Productivity apps were making me feel bad, so I vibe coded my own app that makes me feel super productive.

There is so much to do. I know this because there is a 'to do' lurking around every digital corner I travel. Exactly how much there is to do, and what I should do now, is not so clear. Important and not so important tasks are hibernating in apps I downloaded with good intentions, flagged in Outlook only to be forgotten, huddled in various calendars, trapped in forgotten Google Docs, or clinging to multiple sticky notes through my office.

I've tried so many task managers. The minimalist ones that promise simplicity. The comprehensive ones that promise to be game-changing. I've tested those included in applications, free ones, even some expensive ones apparently rooted in foundational behavior psychology that would figure me out and finally make me productive. Flags, frameworks, and formats - due dates, defer dates and reminder dates. Each tool convinced me that if I just organize my tasks their way, I'll finally have that productivity I desire.  But they never worked out.

And then I thought, I’ll build my own app.

The term "vibe coding" was added to the Collins Dictionary in November 2025 when it was named the dictionary's Word of the Year. For people like me, it promised a new era where I can build what I need to work to the way I need it.  So I built my own. One that works the way I actually work.

How I Started

I had to figure out what actually mattered versus what I thought should matter.  This meant thinking about my minimal specs to start.

I also noticed something about how my brain works. I get way more satisfaction from checking off ten small tasks than one big one. One task that takes two hours feels like one thing accomplished. That same task broken into ten smaller steps? Suddenly I feel like I'm on a roll.

And I figured out that different tasks need different approaches. Some need a gentle nudge. Some need pressure. The one-size-fits-all approach wasn't working.

I started small but clear, and then kept iterating. The process is surprisingly fun. With each new addition the functionality grew and so did my interest. I would use it for a day and later in the evening make all the changes I had decided during the day.  I’d use it for a while, and then vibe code a new set of changes. 

What I Built

My task manager looks simple. There's an inbox where everything lands. A today list. A someday list. That's basically it.

What matters is what happens when I interact with it.

When I add a task, I can tell the AI assistant to break it down. "Write quarterly report" becomes twelve micro-tasks: open template, gather Q1 data, gather Q2 data, review Q1 metrics, review Q2 metrics, write executive summary, write detailed findings, create supporting charts, proofread, format, get feedback, submit. Suddenly I'm not staring at one intimidating task. I'm clicking through a satisfying sequence of small wins.

Every completed task triggers a little celebration. Nothing fancy, just enough to make clicking "Done" feel good. I added a completion counter that's always visible. Watching that number climb throughout the day works for me in a way that "40% progress on quarterly report" never did.

For tasks I keep avoiding, I can add a countdown timer. Mission Impossible style. It sits there in the corner of the task card, ticking down, red when it's urgent. It's stressful. It also works. Something about watching those minutes drain away makes me actually do the thing instead of scrolling Twitter.

I also added ridiculously granular status options because the standard "To Do / In Progress / Done" didn't match reality. I have "Waiting on someone," "Need to think about this," "Ready but unmotivated," "Started but stuck," and "Done but needs review." When I look at my tasks, I can actually see why things aren't moving, not just that they're "in progress."

Do I Use It?

Every day so far. It's been four weeks, and I've consistently used it. Is it better than others? Well, probably not. But it's mine. I built it, so I use it.

But I think it's also because I can change it whenever I want. At those moments where I'm sure it's not me, it's the app, I can change the app. When I realized I wanted to see my task count for the week, not just the day, I added it. Took three minutes. When I decided certain recurring tasks should auto-break into subtasks, I just told the AI assistant what I wanted and it configured it.

There's no "correct" way to use it because I built it. There's just what works and what doesn't. When something doesn't work, I change it.

I’ve connected it to the places where tasks actually appear. Outlook flows in automatically. Same with Gmail. I also integrated with the various Google Sheets where it found some pretty important tasks I had not seen in a while! Integrations with an AI-native platform like CREAO made the app building process ridiculously easy.

