Basecamp?

KINDAYou can build the valuable core, but the established product has meaningful operational complexity. Pick one narrow promise for v1.

BUILD FIRST

One specific customer type and one primary use case
A vertical slice that completes the main job without manual workarounds
Visible limits, review steps, and a fallback when an external dependency fails

LEAVE FOR LATER

Broad third-party integrations
High-scale collaboration, syncing, and permissions
Automation that can cause harm without human review

RESEARCH NOTES

What this tool actually does.

Checked 2026-09-06

Basecamp is a web-based project management platform built around a dedicated page per project. Each project page provides Message Boards for threaded discussions, To-do lists with assignments, due dates, subtasks, and drag-between-lists, Docs & Files for organizing assets and cloud-file links, a real-time Chat room, a Calendar aggregating events and deadlines, Card Tables (kanban-style columns) for visual workflow tracking, and Automatic Check-ins that post recurring questions on a schedule. Hill Charts visualize progress versus stuck work; Reports include The Lineup, Mission Control, Hilltop, overdue, unassigned, per-person activity, and timesheets. Client mode controls what clients see per project, everything is time-stamped and organized around topics, and Basecamp offers API, CLI, SDK, and invites AI agents (Claude, Codex, Cursor). Basecamp 5 is described as all-new for 2026 with dee

SOURCES

RESEARCHED BUILD PROMPT

Give this to your coding agent.

Build a self-hosted replacement web app inspired by Basecamp's all-in-one project-page workflow. Do not copy Basecamp's brand name, logo, visual design, UI layout, or code; create an original interface that supports the same distinctive workflow. The core workflow: a user creates a project and instantly gets a page with tabs for Message Board, To-dos, Docs & Files, Chat, Calendar, Card Table, and Automatic Check-ins; teammates post threaded updates, assign tasks, move cards through stages, answer recurring check-in questions, and share files; managers view Hill Charts and Reports (overdue, unassigned, per-person assignments, timesheets, project timeline); clients can be invited in a curated read-only client mode with visibility limited to chosen sections. User-facing requirements: project dashboard, threaded discussions with comments, to-do lists with subtasks/due dates/assignees/drag-between-lists, kanban card table with configurable columns and add/notify rules, file storage with folders and drag-and-drop uploads, real-time chat room per project, calendar with events and iCal export, recurring question schedules with email summaries, hill-chart visualization (manually positioned dots or derived from task status), report views, client-mode visibility toggles, activity feed with timestamps, and email-style notifications. Technical requirements: React + TypeScript frontend, Node.js/Express or similar backend, Postgres or SQLite with Prisma, WebSockets or SSE for live chat/updates, role-based auth (owner, team member, client), REST API, seed script with demo data, responsive CSS, and dnd-kit for drag-and-drop. Implementation approaches: monorepo with npm workspaces, Socket.IO for real time, TipTap editor for posts/docs, Postgres full-text search, nodemailer stubbed with a logging transport. Out of scope: native mobile apps, third-party integrations, AI agents, CLI/SDK, billing, multi-tenant enterprise features, and calendar sync beyond iCal export. Deliver a working prototype plus a README with setup steps (env vars, migrate, seed), run commands, test account credentials, and a clear list of limitations (no real email delivery, single-server real-time only, no offline support, limited file storage).

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