System Requirements Document (SRD) for Rustic-Mentorship

1. Introduction

The Rustic-Mentorship platform is a modern, scalable web application designed to connect retired professionals with students, entrepreneurs, and early-stage startups for mentorship, guidance, and knowledge sharing. This platform aims to bridge the gap between experience and ambition, creating a structured knowledge marketplace where retired experts can either monetize or volunteer their expertise while empowering the next generation of leaders.

This document outlines the system requirements for the development of Rustic-Mentorship, ensuring a clear understanding of the functional and non-functional aspects of the platform.

2. System Overview

Rustic-Mentorship is a web-based platform that facilitates meaningful connections between mentors and mentees. The platform will include features such as mentor profiles, AI-powered matching, a booking system, live interaction tools, and a learning hub. It will also provide a dedicated section for startup founders seeking specialized support.

The platform will cater to three primary user personas:

1. Retired Professionals (Mentors): Individuals with years of experience in various industries who wish to share their knowledge.
2. Students / Job Seekers: Young individuals seeking career guidance and mentorship.
3. Startup Founders / Entrepreneurs: Early-stage business owners looking for advice on scaling, funding, and product development.

The system will be designed with scalability, ease of use, and accessibility in mind, ensuring a seamless experience for all users.

3. Functional Requirements

Authentication System

• As a User, I should be able to sign up and log in using email/password or Google.
• As a User, I should be able to select my role (Mentor / Student / Founder) during registration.

Mentor Profiles

• As a Mentor, I should be able to create a profile with my bio, past experience, industries worked in, years of experience, and skills/tags.
• As a Mentor, I should be able to set my availability calendar and pricing (free/paid sessions).
• As a User, I should be able to view mentor profiles, including ratings and reviews.

AI-Powered Matching System

• As a User, I should be matched with mentors based on my goals, interests, and domain.
• As a User, I should receive smart recommendations for mentors.

Booking System

• As a User, I should be able to schedule 1:1 sessions with mentors.
• As a User, I should be able to view an integrated calendar for session scheduling.
• As a Mentor, I should be able to set session durations and pricing.

Live Interaction

• As a User, I should be able to have video calls with mentors using Zoom or WebRTC.
• As a User, I should be able to chat with mentors via a messaging system.

Learning Hub

• As a Mentor, I should be able to upload courses, recorded sessions, and articles/blogs.
• As a User, I should be able to browse content categorized by industry.

Startup Support Section

• As a Founder, I should be able to access a dedicated section with mentors categorized by startup domains (e.g., funding, product, scaling).

Trust & Verification

• As a Mentor, I should be able to apply for a verification badge by providing proof of experience.
• As a User, I should be able to leave reviews and ratings for mentors.

Dashboard

• As a Mentor, I should have a dashboard to view earnings, sessions, and analytics.
• As a User, I should have a dashboard to manage booked sessions, track progress, and save mentors.

Monetization

• As a User, I should be able to pay for sessions via a commission-based system or subscription for premium access.

4. User Personas

1. Retired Professionals (Mentors)

• Demographics: Ages 50+, retired or semi-retired, experienced in various industries.
• Goals: Share knowledge, stay engaged, earn supplemental income (optional).
• Pain Points: Lack of structured platforms to share expertise.

2. Students / Job Seekers

• Demographics: Ages 18-30, students or early-career professionals.
• Goals: Career guidance, skill development, networking.
• Pain Points: Limited access to experienced mentors.

3. Startup Founders / Entrepreneurs

• Demographics: Ages 25-45, early-stage business owners.
• Goals: Advice on scaling, funding, and product development.
• Pain Points: Difficulty finding domain-specific mentors.

5. Visuals Colors and Theme

Color Palette

• primary: #2A4365 (Deep Navy Blue)
• primary_light: #4A6FA5 (Soft Blue)
• secondary: #D4A017 (Golden Amber)
• accent: #E63946 (Vibrant Coral Red)
• highlight: #F4A261 (Warm Orange)
• bg: #F7FAFC (Light Grayish White)
• surface: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9) (Soft White Panel)
• text: #1A202C (Dark Charcoal)
• text_muted: #718096 (Muted Gray)
• border: rgba(226, 232, 240, 0.8) (Light Gray Border)

6. Signature Design Concept

Concept: "The Knowledge Tree"

The homepage will feature an interactive Knowledge Tree that grows as users scroll. Each branch represents a different section of the platform (e.g., Mentor Profiles, Learning Hub, Startup Support). Users can click on a branch to "zoom in" and explore its features.

• Animation: The tree will grow dynamically using @react-three/fiber and @react-three/drei. Leaves will shimmer subtly, and branches will sway gently.
• Interaction: Hovering over a branch will highlight it, and clicking will expand it into a detailed view.
• Micro-interactions: Icons and buttons will have spring physics using framer-motion.
• Color Shifts: The tree will transition from a golden hue (mentorship) to a green hue (growth) as users scroll.

This concept symbolizes the growth and connections fostered by the platform, creating a memorable first impression.

7. Interaction Model & Motion Direction

Landing Page Interaction Model: Parallax

• Layered Depth: The Knowledge Tree will have layered depth, with branches and leaves moving at different speeds as users scroll.
• Scroll-Triggered Animations: Sections will fade in and out as users navigate the page.
• Hover Effects: Buttons and icons will have hover animations with subtle scaling and color changes.

Internal Pages Interaction Model: Animated

• Moderate scroll-triggered reveals for content.
• Smooth transitions between pages.
• Hover transitions for interactive elements.

8. Non-Functional Requirements

• Scalability: The platform must support up to 1 million users.
• Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 compliance for elder-friendly design.
• Performance: Page load time under 2 seconds.
• Security: End-to-end encryption for video calls and messaging.

9. Tech Stack

Frontend

• React for Web
• Tailwind CSS for styling

Backend

• Python with FastAPI

Database

• MySQL with Alembic for migrations

AI Models

• GPT 5.4 for user-friendly responses
• Gemini 3.1 Pro for matching algorithms

AI Tools

• LangChain for AI workflows
• LiteLLM for LLM routing

Orchestration

• Docker for local development
• Kubernetes for server-side orchestration

10. Assumptions and Constraints

• Mentors will provide accurate information for verification.
• Users will have access to stable internet for video calls.
• The platform will initially target users in the UK (timezone: GMT).

11. Glossary

• Mentor: A retired professional offering guidance.
• Mentee: A student, job seeker, or entrepreneur seeking mentorship.
• AI Matching: Algorithmic pairing of mentors and mentees based on shared interests and goals.

This SRD provides a comprehensive foundation for building Rustic-Mentorship. Let me know if you'd like to refine any section before we proceed to the next phase!