SaaS is Dead! How I Built Listopia with AI to Replace Clunky Task Managers

And I Made It Open Source ;-)

Success as an entrepreneur hinges on organization — personal tasks, team collaboration, and engaging with customers or users.

While building DashAPI, I needed one tool to unify these in a single place, not a messy cluster of pro task managers, iOS apps, and disconnected platforms.

Frustrated by rigid, pricey SaaS solutions, I turned to Claude and Grok to build Listopia, an open-source Rails app that redefines collaborative list management with AI-powered natural language controls and multi-channel publishing (MCP).

Here’s how I created it, why it’s a game-changer, and why you should jump in.

From SaaS Fatigue to Service as a Software

Most SaaS task managers are bloated, expensive, and locked behind paywalls, offering little flexibility for my team’s needs. The old SaaS model, software controlled by vendors, felt like a tax on innovation. Instead, I envisioned Service as a Software: customizable, community-driven tools that serve users, not corporations. Listopia was born to lead that charge, offering collaborative list tracking that’s free, open-source, and AI-powered.

AI: The Rocket Fuel Behind Listopia

I didn’t build Listopia alone — I had Claude and Grok as my co-pilots. These AI platforms transformed every stage of development:

• Planning: I described my vision — collaborative lists, natural language controls, MCP — and Claude helped outline features and user flows.
• Architecture: Grok suggested a modular Rails structure, ensuring scalability and easy contributions.
• Development: Both AIs generated code snippets, debugged issues, and optimized performance, slashing development time.

This AI-driven approach let me build Listopia in record time, proving you don’t need a massive team or budget to create something powerful. With Claude and Grok, I turned ideas into reality faster than any SaaS vendor could.

Listopia’s Superpowers

Listopia (https://listopia-dhv.pages.dev) isn’t just another task manager — it’s a productivity revolution:

• Natural Language Control: Manage lists by saying, “Add a sprint task for Monday.” It’s like chatting with a friend.
• Multi-Channel Publishing (MCP): Thanks to Ruby LLM, Listopia integrates with any LLM (I use OpenAI APIs, but others like Llama or Mistral work too), letting you publish lists across platforms seamlessly.
• Open-Source Freedom: No subscriptions (yet), just pure customization at https://github.com/spaquet/listopia.
• Instant Deployment: Docker and Kamal make setup a breeze — deploy in minutes.

Originally built to keep DashAPI’s team on track, Listopia’s flexibility makes it ideal for anyone — developers, creators, or teams — who wants smarter list management.

Why Open Source? Because Community Wins

SaaS traps you in walled gardens; Listopia sets you free. By open-sourcing it, I’m inviting the community to shape its future. Fork the repo, add features, or suggest ideas.

Join the Listopia Movement

SaaS is dead, but Service as a Software is alive in Listopia. It’s more than a tool; it’s a statement: productivity should be open, intuitive, and fun.

Try it at https://listopia-dhv.pages.dev, contribute at https://github.com/spaquet/listopia, or share your ideas below.

What’s the one feature you’d add to make Listopia your go-to? Let’s build the future of task management together!