From Sticky Notes to Self-Hosted Web App: My AI-Powered Productivity Hack (and a Bit of AI-Induced Paranoia)
For the longest time, tracking our team’s KPIs felt like a Sisyphean task. I’d start by meticulously recording scores on sticky notes, which inevitably ended up scattered across my desk. Then came the Excel spreadsheet era, a slight improvement, but still a clunky, error-prone system. Updating it was a chore, sharing it with the team was a nightmare, and let’s not even talk about the dreaded “end-of-week tally” session. I knew there had to be a better way, something more… civilized. So, I embarked on a mission to build a web app to automate the entire KPI tracking process.
But before I even started coding, I had to grapple with my own anxieties about AI. On one hand, I was fascinated by its potential. I’d seen some truly impressive things, like AI models that could generate photorealistic landscapes from simple sketches. It was incredible!
On the other hand, I couldn’t shake off this nagging feeling of unease. I mean, have you seen some of the things AI can do? Like those AI-powered phone calls that are so convincingly human, it’s downright spooky. I couldn’t help but wonder if AI was going to steal my job (and maybe even my identity).
Images of a dystopian future, where sentient robots were taking over the world, flashed through my mind. I pictured a world where my carefully crafted Excel spreadsheets were replaced by a single, omnipotent AI that tracked everyone’s every move. Okay, maybe I was getting a bit carried away. But it’s hard not to feel a little apprehensive when you’re dealing with technology that seems to be evolving faster than we can comprehend.
Despite my initial trepidation, I decided to embrace the AI revolution. After all, if I couldn’t beat them, I might as well try to join them.
The first challenge, of course, was convincing myself that I could actually build a web app. I’m not a programmer. My coding experience was pretty much limited to the occasional HTML tweak. But I was determined. I figured, “How hard could it be?” Well, let’s just say it was a bit of a learning curve.
That’s where my unlikely allies came in: AI coding assistants. I started experimenting with Cursor, which was helpful for getting the basics down. But then I discovered GitHub Copilot, and that’s when things really started to click. It felt like having a super-smart coding buddy whispering helpful suggestions in my ear.
It wasn’t always a smooth ride. There were moments of frustration when the AI seemed to have gone rogue, generating code that did absolutely nothing (or worse, something completely unexpected). I swear, there were times I thought the AI was actively trying to sabotage me. But I persevered, fueled by a mixture of stubbornness and a healthy dose of caffeine.
From the beginning, I had a few goals in mind:
* Track KPIs across multiple Pods: Our campaign is organized into Pods, so the app needed to accommodate this structure.
* Assign teams within each Pod: This would foster healthy competition within each group.
* Set up competitions with deadlines: No more scribbling dates on sticky notes!
* Define rules and point values for each KPI: This would ensure fairness and transparency.
* Automatically calculate scores and generate those fun emoji tables for performance visualization: Because who doesn’t love emojis?
* Create leaderboards to showcase top performers: A little healthy competition never hurt anyone.
It was a lot to juggle, but with the help of my AI coding buddies (and a lot of trial and error), I managed to build a basic version of the app.
Looking back, this project has been an incredible learning experience. I’ve learned that AI, while still in its infancy, can be an incredibly powerful tool, even for someone like me with limited coding skills. It may not always be perfect, and it might occasionally try to drive you crazy, but it can definitely accelerate the learning process.
More importantly, this project has reinforced the importance of persistence. There will be setbacks and moments of doubt, but don’t give up! Building something yourself, even in a small way, is an incredibly rewarding experience.
What’s Next?
For the app, I’m planning to create a more user-friendly interface. The current homepage is, let’s just say, “under construction.” I’d also like to explore different authentication options to improve security. And, perhaps most importantly, I want to implement a feature that allows administrators to easily generate certificates for the top performers in each competition with a single click.
Personally, this project has sparked a real interest in coding. I’m now considering pursuing some formal qualifications, ideally through a flexible online program that allows me to continue working and spend quality time with my wife, Abi, and our kids.
Want to give it a try?
Check out the GitHub repository here
Disclaimer: I’m still learning, so please be gentle with your feedback!
I hope this post has inspired you to try something new, even if you think you don’t have the skills. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll even find yourself embracing the AI revolution (just don’t let the robots take over!).
