The Genesis: A Solo Developer's Vision (2016)

Self-Manager.net began as an ambitious personal project in mid-2016, when Romanian software engineer Marian Sorca set out to learn Google's Angular framework while creating a productivity tool he would actually use himself. What started as a learning exercise during his free time would eventually evolve into a sophisticated SaaS platform serving thousands of users globally.

The Foundation Phase: Six Years of Dedicated Development (2016-2022)

The development journey of Self-Manager.net represents one of the most remarkable examples of solo entrepreneurship in the SaaS space. Over six years, Marian Sorca single-handedly crafted every aspect of the platform, accumulating over 1,000 git commits during his evenings and weekends.

Technical Architecture from Day One

From its inception, Self-Manager.net was built on a solid technical foundation using Google's technology stack:

• Frontend: Angular framework for responsive, real-time user experience
• Backend: Firebase for cloud infrastructure, ensuring scalability and reliability
• Infrastructure: Google Cloud platform for enterprise-level performance

The Revolutionary Date-Based Approach

Unlike traditional project management tools that organize tasks by projects or boards, Self-Manager.net pioneered a date-centric organizational system. This approach emerged from Marian's personal workflow preferences, where each calendar day serves as a container for unlimited tables (project boards), with each table supporting unlimited rows for tasks, notes, images, and comments.

Public Launch and Early Growth (Late 2022 - Early 2023)

After six years of development and personal use, Self-Manager.net launched publicly in late 2022. The platform immediately distinguished itself with several unique features:

Disruptive Collaboration Model

Self-Manager.net introduced an unprecedented collaboration approach that disrupted traditional per-seat pricing models. Account holders could invite unlimited collaborators to specific tables at no additional cost, with invited users gaining full access without requiring paid subscriptions.

Core Launch Features

The initial public release included:

• Date-based task organization with unlimited tables per day
• Real-time synchronization across all devices
• Collaborative editing without page reloads
• Image upload capabilities
• Multi-platform access (desktop, tablet, mobile)

Rapid Evolution and Feature Expansion (2023-2024)

The post-launch period marked a phase of aggressive feature development driven by user feedback and Marian's vision for comprehensive productivity management.

Collaboration Enhancements (Early 2023)

• Teams Feature: Formal team collaboration structure
• Real-time Comments: Bottom-of-table commenting system for enhanced team communication
• Pinned Tables: Priority table system appearing at the top of daily views
• Task Completion Tracking: Automatic completion time calculation based on creation and completion timestamps

Advanced Task Management (2023-2024)

The platform evolved beyond basic task management to include sophisticated tracking and analytics capabilities:

• Precise Time Tracking: Built-in timer functionality with manual adjustment capabilities
• Image Management: Support for up to 100 images per table with unlimited storage
• Status-Based Organization: Color-coded task states for visual management
• Cross-Device Synchronization: Seamless real-time updates without page refreshes

The AI Revolution: Seven Integrated AI Features (2024-2025)

Self-Manager.net's integration of artificial intelligence represents one of the most comprehensive AI implementations in the productivity space, with seven built-in AI features that fundamentally transform how users interact with their data.

Core AI Capabilities

1. AI Task Generation: Convert unstructured text into organized, actionable tasks with priorities
2. Intelligent Data Summarization: Generate summaries for individual tables and multiple pinned tables
3. Conversational AI Analytics: Interactive AI chat about table data for insights and recommendations
4. Periodic AI Reviews: Automated weekly and monthly progress summaries with productivity recommendations

Advanced AI Features (2025)

The platform's AI evolution accelerated significantly in 2025 with the introduction of sophisticated reasoning capabilities:

• Dual AI Models: "Fast" model for quick responses and "Thinking" model for thorough, reasoned analyses
• Instant AI Chat: Real-time conversational AI available on individual tables, pinned tables, and period summaries
• Streaming Responses: AI responses begin appearing immediately rather than waiting for complete generation

Strategic Pricing Innovation: The Individual Plan (August 2025)

Responding directly to user feedback requesting more affordable options for solo users, Self-Manager.net introduced the Individual Plan in August 2025. Priced at $5/month, this plan is 4× more affordable than the Team Plan while maintaining full feature access for solo productivity management.

Pricing Structure

• Individual Plan ($5/month): Full features for solo users without collaboration needs
• Team Plan ($20/month): All features plus unlimited team collaboration capabilities

Big Picture Analytics and Overview Features (September 2025)

September 2025 marked a significant expansion in Self-Manager.net's analytical capabilities with the introduction of comprehensive overview features.

Weekly and Monthly Views

• Interactive Weekly Calendar: Visual representation of table distribution across days
• Monthly Overview Pages: Comprehensive monthly data analysis and navigation
• Advanced Analytics: Task completion rates, time investment tracking, comment activity monitoring

Analytical Insights

The overview features provide detailed metrics including:

• Total time invested in projects
• Task completion percentages by priority level
• Status-based task distribution
• Comment activity across all tables
• Completion rate analytics

Latest Advanced Features (October 2025)

The most recent updates demonstrate Self-Manager.net's commitment to user experience refinement and advanced functionality.

User Interface Enhancements

• Dark/Light Mode Toggle: Instant switching between visual themes for tables
• Drag & Drop Functionality: Enhanced user experience for task reordering and image uploads
• Improved Visual Design: Updated interface across dashboard and public pages

Enhanced AI Capabilities

October 2025 brought significant AI improvements:

• Dual AI Model Selection: Users can choose between Fast and Thinking models based on their needs
• Instant AI Chat Integration: Available across three locations (individual tables, pinned tables, period summaries)
• Streaming Response System: Faster AI interaction with immediate response display

Technical Excellence and Scalability

Self-Manager.net's technical foundation demonstrates enterprise-level architecture decisions that enable significant scalability:

• Google Cloud Infrastructure: Built for reliability and global performance
• Real-time Architecture: Firebase backend enables instant synchronization without page reloads
• Scalable Design: Ready to support hundreds of thousands of users
• Single Codebase: Maintained entirely by founder Marian Sorca with over 1,000 commits

Market Position and Competitive Advantages

Self-Manager.net has established several unique competitive advantages that differentiate it from established players like Trello, Asana, and Monday.com:

Revolutionary Pricing Model

The unlimited collaboration feature at no per-seat cost fundamentally disrupts traditional SaaS pricing structures, making it particularly attractive for budget-conscious teams and external stakeholder inclusion.

Comprehensive AI Integration

With seven built-in AI features and dual model support, Self-Manager.net offers one of the most sophisticated AI experiences in the productivity space, going far beyond basic automation to provide intelligent insights and recommendations.

Date-Centric Innovation

The calendar-based organizational approach aligns naturally with human cognitive patterns for daily workflow management, eliminating the confusion often associated with traditional project board systems.

Looking Forward: Continuous Innovation

The evolution of Self-Manager.net demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement driven by both user feedback and founder vision. With frequent updates being a core characteristic of the platform, users can expect ongoing enhancements that maintain the platform's position at the forefront of productivity innovation.

The journey from a personal learning project in 2016 to a sophisticated AI-powered productivity platform in 2025 showcases the power of sustained solo development, user-centric design, and strategic feature evolution. Self-Manager.net represents not just a productivity tool, but a testament to what's possible when technical excellence meets genuine understanding of user needs.

Try It Yourself

Experience the evolution firsthand. Visit Self-Manager.net and discover how a date-centric approach combined with powerful AI features can transform your productivity workflow.
Whether you're a solo developer like Marian was in 2016, or leading a team of collaborators, Self-Manager.net provides the tools and intelligence you need to stay organized, motivated, and productive.