Job Description
I am launching a private, paid investment forum built on hosted Discourse.
The Discourse instance already exists (Starter trial on a .discourse.group URL is fine for now). A custom domain is owned and will be attached later.
I am looking for an experienced Discourse contractor to handle configuration and setup only, not content or branding strategy.
Scope of Work
Discourse configuration
-
Configure hosted Discourse instance
-
Set up user groups and permissions, including:
-
Founding members (manually assigned, full access, no payment)
-
Paid members (full access, linked to Stripe subscriptions)
-
Applicants (free, restricted access, posts require approval)
-
-
Configure category-level read / reply / create permissions based on these groups
-
Configure registration and approval flows
Payments
-
Integrate Stripe for recurring subscriptions (monthly + annual)
-
Automatically assign paid users to the paid_members group
-
Ensure Stripe does not interfere with founding member access
Moderation & email
-
Configure moderation / approval queue for applicant posts
-
Configure email and notification settings
Light theming
-
Minimal, institutional look, prefer light vs. dark
-
Clean colours, typography, spacing
-
Stay close to Discourse defaults
-
No heavy design or custom themes
Domain readiness
- Prepare site for later attachment of a custom domain
Out of Scope
-
Content creation
-
Category strategy
-
Copywriting
-
Branding workshops or visual identity
-
Custom plugins
-
Marketing site / SEO
-
Chat or real-time features
-
Complex design work
Requirements
-
Proven experience setting up hosted Discourse
-
Experience with Stripe subscriptions and Discourse group assignment
-
Strong understanding of Discourse groups, permissions, and moderation
-
Preference for correctness and simplicity over over-engineering
Access & Security
I will provide:
-
Admin access inside Discourse
-
DNS editor access in Cloudflare
-
Restricted access in Stripe
.
Deliverables
-
Fully configured Discourse forum per scope
-
Stripe subscriptions live and tested
-
Groups and permissions working as intended
-
Brief written handover
Ideally done in the next couple of weeks. Looking for a fixed fee offer if possible. Thanks!