This week has been great! While I’m still getting settled in Melbourne, I’ve been able to keep pushing forward with Reboard. This update will be a bit shorter since it mostly revolves around technical work, but there’s still a lot to unpack.

Product/Tech: Bank Data Integration Challenges

Last week, I set myself a challenge: to complete the integration of GoCardless’ bank data aggregation in just one week, even though their estimates suggested it would take two to three. I’m close to the finish line, but unfortunately, I didn’t quite hit the one-week goal—bank data access isn’t in production just yet. Here’s why.

While GoCardless’ documentation seemed straightforward initially, I found it lacking the depth needed for more complex use cases. The API calls are well-documented, and the process is clear, but there’s minimal explanation for why certain calls are needed and what best practices should be followed, especially when handling sensitive banking data. With this kind of integration, security is paramount, and I want to ensure everything is as secure and user-friendly as possible. Unfortunately, the documentation doesn’t provide much clarity on what data needs to be protected or how to avoid exposing sensitive information to users.

Right now, everything is working perfectly on my local environment, but I’m holding back from pushing it to production until I’m absolutely confident in its security. I’ve reached out to GoCardless for further guidance and hope to hear back soon so I can make the necessary adjustments and roll this feature out.

Progress and Learnings

Despite the challenges, I’m really excited about the work I’ve accomplished. This was my first time integrating an API that involves complex HTTP requests, and it felt like a major hurdle. But I’m learning, and that’s what matters. It’s satisfying to get this far, and I know that more learning lies ahead. One step at a time.

Looking Ahead: Next Week’s Goals

Next week, I’ll be visiting Sydney, so my work capacity will be a bit lower. That said, I’m not planning to slow down entirely. My goal is to:

1. Complete and publish the bank sync feature in Reboard.
2. Start working on updating the UI to display account transactions directly within the platform.

Once these features are live, I’ll be ready to reach out to my first potential customers and test the payment automation. Exciting times are ahead!