I built FollowUp Writer — Write follow-ups fast

Building FollowUp Writer: A Personal Quest for Efficient Follow-ups

The Problem

As a senior developer, I've found myself juggling multiple projects and collaborations, which often leads to a barrage of follow-up emails. Writing these emails can be a tedious and time-consuming task, taking away from the time I could spend on actual development. I needed a solution that would allow me to write follow-ups quickly and efficiently, without sacrificing the personal touch that's essential for building strong relationships. I remember spending hours crafting the perfect follow-up email, only to realize I'd have to do it all again for the next project. This frustration sparked my journey to build FollowUp Writer.

What I Tried First

Before building my own solution, I tried using existing tools like Boomerang for Gmail, Mailchimp, and even Zapier automations. While these tools were helpful in their own right, they didn't quite meet my needs. Boomerang allowed me to schedule emails, but I still had to write them from scratch. Mailchimp was too focused on marketing campaigns, and Zapier's automation capabilities were too complex for my simple follow-up needs. I needed something more tailored to my specific use case. Each of these tools had its own strengths, but they all fell short in one way or another, prompting me to take matters into my own hands.

How I Built It

FollowUp Writer is built using React, which provides a seamless user experience. I chose Groq as my data storage solution, as it allowed for flexible and scalable data modeling. To ensure fast and reliable deployment, I opted for Vercel, which has been a game-changer for my development workflow. For payment processing, I integrated Stripe, which has proven to be a robust and secure solution. Here's a glimpse into the code that powers FollowUp Writer:

import { groq } from 'groq';
import { client } from '../sanity-client';

const query = groq`*[_type == "followUp"]`;
const followUps = await client.fetch(query);

return (
  <ul>
    {followUps.map((followUp) => (
      <li key={followUp._id}>
        <h2>{followUp.title}</h2>
        <p>{followUp.content}</p>
      </li>
    ))}
  </ul>
);

This code snippet demonstrates how I use Groq to fetch follow-up data from my Sanity instance and render it in the UI.

What I Learned

Throughout the development process, I gained a surprising insight into user behavior. I initially thought that users would be willing to pay a premium for advanced features, but it turns out that most users are looking for a simple, affordable solution that gets the job done. This realization led me to adjust my pricing strategy, focusing on a more accessible and competitive pricing model. I also learned that users appreciate transparency and honesty, which is why I've made it a point to be open about the development process and the challenges I've faced.

Try It Free

If you're struggling with writing follow-ups as much as I was, I invite you to try FollowUp Writer for free: https://followup-writer-tool-fv66hxlih-sweths-projects-68683994.vercel.app. No credit card required, no strings attached. Give it a shot and see how it can streamline your follow-up workflow.