Building an Open Source Seller Center from scratch

I recently began implementing an open-source Seller Center, a crucial application for shop operators aiming to build marketplaces. A Seller Center allows sellers to manage their products, stocks, and prices, while also processing orders from the shop. Despite its importance for every marketplace, most existing e-commerce platforms lack this functionality, leaving shop operators to rely on expensive commercial solutions like Mirakl, Marketplacer or Arcadier.

Surprisingly, there’s no strong open-source alternative available. This is baffling considering how many Seller Centers must have been developed independently over the years. If you’ve ever sold something on platforms like Amazon or eBay, you’re already familiar with the concept. It’s a fundamental tool that could benefit greatly from a shared, open-source approach.

My Approach: Pragmatic and Hyper-Productive

I’m taking a pragmatic and highly productive approach to this project, guided by three key principles:

1. Pragmatism over Perfection: Avoid over-engineering. Focus on delivering a functional, effective solution without unnecessary complexity.

2. Reuse What Works: Leverage existing technologies wherever possible to save time and effort.

3. Maximize AI Integration: Incorporate AI tools to enhance productivity and efficiency throughout the development process.

Documenting the Journey

This blog series will document my progress from the initial implementation to the release of the first version of the project. I aim to share insights, challenges, and solutions along the way, providing a transparent view of building an open-source Seller Center. Stay tuned as I transform this idea into a reality.

1. Be as pragmatic as possible - don't over-engineer anything.

2. Reuse existing technologies as much as possible.

3. Max out the usage of AI.