HANGUT — Social Platform for Real-World Connections

Most social platforms optimize for screen time. HANGUT wanted the opposite: a platform that gets people off their phones and into real-world, 1-to-1 meetups based on shared activities. The technical challenge was building something that feels as effortless as swiping through a feed but actually results in people meeting face to face.

I engineered the full-stack platform on React, Node.js, and AWS, designing the architecture around real-time matching and activity coordination.

Activity-based matching engine: Built a system that pairs users based on shared interests and activity preferences rather than profiles. The algorithm prioritizes proximity, availability, and activity compatibility to generate meetup suggestions that actually happen.

Real-time coordination layer: Implemented WebSocket-based real-time messaging and meetup confirmation flows. When two users match on an activity, the platform handles scheduling, location suggestions, and mutual confirmation without friction.

Scalable infrastructure on AWS: Designed the backend to handle concurrent users across multiple cities. Auto-scaling compute, managed databases, and CDN-delivered assets keep the experience fast as the user base grows.

Trust and safety architecture: Built verification systems, meetup check-ins, and reporting mechanisms. When you're facilitating real-world meetings between strangers, trust infrastructure isn't optional.

HANGUT launched as a fully functional social platform that facilitates meaningful 1-to-1 real-world connections. The architecture supports scaling across cities and activity types while keeping the core experience simple: find someone who wants to do the same thing, and go do it together.