Hi devs 👋
I wanted to share my journey of building and launching a real, working web product entirely solo in 2025 — including backend, frontend, deployment, and even a Chrome extension.
If you’ve ever dreamed of creating your own product but felt overwhelmed, maybe this post will give you a push. AI has changed the game — and what used to take a team can now be done by one developer.
💻 My Background
I’ve worked as a Java backend engineer for over a decade across industries like telecom, travel, music, and insurance. But I always had the itch to build something of my own — even something small, as long as I could call it mine.
I actually tried once, eight years ago. It didn’t work out. I lacked motivation, frontend skills, and time. It felt like too much to handle alone.
⚡ Enter AI
Then came ChatGPT and similar tools.
For the first time, I felt like I didn’t need to master everything. I could focus on my backend strengths — and let AI help with UI, DevOps, and even Chrome APIs I had no experience with.
🚀 Building the Product
About five months ago, I committed to building something real.
- ✅ Backend: Spring Boot
- ✅ Frontend: Vue.js
- ✅ Chrome Extension: built from scratch with help from AI
- ✅ All done solo
Creating the extension was the biggest challenge. I had zero experience with browser APIs — but with AI as my co-pilot, I got it working.
🔧 DevOps (My Old Nemesis)
I used to dread DevOps. But this time, I powered through:
- Deployed backend to AWS EC2
- Hosted frontend via Nginx
- Used AWS RDS for database
- Dockerized everything, orchestrated with Docker Swarm
- Set up backups, SSL, domain config, and email
In the past, this would have taken me weeks. With the help of AI, it took a few days.
💡 Key Takeaway
In 2025, it’s entirely possible to build and ship a real product solo.
If you're a developer with an idea but think “I don’t have time” or “I can’t do it all” — you’re not alone. I felt that way for years.
But AI has leveled the playing field. You don’t need to know it all anymore. You just need to start.
🔗 What I Built
Here’s the product I launched:
It’s a platform that lets you:
- See ratings and reviews of websites right inside your browser
- Submit your own feedback
- Instantly assess trustworthiness of a site
It works via a Chrome extension and acts as a social feedback layer for the internet.
I’d love to hear your feedback — it’s still evolving!
Thanks for reading 🙌
Are you working on a side project too? Let me know in the comments — I’d love to check it out!
Top comments (0)