The Problem: Breeders Needed a CRM That Nobody Had Built
There are over 200,000 animal breeders in Poland — dogs, cats, horses, cattle, rabbits, poultry. Every one of them maintains documentation: pedigrees, vaccinations, shows, breedings, litters. Most do it in Excel, paper notebooks, or Facebook groups.
Existing solutions? Outdated desktop programs from the 2000s. Nothing mobile, nothing cloud-based, nothing that integrates with breeding registries. A market gap the size of a bus.
This was the perfect MVP candidate — clear problem, large niche, zero modern competition.
The Decision: Build in 9 Days, Not 9 Months
The standard approach would look like this: requirements analysis (4 weeks), UX research (3 weeks), design (4 weeks), development (8-12 weeks), QA (2 weeks). Total: 5-7 months and $40-60K.
My approach was different. Instead of guessing what breeders need, I decided to build the core product in 9 days and let the market tell me what's next. I used the MVP Sprint model — the same one I offer to clients.
Timeline: Day by Day
Day 1: Research and Architecture
- 4 conversations with breeders (20 min each) — understanding core workflow
- Analysis of existing solutions (5 desktop programs, 2 mobile apps)
- Database schema design (PostgreSQL via Supabase)
- Stack decision: Next.js 14 + Supabase + Vercel
Day 2: Foundation
- Project setup (Next.js + Supabase + Tailwind + shadcn/ui)
- Authentication (email + social login via Supabase Auth)
- Basic layout: sidebar, dashboard, routing
- CRUD for animals: add, edit, list, details
Day 3-4: Core Features
- Pedigree module — family tree with visualization
- Health module — vaccinations, tests, treatments with reminders
- Breeding module — matings, pregnancies, litters, offspring
- Photo upload with compression (WebP) and gallery
Day 5-6: Integrations and UX
- Reminder system (email via Resend)
- PDF export — animal card, printable pedigree
- Search and filters
- Mobile responsiveness (priority — breeders use phones in the barn/kennel)
Day 7-8: Polish and Testing
- UX fixes based on self-testing
- Performance optimization (lazy loading, image optimization)
- SEO basics: meta tags, sitemap, robots.txt
- Monitoring: Sentry (errors) + analytics
Day 9: Launch
- Production deploy (Vercel)
- Post in 3 breeder Facebook groups
- Short demo video on YouTube (5 min)
- First day result: 847 registrations
Tech Stack — Why These Choices?
Next.js 14 (App Router)
Why: Server Components = fast loading. App Router = clean routing. React ecosystem = huge community. SSR + ISR = SEO out of the box.
Supabase (PostgreSQL + Auth + Storage)
Why: PostgreSQL is the database that never fails. Supabase adds: Auth (zero code for authentication), Storage (file uploads), Realtime (live updates). Free tier covers 50K users.
Vercel
Why: Zero DevOps. Push to git = deploy. Edge CDN = speed. Free tier was enough for launch.
Claude Code (AI Pair-Programmer)
Why: This was the key productivity multiplier. Claude Code generated ~60% of boilerplate code, wrote tests, created database migrations. I focused on architecture and business logic. Result: 1 person's productivity = output of a 3-person team.
Results: Numbers Speak for Themselves
First month:
- 10,247 registered users
- 43,000+ animals added
- 6,200+ weekly active users
- 4.2 min average session duration
- NPS: 72 (excellent)
Infrastructure costs (monthly):
- Vercel Pro: $20
- Supabase Pro: $25
- Resend: $0 (free tier)
- Domain: ~$1 (amortized)
- Total: ~$46/month for 10K+ users
Build cost vs value:
- Development cost: 9 days of work
- Infrastructure setup cost: ~$120
- Value of a validated product with 10K userbase: priceless for further development
Lessons Learned
1. Less = More
I cut 70% of features from the initial list. Core: animal management, pedigrees, health. Everything else (shows, breeding marketplace, registry integration) — waited for feedback.
2. Mobile First Is Not a Slogan
73% of traffic came from mobile. Breeders add data from the barn, from shows, from the vet's office. If I hadn't optimized for mobile from day 1 — I would have lost 3/4 of users.
3. Community = Distribution
I spent zero on marketing. 3 posts in breeder groups + word of mouth = 10K users. A niche with a strong community is a marketing dream.
4. AI-Assisted Development Is a Game Changer
Without Claude Code, the same product would have taken 3-4 weeks. AI didn't replace architectural thinking, but it eliminated 80% of repetitive coding.
What's Next? Product Development
Based on first month data, next features are:
- Breeding marketplace — animal sale listings (most requested feature)
- Registry integration — automatic data import from breeding organizations
- Mobile app — PWA works OK, but native app = better UX
- Admin panel — user management, moderation, analytics
I develop Stadomat using the Builder as a Service model — steady, predictable development with weekly releases.
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see Stadomat live?
Yes — stadomat.pl. Registration is free. You can test all features live.
Why Next.js and not React Native / Flutter?
For an MVP, a web app is faster to build, easier to iterate on, and doesn't require App Store review. PWA gives 90% of the native app experience. Native apps make sense after validation — not before.
Is 9 days a realistic timeline for any MVP?
For a product of comparable complexity (CRUD + auth + several modules) — yes. Key factors: experienced developer + AI tools + ruthless feature prioritization. More complex projects (marketplace with payments, real-time chat) take 14-21 days.
How much would a software house charge for the same thing?
Based on quotes I collected: $30,000 - $50,000 and 4-6 months. That's 10-15x more expensive and 15-20x slower. And the end result? Probably worse, because without direct user contact during the build.
Does Stadomat generate revenue?
Yes — freemium model. Free plan (up to 10 animals) + paid Pro plan (no limits, PDF export, advanced reports). Free-to-paid conversion: ~8% after 3 months.
Want Similar Results?
Stadomat is proof that 9 days and the right tech stack are enough to build a product with 10K+ users. You don't need a 5-person team. You don't need 6 months. You need a clearly defined problem and someone who knows how to solve it fast.
Have a project idea? Let's talk for 20 minutes — I'll tell you how I'd approach your case and how long it would take. No obligations.