🎓 Remarx Platform: Domain Insights & Design Intelligence

💡 Insight: Literary Type Granularity

The platform recognizes that "personal statement" is not a monolithic category.

Implementation:

• Medical School Personal Statement
• Dental School Personal Statement
• Residency Personal Statement
• Ph.D. Research Proposal
• MBA Statement of Purpose
• Law School Personal Statement
• Graduate School Statement

Why This Matters:

Each literary type requires domain-specific expertise. A medical school personal statement reviewer may not be qualified to review an MBA statement of purpose. This granularity:

• Ensures quality matching between reviewers and clients
• Allows reviewers to specialize and command premium pricing
• Reflects understanding that admissions committees have different expectations across fields

💡 Insight: Reviewer Pricing Per Literary Type

Reviewers should set different prices for different statement types based on complexity and their expertise level.

Design Decision:

• Each reviewer can offer multiple literary types
• Each literary type has its own price point
• Turnaround time can vary by literary type
• Platform provides suggested price ranges based on market data

Why This Matters:

• A Ph.D. research proposal requires more expertise and time than a dental school statement
• Reviewers with medical backgrounds can charge more for medical statements
• Market pricing transparency prevents price gouging while allowing specialization premiums

💡 Insight: Dual Selection Mechanisms

Different clients have different preferences for how they find reviewers.

Two Pathways:

1. Browse & Select: Client browses reviewer profiles, compares prices/ratings, chooses one
2. Post & Wait: Client posts their request, reviewers apply with proposals

Why This Matters:

• Mirrors real-world hiring decisions (headhunt vs. job posting)
• Urgent clients want to browse and select immediately
• Budget-conscious clients benefit from competitive proposals
• Reflects understanding of marketplace dynamics

💡 Insight: Sub-Types and Hierarchical Categorization

Some literary types have sub-categories that affect pricing and expertise requirements.

Implementation:

• SubTypes table with MasterTypeId and ParentTypeId
• Level1 boolean flag for nested hierarchies
• Allows drilling down: Medical → Internal Medicine → Cardiology

Why This Matters:

Medical specialties are highly specific. A cardiology fellowship personal statement is different from a dermatology one. This enables ultra-precise matching.

💡 Insight: Suggested Price Ranges

New reviewers don't know what to charge. Clients don't know what's fair.

Implementation:

• Each literary type has suggested min/max prices
• Configuration page shows "Suggested Price: $60-$100" next to reviewer's input
• Based on historical market data

Why This Matters:

• Prevents underpricing (reviewer exploitation)
• Prevents overpricing (client sticker shock)
• Creates efficient market equilibrium
• Builds trust through transparency

💡 Insight: Commission Code Tracking

Academic programs often have affiliate arrangements or want to track referrals.

Implementation:

• CommissionCodes table with unique codes
• Links to deferred payments for revenue sharing
• Tracked through entire payment lifecycle
• CommissionPayments table for settlement

Why This Matters:

• Universities can partner with Remarx and earn revenue
• Pre-med advisors can share unique codes with students
• Enables B2B2C business model
• Creates network effects through institutional partnerships

💡 Insight: Discount Code System

Students are price-sensitive. Strategic discounting drives adoption.

Implementation:

• Percentage-based or fixed-amount discounts
• User-specific codes (loyalty rewards)
• Reason tracking for analytics
• Date tracking for single-use validation

Use Cases:

• First-time user acquisition
• Seasonal promotions (application season)
• Partnership discounts (student organizations)
• Influencer marketing campaigns

💡 Insight: Deferred Payment System

Students applying to professional schools often lack upfront capital but have future earning potential.

Implementation:

• DeferredPayments table with installment tracking
• One-week and one-day reminder emails
• Settlement status tracking
• Error logging for failed charges

Why This Matters:

• Removes financial barrier to accessing professional help
• Reduces dropout during payment step
• Recognizes that pre-med students become doctors (high lifetime value)
• Shows understanding of student financial constraints

💡 Insight: Application Fee Structure

Platform needs to capture value while ensuring reviewer earnings remain attractive.

Implementation:

• Application fee calculated as percentage
• Tracked separately in Payments.ApplicationFee
• Reviewer sees their net amount upfront
• Stripe Connect for direct reviewer payouts

Why This Matters:

• Transparent fee structure builds trust
• Reviewers aren't surprised by deductions
• Enables reviewer comparison of net earnings
• Stripe Connect compliance for marketplace regulations

💡 Insight: Dispute Resolution System

When money and careers are at stake, disputes are inevitable and must be handled systematically.

