← Back to Nevernote
🎯 Why Build This?
Nevernote wasn't built because the world needed another note-taking app. It was built as an experiment—a deliberate exploration of what happens when you combine modern AI-assisted development tools with a real-world application.
The rise of AI coding assistants like Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and similar tools represents a fundamental shift in how software gets built. I wanted to understand this shift firsthand—not by reading about it, but by using these tools to build something substantial.
The question wasn't "can AI help write code?" but rather "what does it mean when building a production-ready application becomes this accessible?"
🔮 The Bigger Questions
This experiment was driven by curiosity about the coming disruption:
- Startups & Investment: If a single developer can build in weeks what once took teams months, how does this change the economics of software startups? What happens to the traditional VC model when MVPs can be prototyped in days?
- User Expectations: Will users come to expect more features, faster updates, and more personalized software? How does rapid development change the relationship between builders and users?
- New Languages & Paradigms: Will we see the emergence of programming languages and frameworks specifically designed for AI collaboration? Languages that are easier for AI to reason about, with built-in safety guarantees?
- The Future of "Coding": If AI handles implementation, does the role of developer shift to architect, product designer, and quality curator?
📅 The Timeline
Development started on December 13th, 2025 and continued through January 4th, 2026—a span of 22 calendar days with 18 days of active development. Here's how it unfolded:
December 13, 2025
🚀 Project Genesis
Initial setup with Google OAuth, zero-knowledge encryption architecture, TipTap rich text editor, and folder organization. The core encrypted note-taking functionality was established on day one.
December 14, 2025
📥 Import & Real-time Sync
Added Evernote import with .enex file parsing, embedded file support, encrypted search index, and Server-Sent Events for real-time cross-device synchronization.
December 15, 2025
🤖 AI Summaries Launch
Integrated OpenAI for end-to-end encrypted AI summaries—notes are decrypted client-side, sent to AI, and the summary is encrypted before storage.
December 18-19, 2025
☁️ Google Drive Integration
Added Google Drive as an alternative storage provider, giving users choice between Nevernote's encrypted server and their own Google Drive.
December 22-24, 2025
📧 Email-to-Note & Voice
Built email-to-note functionality with unique @nevernote.ie addresses, voice recording with AI transcription, note history with geolocation, and multi-provider authentication (Microsoft, Apple).
December 25, 2025
👥 Contact Sync & UI Polish
Added encrypted contact sync from Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo. Toolbar search, UI refinements, and Christmas Day development!
December 27, 2025
📱 Mobile App (Android)
First Android APK release using Capacitor, making Nevernote available as a native mobile app.
December 30, 2025
💚 DEBRA Ireland Integration
Added Stripe donation system for DEBRA Ireland, with one-time and recurring donation support directly in the app.
January 1-2, 2026
🔗 Knowledge Graph
Launched Roam-style [[bidirectional linking]], D3.js knowledge graph visualization, relationship discovery, and public note sharing.
January 3, 2026
✨ Gemini & Advanced Features
Switched to Google Gemini as primary AI (free tier included!), added calendar integration, AI Help assistant, OneNote import, 6 graph visualization modes.
January 4, 2026
🌍 Internationalization
Full multi-language support with 8 languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese), comprehensive security hardening.
✨ What Was Built
In 18 days, Nevernote grew from an empty repository to a full-featured application with capabilities that typically take teams months to develop:
React 18
Node.js
TipTap
AES-256-GCM
IndexedDB
Google Gemini
D3.js
Stripe
Capacitor
OAuth 2.0
SSE
Postfix
🛠️ How It Was Built
This project was built using Cursor, an AI-powered code editor built on VS Code. The development process felt fundamentally different from traditional coding:
Rather than writing code line by line, development often felt like a conversation: describing what I wanted, reviewing the AI's implementation, and iterating. Complex features like the encryption layer, OAuth flows, and D3 visualizations could be prototyped in minutes rather than hours.
"The shift from 'how do I implement this?' to 'let me describe what I want and review the result' is profound. It changes coding from an exercise in syntax and debugging to one of architecture and quality curation."
What Worked Well
- Rapid prototyping: New features could be stubbed out and tested within minutes
- Cross-domain knowledge: AI seamlessly handled frontend, backend, encryption, OAuth, and mobile
- Debugging acceleration: Error messages could be pasted directly, with context-aware fixes suggested
- Documentation integration: The AI could reference library documentation without manual lookup
What Required Human Judgment
- Architecture decisions: High-level structure, security boundaries, and data flows
- UX design: User flows, visual design choices, and interaction patterns
- Quality assurance: Testing edge cases, ensuring security best practices
- Product decisions: Feature prioritization and scope management
💚 Supporting DEBRA Ireland
Why DEBRA?
Nevernote was built as an open exploration—a learning project during the Christmas holidays. Rather than monetize it, I chose to integrate support for DEBRA Ireland, a charity close to my heart.
DEBRA Ireland supports individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)—a rare, genetic skin condition often called "butterfly skin" because the skin is as fragile as a butterfly's wings. People with EB experience painful blistering from the slightest friction, and there is currently no cure.
- 100% of donations go directly to DEBRA Ireland
- One-time or recurring donations available directly in the app
- Nevernote itself is completely free—there's no paywall, no premium tier
If you find Nevernote useful and want to give back, consider making a small donation to support those living with EB. Learn more at debra.ie
🔮 What This Means
Building Nevernote in 18 days wasn't about showing off speed—it was about understanding a shift that's already happening. Consider:
📉 The Changing Economics of Software
If one person can build a production application in weeks, what does this mean for:
- Startup funding: Do you need $2M in seed funding if you can validate with a working product before raising?
- Team size: Will we see more successful companies with 2-3 person teams?
- Time to market: When prototyping takes days not months, how does competition change?
- Custom software: Will bespoke applications become economically viable for smaller use cases?
🌐 The Future of Programming Languages
As AI becomes a more integral part of development, we may see new languages and paradigms emerge:
- AI-friendly syntax: Languages designed to be unambiguous for AI parsing and generation
- Intent-driven code: Higher-level abstractions that describe "what" rather than "how"
- Built-in safety: Type systems and contracts that make AI-generated code provably correct
- Hybrid development: Seamless mixing of natural language descriptions with traditional code
🎁 Open & Free
Nevernote is completely free to use. There are no premium tiers, no feature gates, no "upgrade to unlock" prompts. Every feature—including AI summaries powered by Google Gemini—is available to everyone.
The source code and development history are available on GitHub, providing transparency about how the application was built and how your data is handled.
This isn't a business—it's an experiment in what's possible, shared openly with anyone who finds it useful.