[verdict][generated prompt][source: culturedcode.com]
Can I vibecode Things 3?
// one session, and a personal version you can actually use
The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Things 3, build a polished personal task manager with areas, projects, tags, deadlines, and a today view. The hard boundary is exceptional native design, apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance, plus cross-device reliability and workflow polish.
confidence: high
what it is: Build a polished personal task manager with areas, projects, tags, deadlines, and a today view
Buildability index · an editorial game
- Price one-time weight: zero
- Time one sitting weight: plus 3
- Category to-dos and tasks no weight
- Moat execution quality weight: minus 1
- Confidence high weight: plus 1
- What you lose 5 items weight: minus 2
- Site culturedcode.com (si apre in una nuova scheda) no weight
They cancel out. This is where it comes down to how much the subscription annoys you.
Gioco editoriale: il verdetto dice se un agente può, l’indice se conviene.
What you build
Capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally.
what you need
- macOS, Windows, or Linux
- notification permission
- local SQLite database
Editorial comparison targets the Mac license plan and a personal desktop task manager DIY substitute. Recheck price before merge.
The prompt
One session with a coding agent and your version runs.
Build a personal replacement for Things 3 in an empty repository.
Use Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, SQLite, and desktop notifications; do not offer alternative stacks.
The core loop is: capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally.
Make the first run work locally with one documented command.
Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward.
Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials.
Create inbox, today, upcoming, someday, and completed views with fast keyboard capture.
Support projects, tags, due dates, start dates, priorities, notes, subtasks, and attachments.
Implement robust daily, weekly, monthly, and custom recurring rules with tests.
Add a focus view with one active task, timer, and optional desktop notification.
Provide search, saved filters, undo, and a completed-task archive.
Export and import a documented JSON format and make automatic local backups.
Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states.
Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs.
Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path.
Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps.
Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane.
Deliberately leave out team assignment and comments.
Deliberately leave out two-way calendar or email synchronization.
Deliberately leave out native mobile apps and cloud accounts.
Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. Prompt generated from the data on this page, not reviewed by hand yet. In English on purpose — it is the language coding agents work best in.
What you lose
- exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance
- perfect mobile sync
- calendar and email integrations
- shared workspaces
- behavioral coaching polish
Why people still pay
People still pay for Things 3 because task software is sticky because trust, speed, and ubiquitous capture matter more than the database schema. The recurring cost buys recurrence edge cases, notifications, sync conflicts, calendar APIs, mobile capture, and backups, not just the visible interface.
moat: Execution quality what a moat is
cross-device reliability and workflow polish
Free alternatives
Not in the mood to build it? These already exist, they are free or open source, and we checked them one by one.
Who has already built it
Starting from here is still vibecoding: the prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.
- Vikunja (opens in a new tab) — Mature open-source task and project manager with lists, kanban, and recurring work.
Do you agree?
The vote balance
Ancora nessun voto: il tuo è il primo.
Nessun voto ancora — il primo pesa.