Subscription Tools to Help New Authors Monetize

Case Study: Prose

Prose, a digital publishing platform for aspiring authors, partnered with Melt Studio to strengthen their product and add monetization tools. Together, we transformed Prose’s MVP—fixing bugs, refining the user experience, and introducing a powerful subscription engine. In just three months, the platform was relaunched with new features that boosted author engagement and revenue potential.

Projc

THE CHALLENGE

Build Subscription Features on Top of a Buggy MVP

Prose needed to evolve from a basic MVP into a functional, scalable platform with monetization tools. Key challenges included poor UX, platform bugs (email notifications, post publishing, etc.), and lack of mobile optimization. Subscription features like paywalled content and Stripe payments had to be built from scratch—while improving reliability and preparing the platform for growth.

INITIAL STATE

OUR SOLUTION

From Platform Fixes to Full Subscription Infrastructure

Requirements

Simplification

We reviewed and clarified user stories for better alignment. Our team worked to simplify the tech roadmap, reduce bugs, and lay the foundation for subscription logic—ensuring each feature fit Prose’s business model and user needs.

Application

Building

We implemented Stripe integration, subscription paywalls, author tools for gated content, and gamification features. All features were built with a JavaScript-first stack using React and Node.js, maintaining scalability and user clarity.

Prototype

Release

Over three months, we conducted six demos and rolled out iterative updates. The new version launched with major UX improvements, author monetization tools, and bug fixes—resulting in a 16% revenue lift within two months.

DELIVER STATE

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

More Monetization, Better User Experience

Authors now access intuitive tools for managing paid content and tracking subscribers. Mobile responsiveness and email flows were fixed, and new analytics help authors monitor growth. The Prose team continues evolving the platform using our foundation.

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We have delivered products for startups from Anchorage to New York.

Brandon Gonzalez

SemGraph

Exceptionally high skill and little oversight required, which at the moment allows me to work on other parts of the project. The engineers are self-starters and take initiative on their own. I really look forward to working long-term with you all

March 18, 2021

Sang Seo

Truvle

hi juan, wanted to drop a note, i think luis has really stepped up, he's meeting my expectations especially over the last week. will keep monitoring but this is really promising. in other news, wanted to leave feedback for the dev team, hans, oscar, and sebastian have been absolute superstars. i've never worked with a group of guys who are so good about executing good quality code aligned to business expectations. when i don't have to touch the SDLC constantly and almost have too little to do for a project i know the team is proactive. please let them know they're doing great. off the back of this, i work for another company that is seeking an initial exploration into moving away from eastern europe in their current engagement, would love to have a discussion with you about that company's needs as well. 4 person team + pm. we are only just barely getting started with exploring the idea of changing the team but i thought i'd throw it your way as a heads up for possibility.

July 12, 2024