I could share it with others, but honestly I'm shy. Besides, I built it for myself. There may be others out there who work like I do, but I doubt it's exactly like I do. There will be some nuance or tweak that will unlock their productivity in a way that is specific to them. So they should build their own, and have all the fun I had.

Building Your Version

You probably don't need my exact setup. You might hate the countdown timers. You might not care about task counts. You might actually like thinking about contexts and priorities.

That's the point.

There's a task manager template you can start with if you want the basics already there. But you'll customize it. Everyone does. Some people add point systems. Some people add team collaboration features. Some people integrate it with their calendar or email or Slack.

Or start from scratch. Tell the AI what you want, how you work, what matters to you. The app building itself is fast. Figuring out what you actually need is the part that takes time.

Make a plan. Keep the initial scope small. Add as you need it. Use it before you add too much.  Use the native AI assistant that comes with the app. It’s powerful and more flexible than making everything a feature.

The nice part about building this way is every piece can be its own thing. The quick-capture tool will feed into the task manager. The AI check-ins will work with the task manager. But each piece solves a specific problem. I'm not building one massive system that has to be perfect. I'm building small tools that happen to work well together.

Start with the task manager. If that solves your problem, stop there. If you keep finding friction, build another piece.

Build yours: Task Manager Template | Start from scratch on CREAO

What is CREAO?

CREAO is a platform for vibe coding—building custom business apps through conversation with AI. Instead of configuring existing tools or hiring developers, you describe what you need and build it yourself. Each app you create comes with a built-in AI assistant and can integrate with your existing tools like Slack, Google Workspace, and others. Apps can work standalone or connect together into AI Workspaces that coordinate automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know how to code to build a task manager? No. You describe what you want in plain language. The platform generates the app. If something doesn't work right, you describe what needs to change. Most people have a working task manager in under an hour.

Can I connect my task manager to my email or calendar? Yes. The task manager can pull tasks from email, sync with your calendar, or integrate with Slack, Notion, or wherever tasks currently live. You decide what connects.

What if I want to change how my task manager works later? Change it. Add new features, adjust the interface, modify the workflow. It takes minutes, not months. The whole point is building something that evolves with you.

Is this just for task managers? No. The same approach works for project trackers, CRMs, content calendars, inventory systems, dashboards, or any business tool. Task manager is just one example. The platform works for whatever you need to build.

What happens to my tasks and data? You own your data. Apps you build are yours. You can export data anytime. The platform stores it securely but you maintain control.

Can my team use my task manager too? Yes. You can invite team members to use apps you build. They can view, edit, or build their own depending on permissions you set. Teams often start with one person building something useful, then others adopt it or customize their own variations.

What features should a task manager have? That depends entirely on how you work. At minimum: a way to capture tasks, see what needs doing, and mark things complete. Beyond that, build for your actual process. If you need countdown timers, add countdown timers. If you need collaboration features, add those. If you need ridiculous levels of granular status tracking, add that. The right features are the ones that make you actually use it.

How is building my own task manager different from using a spreadsheet? Spreadsheets work until they don't. No proper views, limited interaction, painful to update, terrible on mobile. A custom task manager gives you the interface that makes sense for tasks—quick capture, easy completion, visual status, filtering by what matters to you. Plus it can integrate with other tools and include AI features like auto-breaking down complex tasks. Spreadsheets are where tasks go to pile up and never get done.

Can I migrate my tasks from my current task manager? Usually yes. Most task managers let you export to CSV or have APIs. You can import that data into your CREAO task manager—the AI Assistant that comes with every app can help with batch loading and field mapping. It's actually easier than manual import because you can just describe what needs to happen.

How useful is the AI Assistant? Very. Every CREAO app comes with an AI Assistant. Instead of clicking through menus, you can ask it to "show me everything overdue," "break down this complex task into smaller steps," or "reschedule everything from today to tomorrow because today is a disaster." The app stores the data and shows you the views. The Assistant helps you work with it conversationally and can even proactively help you manage your tasks based on patterns it notices.