The problem
LinkedIn has become a platform that works against the professionals it claims to serve. Your posts are hidden from your own network unless you pay to boost them. The feed is cluttered with AI-generated "thought leadership," daily puzzle games, and engagement bait while genuine professional content gets buried. The algorithm prioritizes whatever keeps you scrolling, not what keeps you connected. Professionals are tired of a platform that asks them to pay Premium to reach the people who already chose to follow them.
What I did
Defined Verbl as a professional network for the European language-technology industry - a genuine LinkedIn alternative
Built the entire platform: FastAPI backend, React/TypeScript frontend with Tailwind, PostgreSQL 18, Keycloak SSO auth
Implemented WebSocket-based live messaging, typing indicators, presence dots, and push notifications
Deployed the full stack on own infrastructure via Docker
Integrated Keycloak 26 with PKCE, JWKS caching, email verification, password reset, and rate limiting
Created a custom design token system with email templates for all auth flows
192 backend tests (pytest) + 56 frontend tests (Vitest), all green
Set up GitHub Actions CI pipeline
LinkedIn became a game. So I built the alternative.