The Problem
Productivity apps are full of features but require you to stop what you're doing to use them. You have to unlock your phone, navigate to the right screen, type your input, and confirm it — a four-step process for something that should take two seconds. Task lists get long but don't help you decide what to do next. Planning is fragmented across separate apps for tasks, calendars, grocery lists, and reminders that don't talk to each other. And most tools have no memory — they start from zero every single day, ignoring everything you've told them before.
The Solution
PlanIt Mike collapses your entire productivity stack into a single voice command. One tap on the microphone and you can add groceries, schedule events, set reminders, manage tasks, plan meals, or get your day briefed back to you — all spoken naturally, all routed intelligently by a central NLP engine. An AI memory system stores your preferences across every conversation, and "What's Next?" smart nudges eliminate the paralysis of an overwhelming task list by surfacing a single priority at a time.
Input Method
Navigate, tap, type, confirm
One voice command from any screen
Personalization
Starts fresh every day
AI memory persists across sessions
Focus
Endless task list
"What's Next?" — one priority at a time
Product Strategy
- Voice-first as the core principle — not a feature on top of a typing interface, but the primary interaction model
- Universal Voice Command Router as the foundation — one NLP engine that routes any command anywhere in the app
- AI Memory System across all features — preferences, habits, and context stored and applied everywhere
- "What's Next?" as the anti-overwhelm engine — a deliberate counterweight to traditional endless task lists
- Briefings (morning + nightly) that bring information to the user instead of requiring them to go find it
- PWA with offline support — removes connectivity as a blocker for a daily productivity tool
- 12-language voice recognition for global accessibility from day one
- Freemium with Stripe: free core features → premium for advanced AI coaching, study tools, and expanded memory
- Consolidated all productivity verticals (tasks, calendar, grocery, meals, habits, reminders) into one app
My Role
As founder and product lead, I:
- Defined "voice-first" as the core product identity — not a gimmick but the fundamental UX paradigm
- Designed the Universal Voice Command Router — the NLP architecture that makes cross-feature voice work
- Created the "Talk to Mike" and "Smart Voice Button" dual-mic model for context-aware input
- Built the AI Memory System concept — extracting and persisting user facts to enable genuine personalization
- Designed "What's Next?" as the product's signature anti-decision-fatigue feature
- Architected the full feature stack: 12 product areas, 18 database tables, 15+ edge functions
- Defined the morning/nightly briefing formats to make information delivery proactive, not reactive
- Designed the onboarding questionnaire to capture personalization data from day one
- Built the PWA and offline architecture strategy for a truly mobile-native experience
Product Decisions
Why build everything in one app rather than one focused tool?
The friction in productivity isn't within a single category — it's switching between apps. A grocery list that's separate from your meal planner that's separate from your calendar creates coordination overhead that defeats the purpose. One unified app with voice routing eliminates that friction entirely.
Why two microphone buttons ("Talk to Mike" and "Smart Voice Button")?
A floating always-available mic is powerful but can feel ambiguous. The Smart Voice Button adapts to the current page context so voice feels precise and intentional, while the universal mic is always available for cross-feature commands. Two modes for two distinct use cases.
Why ElevenLabs TTS with browser fallback?
Voice feedback is a core part of the "Mike" persona — it should sound like a person, not a robot. ElevenLabs provides natural-sounding synthesis that makes the experience feel human. Browser TTS fallback ensures the feature works everywhere when the API is unavailable.
Why PWA with offline support for a productivity app?
Productivity tools fail exactly when you need them most — on the subway, in a dead zone, traveling. An offline-capable PWA that installs to your home screen behaves like a native app without requiring an App Store submission, giving the best of both worlds.
Screenshots & UI
Scan to try it live
Additional UI screenshots coming soon.
What I Would Improve Next
Future improvements for PlanIt Mike:
- Native iOS and Android apps — PWA is excellent, but push notification reliability improves significantly with native builds
- Proactive AI — Mike notices patterns (e.g., you always add "buy coffee" Monday mornings) and suggests additions before you ask
- Team / household mode — shared tasks, grocery lists, and calendars with real-time conflict resolution
- Voice-to-email and voice-to-message — "Send a message to Sarah saying I'll be 10 minutes late"
- Deeper Nightly Recap intelligence — prioritize tomorrow's schedule based on energy patterns and historical completion rates
- Wearable integration — quick voice commands from Apple Watch or Android Wear without touching your phone