What features should I prioritize for a niche remote sustainability job board?

The quality of the job search should be the priority. Straightforward filters, relevant results, and a quick application flow will matter more to users than a long list of extra features. If people can’t easily find suitable roles and apply, additional functionality won’t make much difference.

For tags, don’t overcomplicate the database. A jobs table, a tags table, and a many-to-many join table between them should handle filtering well for a long time. Add indexes to the relevant columns, and only consider a dedicated search service once your traffic and dataset actually require it.

I’d keep the first version much smaller than the full vision. The core data model probably only needs users, companies, jobs, applications, tags, and payments. Start with employer job posting, job search and filtering, applications, and basic admin tools. You can manually handle some processes at first to validate demand and avoid paying to automate things nobody uses yet.

The biggest challenge may be the marketplace itself rather than the technology. You need employers to post jobs before candidates have a reason to visit, and candidates before employers will want to pay. I’d validate both sides manually first and let those conversations determine which features are truly necessary. Early on, some parts of the product may be temporary or need to be rebuilt once you understand the market.