The latest articles on DEV Community by Dylan Andersen (@geardex). https://dev.to/geardex https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4151382%2Ff2569999-ea30-454b-b14c-784ebf3c3ed4.png https://dev.to/geardex en Dylan Andersen Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:59:37 +0000 https://dev.to/geardex/im-a-photographer-so-i-built-my-own-gear-inventory-app-with-help-from-cursor-3ehc https://dev.to/geardex/im-a-photographer-so-i-built-my-own-gear-inventory-app-with-help-from-cursor-3ehc <p>I'm a photographer and a developer, and since 2025 I've been building GearDex (<a href="https://geardex.app" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://geardex.app</a>) on my own. It's a camera gear inventory for photographers, videographers, and studios. It started as a web app, and now there's a native macOS app too.</p> <h2> What it does </h2> <p>GearDex keeps your kit in one place. Version 3.5 shipped on Sep 5, 2026, and adds:</p> <ul> <li>My Kit Snapshots and Record Readiness, both free</li> <li>Unified Timeline and Iris Prep Review on Pro and Studio</li> <li>An Availability Board on Studio</li> </ul> <p>It's free up to 25 items. Pro is $39/yr and Studio is $179/yr. There's no iOS app. You can use it on the web or download the Mac app at <a href="https://geardex.app/download" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://geardex.app/download</a>.</p> <h2> The stack </h2> <p>It's built with Next.js, React, and TypeScript. I'm a solo maker in Irvine, CA, so I leaned hard on AI help, mostly Cursor, to move faster than I could alone.</p> <h2> What I learned </h2> <p><strong>AI speeds up the building, not the deciding.</strong> Cursor got me from idea to a working feature fast. That said, it can't tell you which features photographers actually need. That part still came from being one.</p> <p><strong>Meet people where they already work.</strong> A web app was the right place to start. Adding a native Mac app was about fitting into the setup people already have, not about adding features.</p> <h2> I'd love feedback </h2> <p>If you shoot, run a studio, or just have too many batteries in a drawer, I'd love to hear what you think. And if you've built something solo with AI help, what was your biggest lesson?</p> <p><em>This post was drafted with AI help.</em></p> showdev nextjs typescript photography