The Problem
I wanted a simple place to document my thoughts and projects. Medium felt too bloated with paywalls and algorithmic feeds. WordPress required self-hosting complexity I didn't want to deal with. Notion was great for notes but not for public writing.
I couldn't find what I wanted, so I built it myself.
What is Pluma?
Pluma is a clean, distraction-free blogging platform with three core features:
- Markdown editor - Just write. No WYSIWYG confusion, no formatting battles
-
Personal subdomains - Every user gets
yourname.pluma.ink - Zero bloat - No ads, no algorithmic feeds, no "suggested content"
It's built with Django because I wanted something solid and maintainable. PostgreSQL handles the data, Caddy manages the subdomains, and Brevo takes care of transactional emails.
The Journey
This wasn't my first attempt at a side project. I've started many things I never finished. ADHD makes it hard - you get excited, dive deep, then lose momentum when the initial dopamine wears off.
But this time was different. I had a clear use case: I needed this for myself.
Months of coding, debugging, redesigning. Many nights questioning if I'd ever finish. The subdomain routing alone took me a week to get right. User authentication, Markdown rendering, email verification - each feature was a small mountain to climb.
But that feeling when you finally push to production? When real people start using something you built? Worth every frustrating debug session.
What I Learned
1. Solve your own problem first
If you're not using it yourself, you won't finish it. I use Pluma daily now to document my work.
2. Keep the scope small
I resisted adding features. No comments, no likes, no social features. Just writing.
3. Ship before it's perfect
There are bugs. There are features I want to add. But it's live, people are using it, and I can iterate from here.
Try It Out
If you're looking for a simple, clean place to document your ideas and projects, check out pluma.ink.
It's free to use, and I'd love to hear your feedback.
If you've ever struggled to finish what you started, you know this feeling. Huge weight off my shoulders. ✨
Built with: Django, PostgreSQL, Caddy, Brevo
Live at: pluma.ink
Feedback welcome! 🚀
Top comments (0)