General
Domain
7
Technologies
5
Key Results
Delivered
Status
挑战
**Building an AI-First Project Platform**
Kickly needed an AI system that could understand a startup idea and generate actionable project plans - not generic templates, but real roadmaps with tasks, timelines, and resource estimates.
**Real-Time Collaboration at Scale**
Multiple team members needed to work on the same project simultaneously. Changes had to sync instantly across task boards, timelines, and chat channels without conflicts or data loss.
**Coordinating Independent Services**
The platform combined AI planning, task management, time tracking, chat, and billing. These services needed to work together smoothly while scaling independently.
**Desktop and Web Sync**
Teams switching between desktop and web apps expected their work to stay in sync. Every action on one platform had to reflect instantly on the other.
**Managing Subscriptions and Usage**
With AI credits, team seats, and feature tiers, Kickly needed billing that could handle complex pricing models and usage tracking without breaking.
**Keeping AI Responses Fast**
Users expected quick AI responses when generating plans or asking questions. The system needed to handle multiple AI requests simultaneously without slowdowns.
我们的解决方案
We built Kickly as a distributed platform where each function - AI planning, collaboration, time tracking, billing - runs as its own service. This let each part scale based on demand and fail independently without taking down the whole platform.
The desktop app uses Electron to feel native on Windows and Mac while sharing the same React codebase as the web app. Both connect to the same backend APIs, so work syncs automatically.
For real-time features, we used WebSockets to push updates instantly. When someone adds a task or sends a message, everyone sees it immediately without refreshing.
**Key Features:**
**AI Project Planning** – Users describe their startup idea in plain language. The AI analyzes it and generates a complete project plan with phases, tasks, timelines, and resource estimates. The AI adapts based on the industry and team size.
**Smart Task Management** – Tasks organize into custom workflows. Teams can create boards, set dependencies, assign owners, and track progress. The system prevents circular dependencies and warns about blockers.
**Built-In Time Tracking** – Team members clock in and out of tasks directly from the app. Time data feeds into reports showing where effort goes and whether projects stay on budget.
**Team Chat and Channels** – Every project gets chat channels for different topics. Messages, files, and task references stay organized. Notifications ensure people see important updates without getting overwhelmed.
**Desktop and Web Apps** – The same experience works on desktop and browser. Projects, tasks, messages, and time entries sync across both platforms in real-time.
**AI Assistant Integration** – Users can ask the AI questions about their project anytime. The assistant has context on the project plan, current progress, and team activity, so it gives relevant answers.
**Subscription Management **– Teams choose their plan and get access to features based on their tier. AI credits, storage limits, and team seats adjust automatically. Billing handles upgrades, downgrades, and usage overages.
**Activity Feeds** – A timeline shows everything happening across the project - tasks completed, messages sent, time logged, plan updates. Teams can see progress at a glance.
**API Access** – Developers can connect Kickly to other tools through REST APIs. This lets teams integrate time tracking with payroll systems or sync tasks with external project managers.
**Security and Permissions **– Project owners control who can view, edit, or manage different parts of the platform. Sensitive data encrypts in transit and at rest.
成果
The platform launched successfully and started generating AI project plans for early users. Teams found the AI planning feature useful enough that most users who tried it converted to paid accounts.
Time tracking became one of the most popular features. Teams used it daily to understand where their effort went and whether they were staying on budget. The data helped them make better decisions about resource allocation
Kickly grew its paid subscriber base steadily after launch. The subscription system handled plan changes and billing automatically, which meant the team could focus on product development instead of manual account management
技术栈
ReactNext.jsTypeScriptElectronNode.jsGitGitHub Actions