This is a submission for the Notion MCP Challenge
PickUp: A Context-Aware Resume App with AI and Notion Sync
What I Built
I built PickUp, a local-first productivity app designed for one very common problem: coming back to something later and not remembering exactly where you left off.
Most tools let us store notes, but they do not really help us resume. PickUp is built around that resume moment.
With PickUp, a user can create a context for anything they are working on, such as:
- studying
- coding
- writing
- planning
- cooking
- personal tasks
Inside each context, the app keeps track of:
- notes and progress updates
- important milestones
- the next best step
- AI-generated help when the user asks things like:
What was I doing last time?
The app is local-first, so users can start immediately without setup. If they enable sync, their context data is also saved into Notion, which becomes the persistent external workspace for their progress.
What makes the project feel special to me is that it is not limited to one type of work. It is meant to help people continue anything they were doing, not just software tasks.
Video Demo
I recorded a walkthrough showing:
- creating a new context
- adding notes
- using AI to resume work
- tracking milestones and next steps
- enabling sync
- saving the context into Notion
Video demo: [https://youtu.be/A8ns2_X1x6I]
Show us the code
GitHub repository: [https://github.com/mohit5543/pickup]
Live app: [https://pickup-three-rho.vercel.app]
How I Used Notion MCP
Notion is the structured memory layer behind PickUp.
When sync is enabled, the app sends context data into Notion so the user’s progress is not just sitting in the browser. That includes:
- context title
- notes
- milestones
- next step
- status
- daily recap information
This makes Notion useful as more than a storage destination. It becomes the system that holds the state of ongoing work across sessions.
In PickUp, Notion helps unlock a few important things:
Persistent context memory
A user can come back later and still have their progress available.Milestone tracking
Important progress is saved in a structured way instead of getting buried in chat history.Next-step continuity
The app can surface the next thing to do, and that can also be reflected in Notion.Daily recap support
Synced activity can be grouped into recap-style updates that make progress easier to review.
The result is a workflow where AI helps the user resume quickly, while Notion acts as the long-term memory for what actually happened.
Why I Built It
I wanted to make something that feels quietly useful.
A lot of productivity tools help with planning or capturing, but the moment of returning is often still messy. PickUp focuses on that exact moment and tries to make it feel simple:
- here is where you left off
- here is what mattered
- here is what to do next
That combination of AI assistance and Notion-backed context storage is what shaped the project.
Tech Stack
- React
- Vite
- Node.js
- Express
- OpenRouter
- Notion integration
- Vercel
- Render
Closing Thoughts
PickUp started as an idea around interrupted work, but it grew into a broader tool for context continuity.
I wanted the experience to feel lightweight, human, and actually useful for real life, whether someone is returning to a study session, a side project, dinner prep, or unfinished planning.
Thanks for reading.
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