# Build brief — a focused alternative to CodeSpring > **Verdict:** Partly, if you narrow it · **Buildability:** 63/100 · **Category:** Dev Tools > **Source:** https://www.canitbevibecoded.com/codespring > Independent editorial assessment from Can It Be Vibe Coded? Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or derived from CodeSpring. Verify current pricing and capabilities before acting. ## Context **CodeSpring** — Visual mind-mapping tool that turns app ideas into PRDs and kanban tasks for AI coding agents. It currently costs $53/mo. The core loop, a mind map that turns feature notes into PRDs and kanban tasks fed to a coding agent, is just structured prompting and file generation, well within reach of a one-shot build. What's missing is the polish: the visual mind-map canvas, MCP/CLI integrations with Claude Code, Cursor and Codex, and the docs search. A DIY version gets you most of the value but with a rougher UI and manual glue between the planning docs and your agent of choice. This brief describes a focused, single-operator replacement for the part of CodeSpring that is genuinely reproducible. It is deliberately narrower than the product it replaces, and it says so in writing. Build the useful core; do not pretend to have rebuilt the rest. ## What you are building A local app where you map features on a canvas, write notes per feature, and generate a PRD + task list file that you feed to your coding agent. - Build the focused developer workflow you use repeatedly, with local configuration. - A responsive interface with real empty, loading, success, and error states. ## Requirements ### Data and integrations - OpenAI/Anthropic API key. Each of these needs a real account, credential, or quota. Set them up before writing feature code. ### Non-functional - Accessibility: semantic markup, labelled controls, visible focus, and reduced-motion support. - Security: server-side secrets, validated input, and no credentials in the client bundle. - Reliability: retries with backoff on external calls, and a clear failure state when a provider is down. - Portability: the operator can export their data and leave without losing it. ## Implementation brief Build me a local-first app-planning tool in Next.js. Stack: Next.js + TypeScript, SQLite via better-sqlite3, Tailwind for UI. No auth, single user, runs on localhost. Core loop: 1. A canvas page where I can add draggable "feature" nodes (title + free-text notes), connect them with lines, and save the layout to SQLite. 2. A "Generate PRD" button per feature that calls the Anthropic API (key from .env) with the feature notes and produces a structured PRD (problem, scope, out-of-scope, acceptance criteria) saved as a markdown file in /docs. 3. A simple kanban board (To Do / In Progress / Done) auto-seeded with tasks parsed from each generated PRD, editable by drag-and-drop. 4. An "Export" button that zips all PRD markdown files plus a tasks.json for dropping into any coding agent's context folder. Out of scope: multi-user accounts, real-time collaboration, MCP server, mobile app, billing. Include a README explaining setup, the .env variable needed, and how to point Claude Code/Cursor at the exported /docs folder. ## Delivery standard - Inspect the repository first, then write a short implementation plan before writing code. - Deliver the smallest complete end-to-end workflow first; every primary control must work against persisted data. - Use real validation and storage; never substitute fake dashboards, decorative controls, hard-coded success states, or mock integrations. - Include responsive layouts plus genuine empty, loading, success, validation, and failure states. - Keep secrets server-side in environment variables, provide .env.example, and never commit credentials or user data. - Add structured logs around every external call and return actionable errors without leaking sensitive details. - Write unit tests for the core logic and one automated test of the main user journey. - Finish with a README covering setup, architecture, data location, backups, tests, deployment, and known limitations. ## Acceptance criteria - [ ] A clean install starts the app using only the README and .env.example. - [ ] The primary journey works from first visit through saved result, reload, edit, export, and deletion where applicable. - [ ] Invalid input, missing configuration, provider failure, and an empty database each have a usable state. - [ ] The interface works at 390px and 1440px, is keyboard navigable, and shows visible focus on every control. - [ ] Tests, type checking, linting, and a production build all pass with no ignored failures. - [ ] No part of the interface implies a live integration, security guarantee, or scale capability that was not actually built and verified. ## Non-goals Do not build these, and do not claim to have replaced them: - Polished drag-and-drop mind-map canvas. - MCP server integration with Cursor/Claude Code/Codex. - Semantic docs search. - Hosted kanban sync across devices. - Prebuilt skills library. ## What you still own after launch - Secure credentials, rotate secrets, and handle provider rate limits. - Run migrations, backups, restores, and dependency updates. - Test the critical journey after every model, API, or hosting change. - Monitor failures and fix the edge cases a first prompt will miss. - Maintain every third-party integration as APIs and OAuth rules change. ## Risk **Operational risk.** The code is achievable; dependable data, integrations, and ongoing operations are the real cost. Editorial confidence in this assessment: medium. No reviewed project implementation is linked yet. ## Existing alternatives Before building, compare these checked options: - [AFFiNE](https://affine.pro) — Whiteboard-plus-docs workspace you can use to map features and write specs by hand ## Prior art Working open-source software you can read, fork, or borrow from before starting: - [excalidraw](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw) — open-source canvas for mapping ideas visually - [BMAD-METHOD](https://github.com/bmadcode/BMAD-METHOD) — open-source agentic planning framework that generates PRDs and task breakdowns for coding agents --- Generated by [Can It Be Vibe Coded?](https://www.canitbevibecoded.com) · Full report: https://www.canitbevibecoded.com/codespring