective
To build a SaaS product for Amazon authors that:
- Allows users to receive reviews for their books
- Motivates authors to review others through an internal currency system
- Is monetized through subscriptions and paid packages
- Is protected against abuse and manipulation
- Is managed through a centralized admin panel
The product had to be launched as an MVP within a tight timeframe, with the ability to scale further.
Architectural challenges
We needed to implement a secure credit system:
- earning credits for submitted reviews
- spending credits to submit a book
- user balance management
- transaction tracking and control
The platform operates on a user-to-user model:
- authors add their books
- other authors select books to review
- the system matches interests and availability
Implemented features include:
- subscription plans
- paid credit packages
- action limits depending on the subscription tier
- payment system integration
The system includes:
- time restriction (12-hour delay before review submission)
- mandatory paid subscription plan
- Stripe verification
An admin system was developed for:
- review moderation
- user management
- account blocking
- transaction monitoring
- complaint handling
Solution architecture
- User (author)
- Administrator
- Moderator
- Role-based access system
- Internal credit engine
- Billing & subscription module
- Review matching logic
- Notification system
- Admin dashboard
- Fraud monitoring logic
Development process
The project was implemented using a sprint-based model:
- Architectural design
- UX decomposition
- MVP development
- Testing
- Launch
MVP launch timeline — 12 weeks
Result
- Product launched in the U.S. market
- 5,000+ users
- 10,000+ reviews through the system
- Architecture prepared for further scaling
Team role
Full development cycle:
- Product architecture
- UX / UI design
- Backend and frontend development
- Billing implementation
- Administrative system
- Integrations
Product development and monetization enhancement
As Gemsy evolved, the team focused on building an internal economy and mechanisms for organic growth. The product was transformed from a basic user service into a platform with a well-designed engagement and monetization system.
A model with two types of crystals was implemented — separate types of internal currency with different earning and usage logic.
This made it possible to:
- Separate earned currency and premium currency
- Create a flexible reward system
- Prepare the foundation for expanded monetization
- Increase user LTV
From a technical perspective, this required a dedicated system for balance accounting, transaction tracking (credit/debit), and currency usage scenarios within the platform..
A full referral mechanism was implemented:
- Generation of a personal referral link by the user
- Tracking registrations of invited users
- Automatic bonus accrual
- Stripe integration for payouts
The referral system drives viral product growth, reduces customer acquisition cost (CAC), and creates additional incentives for users to promote the platform.
To increase engagement, an event-based notification system was developed with a bell interface displaying platform events.
Implemented features include:
- Tracking key user events
- Trigger-based notification system
- In-platform notifications
- Centralized event display logic
This significantly increased user engagement and improved visibility and control over activity within the platform.
The product evolved into a full-fledged engagement platform with its own internal economy, payment infrastructure, and retention system. The established foundation enables the project to scale and further develop its SaaS model.