Implementation:

• Structured dispute creation (reason, explanation)
• Arbitrator assignment (ResolutionArbitratorId)
• Formal resolution tracking (action, reason, date)
• Links to specific job requests
• Status progression (Open → In Review → Resolved)

Why This Matters:

• Protects both clients and reviewers
• Creates accountability
• Enables data-driven policy improvements
• Required for marketplace trust at scale

💡 Insight: Multi-Dimensional Rating System

A single 5-star rating doesn't capture service quality nuances.

Implementation:

• Overall star rating (1-5)
• Written review text
• Rating title/summary
• RatingStatus (flagged for review, deleted)
• Rater and ratee tracking
• Timestamp tracking

Why This Matters:

• Clients can assess quality/communication/timeliness
• Flags abusive ratings for moderation
• Enables reputation system
• Provides social proof for decision-making

💡 Insight: Two-Factor Authentication

Accounts contain sensitive documents and payment information.

Implementation:

• SMS/email code verification
• TwoFactorEnabled flag in user model
• Verification code workflow

Why This Matters:

• Protects personal statements (intellectual property)
• Prevents account takeover
• Required for FERPA/privacy compliance
• Professional credibility

💡 Insight: Error Logging with User Context

Errors in academic workflows can have serious consequences (missed deadlines, lost documents).

Implementation:

• User ID, display name tracking
• Stack trace and line number
• Controller and page context
• IP address for security
• "Seen and hidden" status for admin triage
• FromPage for user journey reconstruction

Why This Matters:

• Enables rapid debugging during application season
• Identifies user-specific vs. systemic issues
• Security incident investigation
• Quality assurance for high-stakes documents

💡 Insight: Institution Management System

Universities and programs want private-labeled project workspaces for their students.

Implementation:

• Institution profiles with contact info, addresses
• Package-based pricing (Bronze/Silver/Gold)
• System admin assignment per institution
• Notice board customization
• Course tag creation

Why This Matters:

• B2B revenue stream (institutional licenses)
• White-label capability for universities
• Centralized management for program directors
• Network effects (all Stanford pre-meds use Remarx)

💡 Insight: Course Tags for Auto-Authentication

Universities want students to collaborate but verify enrollment.

Implementation:

• CourseTags linked to institutions
• AutoAuthenticate flag for verified students
• OneUserOneProject constraint option
• Course admin assignment

Why This Matters:

• Prevents non-enrolled students from accessing course projects
• Enables official university collaboration
• Protects academic integrity
• Allows controlled project visibility

💡 Insight: Notice Boards (Project Link Templates)

Institutions need custom landing pages for recruitment campaigns.

Implementation:

• Fully customizable templates with images, buttons, text
• Student vs. supervisor pathways
• Social media integration
• Newsletter signup
• Meta tags for SEO

Why This Matters:

• Universities can run cohort-specific programs
• Branded experience (feels like university's platform)
• A/B testing different messaging
• Marketing funnel customization

💡 Insight: "Commission-Free" Referral Credits

Students who refer others should get commission-free services as rewards.

Implementation:

• CommishFreeLeft field tracks remaining free reviews
• CommishFreeAdded table logs when/how credits were earned
• Referral ID tracking for attribution

Why This Matters:

• Viral growth mechanism (students share with classmates)
• Reduces customer acquisition cost
• Rewards brand advocates
• Removes financial barrier for referrers

💡 Insight: Course Payment with Day Selection

Medical courses (like Oslers) often run over multiple days, and students may only attend some days.

Implementation:

• OslersPayments table
• Day1 and Day2 boolean flags
• Partial attendance pricing
• Unique codes for cohort tracking

Why This Matters:

• Flexibility increases conversions
• Students can test on Day 1, then commit to Day 2
• Accurate attendance tracking for certification
• Reduced financial risk for students

💡 Insight: Budget Range Filtering

Students have different budgets and want to see reviewers within their range.

Implementation:

• Budget range selector in job creation
• Filter reviewers by price range
• "Any budget" option for flexibility

Why This Matters:

• Prevents wasting time browsing unaffordable reviewers
• Sets expectations upfront
• Enables reviewers to target different market segments
• Reduces sticker shock

💡 Insight: Q&A Lounge with Points System

Academic communities thrive on knowledge-sharing. Gamification drives engagement.

Implementation:

• Questions with upvotes and categories
• Answers with "accepted answer" designation
• Admin verification for expert answers
• Points allocation for contributions
• User reputation scoring

Why This Matters:

• Reduces support burden (peer-to-peer help)
• Creates content moat (SEO value)
• Identifies expert users (recruit as reviewers)
• Builds community beyond transactions

💡 Insight: Blog Series and Canonical URLs

Long-form educational content builds authority. SEO matters for discovery.

