Loading file...
Loading file...
So I built Chatzy, this random chat app that's all about connecting people from different cultures and backgrounds around the world. It's designed to be super user-friendly whether you want to make new friends, practice a language, or just have some genuinely interesting conversations with complete strangers.
The whole thing started because me and my friends needed something better than juggling multiple apps. Now we've got this one platform that handles text, video, and audio chat all peer-to-peer, plus secure file sharing that actually keeps your stuff safe and accessible. It's basically become our go-to for expanding our social network without the usual hassle - you never know if you'll end up chatting with someone from across the globe about their weird hobby or learning a few words in a language you've never heard before.
Budget
$0
Duration
2 Weeks
Successfully implemented real-time peer-to-peer communication - Built a fully functional WebRTC-based platform that connects users globally with minimal latency. The app handles text, video, and audio communication seamlessly across different browsers and network configurations, proving I could tackle complex real-time web technologies.
Created a scalable multi-technology architecture - Integrated Next.js, React, Node.js, Python, Socket.IO, and Firebase into a cohesive system that actually works. This demonstrated my ability to work across the full stack and coordinate multiple technologies to deliver a unified user experience.
Deployed a production-ready application - Took the project from concept to live deployment at clp-one.vercel.app, handling all the real-world challenges like environment configuration, security implementation, and performance optimization. The app is stable, secure, and accessible to users worldwide.
Solved complex networking challenges - Overcame WebRTC connection issues, NAT traversal problems, and cross-browser compatibility challenges. Built robust error handling and recovery mechanisms that ensure users can connect reliably regardless of their network setup.
Built secure file sharing and persistent storage - Implemented end-to-end secure file transfer with cloud storage integration, allowing users to share and access files safely. This required understanding both security protocols and data management best practices.
The project proved I can take a complex idea and turn it into a working product that real people can use, handling everything from the initial architecture decisions to deployment and user experience optimization.
Building Chatzy wasn't exactly a walk in the park - there were definitely some hair-pulling moments along the way. One of the biggest headaches was getting WebRTC to play nice with different browsers and network configurations. You know how it is with peer-to-peer connections - what works perfectly on your local machine suddenly breaks when users are behind different types of firewalls or NAT configurations. Spent way too many late nights debugging connection failures and figuring out STUN/TURN server configurations to make sure people could actually connect regardless of their network setup.
The real-time synchronization between Socket.IO and the actual peer-to-peer WebRTC connections was another beast entirely. Managing the handshake process, dealing with connection drops, and ensuring messages didn't get lost in the void required some serious state management gymnastics. Plus, coordinating between the Node.js backend, Python services, and React frontend meant keeping track of data flow across multiple technologies - which honestly felt like juggling while riding a unicycle sometimes.
Firebase integration brought its own set of challenges, especially when it came to managing user sessions and ensuring data consistency across different connection states. Handling edge cases like what happens when someone's internet cuts out mid-conversation, or when the browser crashes during a video call, required building robust error handling and recovery mechanisms. The file sharing feature was particularly tricky since you're dealing with different file types, size limitations, and making sure everything stays secure while being accessible to the right people.
Security was probably the most stressful part - making sure user data stays protected while still maintaining the seamless experience. Implementing proper authentication flows, ensuring messages can't be intercepted, and preventing malicious users from exploiting the random connection feature required constant vigilance. And don't even get me started on cross-browser compatibility issues - what looked perfect in Chrome would completely break in Safari, leading to countless hours of CSS debugging and polyfill hunting.
Here are the key learnings from building Chatzy: WebRTC is both powerful and finicky - Learning to work with peer-to-peer connections taught me that real-time communication isn't just about writing code, it's about understanding network topology. Every user's setup is different, and what seems like a simple "connect two people" feature actually involves navigating firewalls, NAT traversal, and browser inconsistencies. This project made me realize the importance of having fallback mechanisms and really understanding the underlying protocols, not just the APIs. State management across multiple technologies is an art form - Coordinating data flow between React, Node.js, Python services, Socket.IO, and Firebase showed me how crucial it is to have a clear data architecture from the start. I learned that real-time applications require you to think differently about state - you're not just managing what the user sees, but also connection states, message queues, error recovery, and synchronization across multiple clients. This experience taught me to always design with distributed systems in mind, even for seemingly simple features. User experience and technical complexity are inversely related - The smoother you want the user experience to be, the more complex your backend logic becomes. Features that seem trivial to users, like "just connect me to someone random," actually require sophisticated matching algorithms, connection pooling, graceful error handling, and recovery mechanisms. This project taught me to always think from the user's perspective first, then work backwards to solve the technical challenges, rather than building features just because they're technically interesting. Security can't be an afterthought - Building a platform where strangers connect randomly made me realize how many attack vectors exist in real-time communication apps. From preventing malicious file uploads to ensuring message privacy and handling abuse, security considerations shaped almost every architectural decision. This experience taught me that security isn't just about encryption - it's about designing systems that are resilient against both technical attacks and social engineering. Integration challenges are where you really learn - The most valuable learning came from making different technologies work together seamlessly. Each tool (Firebase, WebRTC, Socket.IO) works great in isolation, but the real challenge is in the integration points. This project taught me to always prototype integrations early, read documentation thoroughly, and never assume two technologies will play nicely together just because they're both popular.
Future improvements for Chatzy include implementing AI-powered features like real-time language translation and smart user matching based on interests, adding mobile applications for iOS and Android to expand accessibility, integrating advanced security measures such as end-to-end encryption and AI-powered content moderation, and scaling the platform with features like group video calls, virtual backgrounds, screen sharing capabilities, and gamification elements such as user achievements and interest-based chat rooms. The roadmap also focuses on performance optimization through Redis caching, implementing analytics dashboards for user insights, adding voice messages with transcription services, and exploring emerging technologies like WebAssembly for better performance and blockchain integration for enhanced privacy and decentralized communication protocols.
I finished the backend requirements and I had to focus on the frontend.