Why I Built an AI Coding Platform with BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) that uses Claude skills directly

Vandana — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:55:06 +0000

The Problem That Wouldn't Go Away

I had a setup I loved: Claude API with custom skills I'd spent weeks building. Database query tools, file system automation, deployment scripts - everything tuned to my workflow.

Then I tried Cursor.

Here's what frustrated me:

Paying twice: I was already paying $20/month for Claude API. Cursor wanted another $20/month to use my own API credits. I was literally paying twice to access the same AI.
Lost my skills: Remember those Claude skills I built in the Developer Console? Completely unusable in Cursor. All that work, just sitting there.
Stuck in real-time: Cursor is great for pair programming, but I couldn't kick off a refactor before bed and wake up to reviewed code. Everything required me at the keyboard.
Siloed: My colleagues couldn't leverage my custom skills. No way to share the automation I'd built.

The final straw? I calculated I was spending $480/year on tools that used an API I was already paying for, while my custom skills collected dust.

The "Aha" Moment

I was working late, wanting to refactor a module before morning. I thought: "Why can't I just start this task, let AI agents handle it overnight, and review the results tomorrow?"

That's when it clicked:

What if you could:

Use your own Claude API key (no markup)
Bring your Claude Developer Console skills
Run workflows asynchronously (not just real-time assistance)
Share automation with your team
Trigger tasks via API without touching an IDE

The technical challenge was interesting: orchestrating multiple specialized agents (planning → coding → review) while maintaining access to custom skills.

But the core insight was simple: async workflows are fundamentally different from real-time assistance, and almost nobody was building for that.

How I Built Threadyx

Multi-Agent Architecture

Instead of one AI trying to do everything, I built specialized agents:

1. Planning Agent

Analyzes the task
Breaks it into steps
Identifies which Claude skills to use
Creates implementation plan
Provides human-readable summary
Recommends approve/reject

2. Coding Agent

Executes the plan
Generates code changes
References your custom skills
Works in cloned environment

3. Review Agent

Validates changes
Checks for issues

Each agent has a specific job. This reduces errors and improves consistency vs. a single agent context-switching between planning, coding, and reviewing.

Claude Skills Integration (The Hard Part)

Claude's API supports up to 5 skills per request. But I wanted users to reference unlimited skills.

The solution:

Users provide all their Claude skill IDs (no limit)
For each task, Threadyx analyzes which skills are relevant
Intelligently selects the top 5 most applicable skills
Passes those to the API

Example:

You have 15 Claude skills:

Salesforce Flows (3 skills)
Apex (4 skills)
API integrations (5 skills)
Development Expert (1 skill)

You ask: "Create a salesforce screen flow to update contact's address related to an account"

Threadyx automatically selects your 3 + 1 skills (to create flow + development), ignoring the irrelevant ones.

Here's what it looks like in practice:

Threadyx automatically selects the most relevant skills from your collection

API-First Design

Unlike IDE-based tools, everything in Threadyx is API-driven:

{
  "repository": {
    "id": "wds",
    "url": "https://github.com/GCS/wds.git",
    "baseBranch": "main"
  },
  "task": "Create a salesforce screen flow to update contact's address related to an account",
  "skills": "skill_011SyG9cLJYM6x1jgXkS6ryK,skill_01UoXqka4XKEBAgUzHZGmVwh,skill_013AErsWQ4DNzuTwjwBBA9Xa,skill_015PBk47MiyctTWykMob3eP1, skill_01M3yhcUNHpW676RphF3wyYr,skill_011NPA8LWNtviQsrVfZR8Pwj,skill_01GdgsfNcVhdNT4z2U8Y5U7k,skill_01MwFDgchx2nC96uMMCErfBp,skill_013UAXQAyMXwXEF6cSt6mgC4,skill_01C5a2Voh9YmVUGJ5BvNT9hF",
  "webhookUrl": "https://webhook.site/8f80a24b-e44a-4382-aca8-f963c7c86220",
  "apiKey": "your-anthropic-key",
  "userId": "your-user-id"

This means you can:

Integrate with CI/CD pipelines
Schedule recurring tasks
Build custom automations
Trigger workflows from anywhere (not just your IDE)

Safety First: Cloned Environments

Every workflow runs in a cloned environment. Your main codebase is never touched until you explicitly approve and merge changes.

Workflow:

Clone your repo/environment
AI agents work in the clone
You review the changes
You decide: merge or discard

No surprises. No accidental commits. Full control.

What I Learned Building This

1. BYOK Resonates More Than I Expected

When I posted about Threadyx, the #1 response was: "Finally! I'm already paying for Claude API, why would I pay again?"

Cost-conscious developers (indie hackers, small teams) feel the pain of subscription fatigue. They want control over their AI costs.

2. Async Workflows Are Severely Underserved

Everyone's building real-time coding assistants. But there's a huge gap for:

Overnight refactors
Scheduled maintenance tasks
Large codebase migrations
Tasks that don't need human babysitting

The developer doesn't need to be at the keyboard 24/7. Let agents work while you sleep.

3. Claude Skills Are Powerful But Underutilized

Most developers don't even know Claude Developer Console skills exist. Those who do build them find they're trapped in the console.

Making skills portable and reusable across tools is a game-changer.

4. Direct Outreach > Big Launches

I tried launching on Hacker News. It went nowhere (2 upvotes, buried in 34 minutes).

What actually worked? Sending 20 personal messages to developers who tweet about Claude API. 10% response rate. Real conversations. Better feedback than any launch.

Lesson: Find 10 people who love your product > getting 1000 people to glance at it.

Try Threadyx Yourself

I'm looking for early users who:

Already use Claude API
Have built custom Claude skills
Want to automate development workflows
Need async task execution

Get started:

Platform: https://code-agent-frontend-production.up.railway.app
Setup Guide: Google Doc
Demo Videos: YouTube Channel
- Part 1: Introduction & Codebase Search
- Part 2: Approval to Implementation

What you'll need:

Claude API key (get one at console.anthropic.com)
GITHUB PAT key
Your Claude Developer Console skill IDs (optional but recommended)
5 minutes for setup

Early user benefits:

Extended trial period
Direct access to me (the founder) for support
Input on what features to build next
Priority bug fixes

Questions for You

I'm genuinely curious:

Would you use a BYOK model, or do you prefer all-in-one tools even if they cost more?
What would you automate first if you had async AI agents?
- Nightly refactors?
- Test generation?
- Documentation updates?
- Code reviews?
- Something else?
Do you have Claude skills you wish you could use elsewhere?
What's stopping you from trying it? (Be honest - this helps me improve)

Drop your thoughts in the comments. I read and respond to everything.

About Threadyx:
Threadyx is a multi-agent AI coding platform where you bring your own Claude API key and skills. Built for developers who want control, automation, and async workflows without subscription lock-in.

About me:
I'm an indie developer frustrated by AI tool pricing. You can reach me directly in the comments or at vandana.threadyx@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading! 🚀

DEV Community: Vandana