Implementation:

• SeriesCode to link related posts
• SeriesOrder for sequencing
• CanonicalURL for SEO
• Featured blog promotion
• View and like tracking

Why This Matters:

• Organic traffic from Google searches
• Establishes thought leadership
• Reduces paid acquisition costs
• Creates evergreen content library

💡 Insight: User Blog Tag Subscriptions

Students want to follow specific topics (e.g., "medical school admissions") without following all blogs.

Implementation:

• BlogTags with many-to-many relationships
• UserBlogTags for subscriptions
• Authorized vs. user-created tags
• Follow/unfollow functionality

Why This Matters:

• Personalized content feed
• Email notification targeting
• Content discovery based on interests
• Prevents notification fatigue

💡 Insight: Following System (Social Graph)

Students want to follow reviewers, successful applicants, or peers.

Implementation:

• Follower and following user IDs
• Blocked status for unwanted followers
• Start date tracking

Why This Matters:

• Social proof (see who others follow)
• Content feed personalization
• Notification system foundation
• Network effect amplification

💡 Insight: Mentorship Program Architecture

Long-term mentorship is different from one-off reviews. It requires formal program structure.

Implementation:

• Mentorships (programs like "Medical School Application Mentorship")
• MentorAdmins who manage programs
• Mentors and Mentees with approval workflows
• MentorLink with connection status tracking
• Conversation threading per relationship

Why This Matters:

• Structured guidance over 6-12 months
• Quality control through mentor approval
• Match analytics (acceptance/decline rates)
• Relationship continuity tracking

💡 Insight: Project Screening Questionnaires

Project owners need to vet applicants beyond just a CV.

Implementation:

• Reusable questionnaire templates
• Custom questions with data types
• Answer storage linked to applicant
• Shorthand tags for quick reference

Why This Matters:

• Filters serious applicants from casual browsers
• Captures domain-specific requirements
• Reduces owner's review time
• Enables data-driven selection

💡 Insight: Project Templates

Recurring project types (e.g., "Research Paper Collaboration") should have standardized structures.

Implementation:

• Template questions with visibility controls
• IsPublic (visible to all) vs. ShowInPrivate (team-only)
• Template-to-noticeboard-to-type linkages
• Answers stored per project instance

Why This Matters:

• Reduces setup time for common projects
• Ensures consistency across cohorts
• Best practices codification
• Institutional knowledge preservation

💡 Insight: Task Management with Types and Actions

Academic tasks are diverse (write, review, experiment, meet). Categorization aids workflow.

Implementation:

• TaskTypes (research, writing, review, etc.)
• TaskActions (submit, revise, approve, etc.)
• Priority levels
• Status tracking
• Conversation threading per task

Why This Matters:

• Visual differentiation (icons per type)
• Filtering and sorting
• Template creation for recurring tasks
• Workflow automation foundation

💡 Insight: Soft Deletion Pattern

In academic contexts, data should rarely be permanently deleted (audit trails, dispute resolution).

Implementation:

• Deleted boolean flag across multiple tables
• DeletedBy and DeletedDate tracking
• DeletedText and DeletedDocumentURL for message retention

Tables with Soft Deletion:

• Reviewers, Projects, Messages
• QALounge, QAResponses
• ProjectStaff, ProjectTasks
• ScreeningQuestionaire, ProjectTemplate

Why This Matters:

• Legal compliance (data retention policies)
• Dispute investigation (see deleted messages)
• User psychology (undo capability)
• Analytics on deletion patterns

💡 Insight: Composite Key Relationships

Academic collaboration involves many-to-many relationships that require complex joins.

Examples:

• Users ↔ Projects (via ProjectStaffLinks)
• Projects ↔ Tags (via ProjectTags)
• Blogs ↔ Tags (via BlogTags)
• Users ↔ LiteraryTypes (via LiteraryLinks)
• Users ↔ Skills/Tags (via ClientTags)

Why This Matters:

• Enables filtering: "Show me all medical school reviewers who accept Ph.D. proposals"
• Tag-based search and discovery
• Skill matching for project recruitment
• Complex analytics queries

💡 Insight: Conversation Threading Architecture

Academic collaboration requires context-aware messaging (job-specific, project-specific, task-specific).

Implementation:

• Conversations table as universal thread container
• ConversationId foreign key in multiple contexts:
• Jobs (client-reviewer communication)
• Projects (team group chat)
• Tasks (task-specific discussion)
• Mentorship (mentor-mentee communication)
• Individual chats (1:1 within projects)

Why This Matters:

• Single messaging infrastructure
• Context-aware notifications
• Conversation history preservation
• Unified unread message tracking

💡 Insight: URL Slug Generation (IdURL)

SEO-friendly URLs improve discoverability. Slug-based URLs prevent enumeration attacks.

