Launched my spam detection SaaS on Product Hunt today - here's what I learned building it solo

Hey everyone!

Just launched SpamScore on Product Hunt this morning and wanted to share my journey with this community.

**The Problem:**

My mom almost fell for a phishing scam that would've cost her $5,000. She forwarded me the email asking "is this real?" - made me realize how many people face this daily.

**The Solution:**

Built the simplest spam detector possible:

→ Forward suspicious email to scan@getspamscore.com

→ Get instant AI-powered analysis in 60 seconds

→ No apps, extensions, or setup needed

**The Tech Stack:**

- Backend: Python/FastAPI (serverless on Vercel)

- Email Processing: Mailgun

- Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL)

- Caching/Sessions: Redis (heavily used for user management)

- Payments: Stripe

- Frontend: Next.js with Tailwind CSS

- Spam Detection: Multiple reputation databases (Spamhaus, SURBL, URLhaus) + AI analysis

**Launch Stats (so far):**

- Built in: ~3 months (solo)

- Architecture: Serverless for scale, Redis for speed

**What I Learned:**

1. Redis caching is essential - cut response times from 5s to <1s

2. Mailgun's webhook system is tricky but powerful once you get it

3. Handling forwarded emails is harder than it looks (preserving headers, dealing with mobile clients)

4. FastAPI + Vercel serverless = surprisingly good combo

5. Pricing is scary but just pick something and test

**The Numbers:**

- Free tier: 100 scans/month

- Paid: $9/mo (300 scans), $29/mo (3K scans), $79/mo (15K scans)

- Currently in beta with live payments

- Average scan time: <60 seconds

**Technical Challenges Solved:**

- False positive detection (legit emails marked as spam)

- Mobile email forwarding (different headers than desktop)

- Real-time analysis of 50+ spam indicators

- Scalable architecture that doesn't break the bank

**Product Hunt Special:**

First 100 users get 50 bonus scans + referral bonuses

Code: PRODUCTHUNT for 20% off

Link: https://getspamscore.com

PH: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/spamscore-llc

Happy to answer any questions about spam detection, building with FastAPI, Redis optimization, or launching solo!

For the developers: The Redis caching strategy alone is worth discussing - happy to dive deep on that.

What would you want to see added to a tool like this?