Hi devs 👋

I wanted to share my journey of building and launching a real, working web product entirely solo in 2025 — including backend, frontend, deployment, and even a Chrome extension.

If you’ve ever dreamed of creating your own product but felt overwhelmed, maybe this post will give you a push. AI has changed the game — and what used to take a team can now be done by one developer.

💻 My Background

I’ve worked as a Java backend engineer for over a decade across industries like telecom, travel, music, and insurance. But I always had the itch to build something of my own — even something small, as long as I could call it mine.

I actually tried once, eight years ago. It didn’t work out. I lacked motivation, frontend skills, and time. It felt like too much to handle alone.

⚡ Enter AI

Then came ChatGPT and similar tools.

For the first time, I felt like I didn’t need to master everything. I could focus on my backend strengths — and let AI help with UI, DevOps, and even Chrome APIs I had no experience with.

🚀 Building the Product

About five months ago, I committed to building something real.

  • ✅ Backend: Spring Boot
  • ✅ Frontend: Vue.js
  • ✅ Chrome Extension: built from scratch with help from AI
  • ✅ All done solo

Creating the extension was the biggest challenge. I had zero experience with browser APIs — but with AI as my co-pilot, I got it working.

🔧 DevOps (My Old Nemesis)

I used to dread DevOps. But this time, I powered through:

  • Deployed backend to AWS EC2
  • Hosted frontend via Nginx
  • Used AWS RDS for database
  • Dockerized everything, orchestrated with Docker Swarm
  • Set up backups, SSL, domain config, and email

In the past, this would have taken me weeks. With the help of AI, it took a few days.

💡 Key Takeaway

In 2025, it’s entirely possible to build and ship a real product solo.

If you're a developer with an idea but think “I don’t have time” or “I can’t do it all” — you’re not alone. I felt that way for years.

But AI has leveled the playing field. You don’t need to know it all anymore. You just need to start.

🔗 What I Built

Here’s the product I launched:

Image description

👉 https://pinrate.io

It’s a platform that lets you:

  • See ratings and reviews of websites right inside your browser
  • Submit your own feedback
  • Instantly assess trustworthiness of a site

It works via a Chrome extension and acts as a social feedback layer for the internet.

I’d love to hear your feedback — it’s still evolving!

Thanks for reading 🙌

Are you working on a side project too? Let me know in the comments — I’d love to check it out!