PlacidPlan

Overview
The client came to me with a clear ambition: one product that creative teams could run their entire business from, ready to sell as a subscription. I worked with them directly as their sole developer, from the first scoping call to launch day — no agency, no hand-offs, one person accountable for every line of code.

The problem
Their target customers — video editors, YouTubers, agencies and production studios — were juggling five or six tools to get one project out the door. Tasks in one app, client feedback in another, files somewhere else, invoices in a spreadsheet. Clients got lost between links and versions got mixed up. The client wanted all of that replaced by a single workspace their customers would actually pay for.

My approach
I started by mapping how a real creative project moves: brief, production, review, approval, payment. Every feature was designed around that flow rather than bolted on. I kept the client in the loop with regular builds they could click through, so decisions were made on working software, not mock-ups. Where scope had to be cut for launch, I recommended what to drop and why.

What I built
– Project boards with industry presets for UGC, YouTube, design, animation, film and game teams
– Free guest access, so the client’s customers can bring their own clients into review without paying for seats
– Version-based review with passwordless links, timestamped comments, drawing on video and side-by-side cuts
– Team chat, cloud storage with previews, and a content calendar synced with Google Calendar
– An AI assistant that summarises boards and drafts scripts, briefs and titles
– Invoicing, an income ledger and freelancer payouts through PayPal
– Channel analytics for YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X
– An MCP server so Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor can read and update boards
– Subscription plans, a 14-day trial and monthly or annual billing on WooCommerce

Under the hood
Built on a custom WordPress architecture with my own theme and options framework, custom REST endpoints and OAuth integrations. Every page, plan and line of copy is editable from the admin panel, so the client runs and grows the product without needing a developer for day-to-day changes.

The result
Delivered on a single contract, production-ready and live as a commercial SaaS with paid plans. The client owns and operates the product today, and I continue to support it under an ongoing services agreement.