Kiroro | Devpost

Inspiration

The creator economy is booming with over 50 million content creators worldwide, yet small businesses struggle to find the right influencers for their marketing campaigns. We saw an opportunity to bridge this gap by creating a platform that uses data-driven matching to connect SMBs with KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) based on audience alignment, engagement quality, and content relevance.

What it does

KOL Matching is a comprehensive KOL matching platform that connects small-to-medium businesses with content creators for marketing campaigns. The platform features:

Smart KOL Discovery: Search and filter creators by category, follower count, engagement rate, and audience demographics

Campaign Management: Businesses can create detailed campaigns with budget, requirements, and target metrics

Profile Optimization: KOLs can showcase their metrics, social media presence, and content categories

YouTube Integration: Real-time channel analytics including subscriber count, engagement rates, and average views

Role-Based Dashboards: Tailored experiences for businesses and creators with relevant tools and insights

How we built it

We built KOL Matching using a modern, scalable tech stack:

Frontend: Next.js 14+ with TypeScript and Material-UI v5 for a responsive, professional interface

Backend: Node.js with Express.js providing RESTful APIs

Database: Supabase PostgreSQL for reliable data storage with real-time capabilities

Authentication: NextAuth.js with secure JWT tokens and bcrypt password hashing

Testing: Playwright E2E automation with comprehensive user journey validation

Architecture: SaaS-first approach using managed services for scalability and reliability

The development process included comprehensive E2E testing with automated screenshot capture, documenting complete user journeys for both business and KOL users.

Challenges we ran into

Authentication Integration: Migrating from Cypress to Playwright for better Windows compatibility and more reliable E2E testing

Database Schema Design: Balancing flexibility for different social media platforms while maintaining query performance

User Experience Flow: Creating intuitive workflows for two distinct user types (businesses vs. creators) with different needs

Mock Data Realism: Generating realistic YouTube metrics and audience demographics for meaningful testing

API Integration: Designing the system to easily integrate with multiple social media APIs (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram)

Accomplishments that we're proud of Complete User Journeys: Successfully implemented and tested end-to-end workflows for both user types

Professional UI/UX: Created a polished, responsive interface that feels enterprise-ready

Comprehensive Testing: Achieved automated E2E testing with visual documentation through screenshots

Scalable Architecture: Built with production-ready patterns using modern technologies

Role-Based Security: Implemented proper authentication and authorization for different user types

Real-Time Integration: Successfully integrated YouTube Data API with mock data for demonstration

What we learned

E2E Testing Strategy: The importance of visual regression testing and automated screenshot capture for user journey documentation

SaaS Integration: How to effectively leverage managed services (Supabase, Resend, Sentry) for rapid development

User-Centric Design: The critical importance of designing separate, optimized experiences for different user personas

Modern Web Development: Advanced Next.js 14+ patterns including App Router, Server Components, and API routes

Database Design: Balancing JSONB flexibility with relational integrity for social media data

What's next for KOL Matching

Immediate Roadmap:

Payment Integration: Complete Stripe implementation for campaign payments and platform commissions

Advanced Matching: AI-powered KOL recommendations based on campaign requirements

Multi-Platform Support: Expand beyond YouTube to include TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter integration

Analytics Dashboard: Comprehensive campaign performance tracking and ROI metrics

Future Vision:

Global Expansion: Multi-language support and regional creator discovery

Enterprise Features: White-label solutions for marketing agencies

Creator Tools: Content planning, performance analytics, and collaboration features

Marketplace Evolution: Automated campaign matching and real-time bidding system

The platform is positioned to become the go-to solution for SMB-creator partnerships, with a clear path to scale and monetize through transaction fees and premium features.