GlitGo
Production backend APIs, data schemas, authentication workflows, and management dashboards for GlitGo, a deployed on-demand vehicle cleaning and photo-inspection platform operating in the Washington, DC Metro Area and Paris.
Problem
On-demand vehicle cleaning requires strict coordination between customers and field technicians ('Glitters'), rapid 20-minute turnaround times, tamper-evident before/after photo verification, reliable job dispatching, and secure payment and authentication across multiple international operational zones.
Solution
Architected and deployed modular Node.js/Express REST APIs with robust validation, MongoDB and Firebase persistence, OAuth authentication flows, photo-inspection upload verification, and responsive Next.js operational dashboards to manage scheduling and dispatching.
What this proves
The most recruiter-relevant signals from this build, pulled from the project feature set.
On-demand booking and automated job dispatching engine with 20-minute turnaround service model
Multi-angle before/after photo-inspection reporting system for verifiable vehicle condition validation
Secure user and provider authentication using OAuth and role-based access control
Real-time service tracking, Glitter provider status updates, and push notifications via Firebase
Overview
GlitGo (glitgo.com) is a deployed on-demand mobile vehicle care and photo-inspection platform operating across the Washington, DC Metro Area and Paris. As a freelance backend engineer, I developed and integrated Node.js and Express.js REST APIs powering user account management, on-demand service dispatching, 20-minute turnaround service workflows, real-time job tracking, and multi-angle photo-inspection reports. I modeled and managed data across MongoDB and Firebase, implemented OAuth authentication flows, built Next.js/React management dashboards for operators and providers ('Glitters'), and contributed to cross-platform Flutter mobile features.
Architecture
Node.js and Express.js backend services providing authenticated REST endpoints for web and mobile clients. MongoDB handles operational records, job lifecycles, and user profiles, while Firebase is leveraged for real-time notifications and image assets. Next.js and React power the administrative and operations dashboard, and Flutter provides the cross-platform mobile client for iOS and Android.
Key features
- On-demand booking and automated job dispatching engine with 20-minute turnaround service model
- Multi-angle before/after photo-inspection reporting system for verifiable vehicle condition validation
- Secure user and provider authentication using OAuth and role-based access control
- Real-time service tracking, Glitter provider status updates, and push notifications via Firebase
- Next.js operational dashboard for booking administration, provider scheduling, and fleet dispatching
- Cross-platform Flutter mobile integration for iOS and Android field technicians
- Dockerized development and production staging environments
Challenges
- Managing dual database persistence across MongoDB for relational documents and Firebase for real-time status and media storage
- Ensuring rapid, verifiable photo uploads and inspections from low-bandwidth mobile connections in the field
- Coordinating multi-timezone operational schedules across the Washington, DC Metro area and Paris
Lessons learned
- Separating real-time state synchronization from core transactional booking APIs improves overall system resilience
- Strict API contracts between backend services and Flutter mobile clients drastically reduce release friction
- Before/after photo inspection protocols build high trust and resolve service disputes objectively
Future improvements
- Automated AI damage detection on uploaded vehicle inspection photos
- Dynamic route optimization and clustering for field Glitter technicians
- Real-time WebSocket telemetry for technician proximity tracking