From an empty repo to a live map
The first version of justbuild.it went from design canvas to production in one long building session. The goal was deliberately narrow: a map, a directory and a form that takes about a minute.
The first useful loop
- Find builders on a map or in a newest-first directory.
- Open a profile to see what someone is building and where to find them.
- Submit your own pin without creating an account.
- Review, edit and publish submissions before they become public.
The site speaks English at the bare paths and German under /de. The language choice is remembered, both versions are linked for search engines, and light and dark modes share the same terminal-inspired system.
$ ship --first-version
next.js + react
postgres + prisma
leaflet + openstreetmap
status: live
Small details that became product rules
Email addresses are never public. Profile slugs stay stable, even when an admin edits a handle, and old slugs redirect permanently. Cities are geocoded when submitted; a pin without coordinates cannot accidentally be published.
None of those choices looks dramatic on a screenshot. Together they make the small first version feel dependable enough to use.