# How I Built Pathway AI: A Full-Stack SaaS Platform in 1 Month

> Source: <https://dev.to/krishna-builds-dev/how-i-built-pathway-ai-a-full-stack-saas-platform-in-1-month-3d1o>
> Published: 2026-06-24 12:29:18+00:00

I built **Pathway AI**, a SaaS platform for international students planning their study abroad journey, in roughly one month. Here's how I went from concept to live product using Next.js, Supabase, and TypeScript.

International students face overwhelming challenges when planning to study abroad: fragmented information, biased agents, unclear visa requirements, and no clear way to compare destinations. I wanted to build something that solved this.

Used **Supabase Auth** with Google and GitHub OAuth. This approach prevents spam and ensures data quality:

``` js
// lib/supabase.ts
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js';

export const supabase = createClient(
  process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL!,
  process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY!
);
```

Built around student profiles and their journey:

**profiles** → stores all student data (destination, budget, course, goals)

**visa_checklists** → tracks document completion

**sops** → stores Statement of Purpose drafts

**resumes** → resume builder data

**countries / cities / courses** → reference data for exploration

Row-Level Security (RLS) ensures students only see their own data.

Students fill their profile → system generates a Statement of Purpose draft using structured templates.

```
// lib/sop-generator.ts
export function generateSOP(profile: Profile): string {
  return `
Dear Admissions Committee,

I am applying to ${profile.course_name} at ${profile.preferred_university} 
in ${profile.target_destination} because...
  `;
}
```

Similar approach — profile data → formatted resume sections → PDF export.

Core system provides personalized guidance using rule-based logic tailored to student profile + target destination.

**Production:** Always uses reliable rule-based engine — fast, cost-free, predictable responses.

**Self-hosted / Development:** Optional Gemini API integration available. If you run this locally and add a Gemini API key, the Advisor can enrich responses with real AI personalization. This is gated behind a `NODE_ENV=development`

flag — production deployments never call AI APIs.

Students track required documents for their target country. Sections stored as JSON, items marked complete as they prepare.

Browse destinations side-by-side, compare costs, safety scores, job prospects, PR pathways.

**Why Supabase over Firebase?**

**Why Vercel?**

**Why TypeScript everywhere?**

**Vercel:** Automatic deployments on git push. Environment variables stored securely.

**Sentry:** Catches errors in production. Configured at build time.

**Upstash Redis:** Rate limits API calls (contact form, future exports).

**Challenge 1: Handling complex JSONB data**

Storing skills, experiences, languages as JSON meant flexible schema but harder migrations. Solved by keeping schema versions in mind from day one.

**Challenge 2: Ensuring data consistency**

With RLS policies, had to test extensively to prevent data leaks. Built a checklist: test as authenticated user, test as different user, test with no auth.

Check it out: [pathway-ai-olive.vercel.app](https://pathway-ai-olive.vercel.app/)

GitHub: [github.com/krishna-builds-dev/pathway-ai](https://github.com/krishna-builds-dev/pathway-ai)

**Have you built a SaaS from scratch? Drop your stack and lessons in the comments below!**

I'm a full-stack developer focused on Next.js + Supabase. Open for freelance work. Follow on [GitHub](https://github.com/krishna-builds-dev) or [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishna-builds-dev/)