I think InvenTrac got a little sidetracked.
The original idea was pretty simple: a Chrome extension where sellers can quickly check inventory and sales across different shops without jumping between dashboards.
Then I added Shopify.
Then came the Shopify App Store.
Then I thought, maybe I need an embedded Shopify app too.
And that’s where scope creep kicked in.
The dangerous thing about building with AI is that almost everything feels possible. I have the technical background, AI can help me move incredibly fast, and every new idea sounds like:
“It’s only another day.”
But another day becomes three days. Then there’s testing, bugs, UI, API changes, app store requirements, documentation…
Suddenly I’m doing twice the work while somehow still expecting to finish on the original timeline.
The Shopify app is a good example. I’m starting to think I probably don’t even need it right now. But after putting so much work into it, it’s hard not to think, I’m already this far. Just one more day.
Classic sunk cost.
AI gives a solo developer an almost ridiculous amount of power. But I’m learning that being able to build everything doesn’t mean I should.
Sometimes the hardest feature to build is nothing at all.