Implementation:

• IdURL field in: Reviewers, Projects, Blogs, Info pages

Examples:

• /reviewer/dr-john-smith-medical instead of /reviewer/12345
• /blog/how-to-write-personal-statement instead of /blog/789

Why This Matters:

• Google ranking factor
• User-shareable links
• Privacy (can't enumerate all reviewers)
• Professional appearance

💡 Insight: Multi-Tenant Revenue Streams

Platform captures value from multiple stakeholder types.

Revenue Sources:

1. Transaction fees (reviewer marketplace)
2. Institutional subscriptions (package-based pricing)
3. Course payments (Oslers and similar)
4. Commission tracking (affiliate partnerships)
5. Featured placement (reviewer promotion)
6. Premium features (expedited review)

Why This Matters:

• Revenue diversification reduces risk
• Different stakeholders have different willingness to pay
• Institutional revenue is recurring (MRR)
• Commission model enables partnerships

💡 Insight: Dynamic Pricing Support

Review prices should vary by urgency, complexity, and reviewer reputation.

Implementation:

• Reviewer-set base prices per literary type
• Express service multipliers (2x for 24-48 hours)
• Bulk discount options (3+ statements)
• First-time client discounts
• Seasonal promotions via discount codes

Why This Matters:

• Maximizes revenue during peak season (application deadlines)
• Clears market during slow periods
• Rewards customer loyalty
• Price discrimination based on willingness to pay

💡 Insight: Stripe Connect Integration

Marketplace regulations require direct reviewer payouts (not escrow/sub-merchant model).

Implementation:

• StripeConnectAccId for each reviewer
• ReviewerTransferedDate tracking
• ReviewerAmount separate from gross payment
• Application fee calculated transparently

Why This Matters:

• Legal compliance (marketplace facilitator rules)
• 1099 tax reporting (reviewers are contractors)
• Faster payouts to reviewers
• Dispute chargeback handling

💡 Insight: Gamification Through Points

Academic users respond to intellectual status signals more than monetary rewards.

Implementation:

• Points awarded for: Answering questions, Accepted answers, Blog posts, Comments, Referrals
• Public point totals (leaderboards)
• Reviewer points displayed prominently

Why This Matters:

• Drives content creation (Q&A, blogs)
• Identifies power users for recruitment
• Social proof (high-point users are experts)
• Low-cost reward mechanism

💡 Insight: Progressive Disclosure in Forms

Long forms intimidate users. Breaking into sections with clear purpose increases completion.

Pattern Across Prototypes:

• Job creation: Statement Info → Upload → Timeline → Reviewer Preference
• Project creation: Basic → Team → Timeline → Settings
• Reviewer profile: Bio → Expertise → Pricing → Media

Why This Matters:

• Higher conversion rates
• Reduces cognitive load
• Clear progress indication
• Mobile-friendly (one section per screen)

💡 Insight: Social Proof Integration

Trust is the primary barrier in academic services. Multiple social proof mechanisms are needed.

Mechanisms:

1. Reviewer ratings (star + written reviews)
2. Completed job count
3. Response time metrics
4. Years of experience
5. Professional credentials
6. Social media verification (LinkedIn, Twitter)
7. Points/reputation score
8. Admin verification badges

Why This Matters:

• Reduces perceived risk
• Enables informed decision-making
• Differentiates expert reviewers
• Builds platform credibility

💡 Insight: Email Notification Sophistication

Email fatigue is real. Notifications must be targeted and actionable.

Implementation:

• Context-specific notifications (NotificationText + Url)
• Unread tracking with read timestamps
• Unsubscribe codes per referral type
• Granular preferences (reviews, courses, projects, questionmarxs, blogs)
• Reminder scheduling (one week, one day before deadline)

Why This Matters:

• Reduces spam complaints
• Increases email open rates
• Drives re-engagement
• Respects user preferences

💡 Insight: Referral Viral Loop

Students cluster in cohorts. Word-of-mouth is the primary acquisition channel.

Implementation:

• Friend name and email capture
• Tracking: New, Accepted, Declined
• Unsubscribe mechanism (respects privacy)
• Status tracking (IsRemarxsUser for conversion)
• Reward attribution (CommishFreeAdded table)

Why This Matters:

• Lowest CAC acquisition channel
• High-intent referrals (friend endorsement)
• Cohort effect (if one student uses, whole class follows)
• Network effects amplification