Senior Full-Stack Developer Needed to Build AI-Powered Travel Booking MVP

Summary I'm building IronTravel, a travel technology startup launching September 2026. The core product is an AI-powered holiday discovery and booking platform that helps travellers find and book flights and hotels based on their preferences — not just search inputs. I'm looking for a full-stack developer to build the MVP end-to-end: frontend discovery and booking flow, backend API integration, and an AI preference-extraction layer. The codebase will be built from scratch. What You'll Build: - Preference-first destination discovery UI (structured filters + optional natural language input) - Flight search and booking via the Duffel API (Managed Content model) - Hotel search and booking via the Duffel Stays API - OpenAI GPT-4o integration for natural language preference extraction - Duffel Payments (Stripe-powered) for embedded checkout — flights and hotels as separate transactions - Admin/ops layer for manual handling of cancellations and changes at MVP - Destination database integration (76 destinations, 26-field schema, pre-built JSON) Tech Stack: No fixed preference on framework, but the following are non-negotiable integrations: - Duffel API — flights and hotels (REST, Managed Content model) - Duffel Payments — embedded via @duffel/components - OpenAI GPT-4o — natural language preference extraction - Destination database — JSON/PostgreSQL, schema already defined Critical Technical Requirements: These must be addressed in your approach before build begins: - Search debouncing/batching: Do not fire Duffel offer requests on every keystroke. Must stay within the 1,500:1 search-to-order API ratio. - Fraud screening: Moorexplore is liable for fraudulent bookings under the Duffel Services Agreement. You must implement and document fraud screening procedures before the platform goes live. Scope & Timeline: - MVP (will share scope documentation with shortlisted candidates) - Target launch: September 2026 - Wireframes in progress — not a blocker for scoping or starting What I'm Looking For: - Proven experience with REST API integrations (ideally Duffel or similar travel/payments APIs) - Strong full-stack capability — comfortable owning frontend and backend - Clean, well-documented code — this will be a live commercial product - Ability to work independently with clear written briefs How to Apply: Please include: - Examples of API-heavy projects you've built (travel, payments, or similar) - Your proposed tech stack and brief rationale - Estimated timeline and rate I'll share a full technical requirements document with shortlisted candidates