The Problem Everyone Has (But Nobody Talks About)
Let me paint a picture:
You're deep in code. Flow state. Everything's clicking.
Then you need to merge a branch.
$ git merge feature-auth
CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in src/auth.ts
Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result.
And just like that, you're on Google.
"git merge conflict resolve"
"how to fix merge conflict"
"git merge conflict accept theirs"
You copy a command from StackOverflow. Paste it. It fails.
Back to Google. Copy. Paste. Fail.
30 minutes later, you've lost your flow state and you're questioning your career choices.
I Thought ChatGPT Would Save Us
When ChatGPT came out, I thought: "Finally! No more Googling Git commands!"
But here's what actually happened:
Me: "How do I undo my last commit but keep the changes?"
ChatGPT: "You can use git reset --soft HEAD~1"
Me: copies command, pastes in terminal
Terminal: ✓ Works!
Me 5 minutes later: "How do I push this now?"
ChatGPT: "Use git push origin main"
Me: copies, pastes
Terminal: "error: failed to push some refs... hint: Updates were rejected because..."
Me: "What does this error mean?"
And we're back to the copy-paste loop.
The Real Problem: ChatGPT Can't See Your Repo
ChatGPT gives great advice... for a hypothetical situation.
But it doesn't know:
What branch you're on
What changes you have
What the actual error is
What your repo structure looks like
So you end up being a messenger between ChatGPT and your terminal.
ChatGPT → You → Terminal → Error → You → ChatGPT → You → Terminal...
It's exhausting.
Reddit Told Me The Brutal Truth
I posted about this problem on Reddit, expecting people to say "just learn Git properly."
Instead, I got hundreds of comments saying:
"I've been coding for 15 years and still Google git commands daily"
"I have a text file with git commands I copy-paste"
"My terminal history is 90% git commands that failed"
"I ask ChatGPT about Git more than anything else"
The most eye-opening comment:
"Git is the only tool where everyone pretends they know what they're doing, but we're all just Googling in private"
That's when I realized: This isn't a knowledge problem. This is a UX problem.
So I Built SnapCommit
The idea is stupidly simple:
What if ChatGPT could actually run the commands for you?
Not just suggest them. Not just explain them.
Actually execute them. See the output. Fix errors. Try again.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
I initially built this for myself. Solo dev, moving fast, didn't want to waste time on Git.
But here's what I learned from Reddit:
- Companies don't allow Cursor/Copilot Many devs work at companies that block AI coding tools for security reasons. But they can't block a terminal tool that runs locally.
- Git is the #1 reason juniors ask for help Senior devs spend hours per week helping juniors with Git. This could free up that time.
- Context-switching kills productivity Every time you leave your terminal to Google or ask ChatGPT, you lose 5-10 minutes of focus.
- Git anxiety is real People are genuinely scared of Git. They don't experiment because they're afraid of breaking things. This gives them a safety net.
I know some people will say "just learn Git" or "ChatGPT is free" and that's totally fair. This isn't for everyone.
But if you're like me and just want to ship code without memorizing 50 Git commands, give it a shot.
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