Skip to main content
← /writing
  • #productivity
  • #open-source
  • #side-projects

Building My Own Productivity Tools: A Procrastinator's Journey

After testing every productivity app under the sun, I did what any reasonable engineer would do—I built my own. Two open-source, privacy-first task managers to help procrastinators like me get things done.

Vinny Carpenter2 min read254 words

Confession time: I'm a procrastinator. There, I said it!

Self-awareness is the first step to improvement, and I'm very aware of my procrastination habits. Over the years, I've built elaborate systems to outsmart myself - gadgets, apps, notebooks, and probably a few too many browser tabs.

Like many productivity nerds, I share Marques Brownlee's obsession with to-do list apps. If you've ever listened to the Waveform podcast, you know the running gag where Marques keeps searching for the "perfect" productivity tool. I feel seen.

So after testing every app under the sun and still not finding "the one," I did what any reasonable engineer would do…

👉 I built my own.

Actually, I built two. Both are open-source, privacy-first, and free to use:

The Tools

Cascade — A lightweight Kanban-style task manager that's simple, fast, and secure.

GSD — A task manager inspired by the Eisenhower Matrix to help you Get Stuff Done.

All your data stays local in your browser: no tracking, no accounts, no cloud. Just focus.

Try Them Out

I'd love your feedback! Try one (or both!) and tell me what helps you stay productive and on track.

And if you're the tinkering type, check out the GitHub repos, fork them, and send me your ideas for improvement.

Because let's be honest - procrastinators unite… tomorrow. 😄


Originally shared on LinkedIn

Links:

// found this useful? share it

Post on X Share to LinkedIn
Vinny Carpenter

Written by Vinny Carpenter

VP Engineering · 30+ years building software

I lead engineering teams building cloud-native platforms at a Fortune 100 company. I write about engineering leadership, AI-assisted development, platform strategy, and the hard lessons that come from shipping at scale.

keep reading