The Problem I Kept Running Into
As a developer building multiple projects — MedTrust, Reply GPT, Fraud Buster, and various client work — I spent an unreasonable amount of time managing the process of building software rather than actually building it.
Task boards felt too generic. Note-taking apps were too disconnected from my code. Project management tools were built for managers, not makers. Every tool I tried solved one part of the problem but ignored the rest.
I found myself constantly context-switching: Notion for docs, Trello for tasks, Slack for communication, GitHub for code reviews, Google Sheets for tracking progress. Five tools doing what one great tool should handle.
The "What If" Moment
Late one night in October 2025, after spending twenty minutes just finding where I'd written my notes about a feature spec, it hit me:
What if there was a project management tool that actually understood how developers work?
Not a tool that forces you into someone else's workflow. A tool that adapts to yours. A tool that uses AI to automatically prioritize tasks based on code changes, suggest next steps based on project context, and surface the information you need before you even search for it.
That was the moment Projix was born.
Validating the Idea
Before writing a single line of code, I needed to know if this problem was real beyond my own experience. I reached out to other developers:
- Asked questions in developer communities
- Surveyed indie hackers and freelancers
- Studied how development teams at startups manage their workflow
The feedback was overwhelming. Almost every developer I talked to described some version of the same friction: too many tools, too much context-switching, not enough intelligence in their project management stack.
Designing the Product
Projix needed to be three things:
I started with wireframes, then built a design system in Figma, then moved to code. The tech stack was natural:
Frontend: Next.js + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS
Backend: Next.js API Routes + Prisma
Database: PostgreSQL
AI Layer: GPT API for intelligent features
Hosting: VercelBuilding the MVP
The minimum viable product focused on three core features:
1. Smart Task Boards
Kanban boards with AI-powered prioritization. Tasks automatically reorder based on deadlines, dependencies, and recent code activity. No more manual drag-and-drop to figure out what to work on next.
2. Contextual Notes
Notes that live alongside your tasks, connected to specific features or bugs. When you open a task, everything you need — specs, design files, related code, discussion history — is right there.
3. AI Assistant
A built-in AI that understands your project. Ask it questions like "What's blocking the auth feature?" or "Summarize what we shipped this week" and get accurate, context-aware answers.
// The AI assistant architecture
interface ProjectContext {
tasks: Task[];
recentActivity: Activity[];
currentSprint: Sprint;
teamMembers: Member[];
}
async function askAssistant(
question: string,
context: ProjectContext
): Promise<string> {
const prompt = buildContextualPrompt(question, context);
const response = await generateAIResponse(prompt);
return response;
}
Lessons from Building a Startup
Going from "developer who builds projects" to "founder who builds a product" was a completely different challenge. Here's what I learned:
Ship before you're ready
My instinct was to polish every pixel before showing Projix to anyone. Bad idea. The early users who gave me the most valuable feedback didn't care about pixel-perfect design — they cared about whether the tool solved their problem.
Talk to users constantly
Every feature request, every complaint, and every moment of confusion is a gift. I set up a feedback channel on day one and used it religiously.
Focus is everything
The temptation to add "just one more feature" is real and dangerous. I kept a strict rule: if a feature doesn't serve the core workflow (plan → build → ship), it doesn't get built yet.
The business is not the code
Technical skills got me started, but building Projix also required skills I'd never practiced: pricing strategy, marketing, user onboarding, customer support. The product is only half the equation.
Where Projix Is Today
Projix is live and growing. Developers and small teams are using it to manage their projects with less friction and more focus. Every week brings new features, new users, and new lessons.
The vision hasn't changed: build the project management tool that developers actually want to use. Every decision — from the AI features to the keyboard shortcuts — serves that vision.
My Advice for Developer-Founders
If you're a developer thinking about building a product:
Projix started as a frustration. It became a product. Then a company. The journey is just getting started, and I'm excited for what comes next.