The Problem: "We Should Hang Out Sometime"
We've all been there. You run into an old friend, say "we should catch up," and then... silence for 6 months.
I found myself struggling to keep track of who I haven't spoken to in a while, forgetting important details (like birthdays or gift ideas), and sometimes just staring at a blank text box wondering what to say.
The Journey: From Pascal to Production
Here's the kicker: I have zero professional coding experience.
The last time I wrote a line of code was 20 years ago in high school, and it was in Pascal. For two decades, I had ideas but no way to build them.
But the era of AI coding has changed everything. I used Google Gemini as my "right hand" to build this entire application from scratch. It wrote the React components, debugged the Firebase functions, and even helped me design the CSS. This project is proof that if you have an idea and an AI partner, you can ship real software to the world.
So, I built Social Gardener.
The Solution
Social Gardener is a Personal Relationship Management (PRM) tool that helps you nurture your connections like a garden. If you don't water a plant, it wilts. If you don't reach out to a friend, the connection fades.
This app visualizes your social circle, showing you exactly who needs attention ("watering") and helping you make that interaction meaningful.
Key Features
- Visual Dashboard The dashboard gives you an at-a-glance view of your relationships. Contacts are cards that change status based on your last interaction.
Healthy: Recently contacted.
Thirsty: It's been a while.
Wilted: Needs immediate attention!
2. AI Conversation Chef 👨🍳
Stuck on what to say? I integrated Google Gemini 2.0 Flash to analyze your past notes and tags for a contact. It generates 3 personalized conversation starters:
- One casual
- One specific to their interests
- One deep/meaningful
3. Garden Statistics
Gamify your social life. Track your streaks and see how many of your "plants" are thriving versus wilting.
4. Audio Logs & Insights
Instead of typing notes after hanging out, you can record a quick audio log. The app uses AI to transcribe it and automatically extract:
- A summary of what you did.
- Gift ideas mentioned.
- Topics to follow up on next time.
Tech Stack
I built this as a Progressive Web App (PWA) so it feels native on mobile but is accessible anywhere.
- Frontend: React 19, TypeScript, Vite
- Styling: Vanilla CSS (I wanted full control!)
- Backend: Firebase (Auth, Firestore, Cloud Functions)
- AI: Google Gemini API via Firebase Extensions/Functions
- PWA: vite-plugin-pwa for offline support and installation.
I Need Your Feedback! 🙏
I'm releasing this to the community because I want to make it better. I'm looking for:
- Bugs: Did something break? Let me know!
- Feature Requests: What would help you use this? Try it out here: https://keepclose.eu
Let me know what you think in the comments below! Happy gardening! 🌻
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