How we built a Telegram Mini App for book tracking and gained 6,000 users organically

Almost read

Almost Read is an in-house initiative by our team: a book-tracking app that helps users log their reading, receive AI-powered recommendations, and keep personal reading journals.

We started with an MVP version built as a Telegram Mini App to test the idea and understand what readers actually miss in existing alternatives.

– Product concept and UX analytics;

– UI design and development of the Telegram Mini App;

– Implementation of an AI-powered recommendation system using ML;

– Architecture designed for scaling into a full mobile app.

1. Launch an MVP with core features.

2. Deliver AI-driven book recommendations based on user preferences.

3. Create a simple and friendly interface for a broad audience.

4. Build a technical foundation for a future iOS and Android release.

1. MVP as a Telegram Mini App

We chose Telegram Mini App as the fastest entry point: no app store downloads, no registration, instant access. This allowed us to validate the concept quickly, attract first users organically through TikTok and Instagram, and collect real feedback.

2. AI-powered recommendations via vector search

We implemented personalized book suggestions using Qdrant and multilingual embeddings. The algorithm analyzes annotations of books added by users and builds an individual preference vector, generating recommendations that closely match each reader’s taste.

3. User-friendly reading tracker

The interface was optimized for short messenger sessions. Users can easily add books, mark progress, and track their reading history - designed not to distract from reading, but to naturally support it.

4. Scalable architecture

We built the app on React + TypeScript + Capacitor, FastAPI, Kubernetes, ensuring that the Telegram version could be seamlessly scaled into a full-featured native iOS and Android app.

- 6,000+ users acquired organically through TikTok and Instagram.

- 2,500+ books added manually - a strong signal of user engagement.

- Positive feedback highlighting the simplicity and visual clarity of the interface.

- Confirmed demand for an extended version - with an active request for a mobile app release.

Almost Read validated the concept: readers want a simple, intelligent tool to track books and discover new ones. The MVP stage proved traction, set the foundation for scaling, and created a clear path toward launching a full mobile application.

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