{"id":7468,"date":"2024-05-22T14:58:16","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T14:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/?p=7468"},"modified":"2026-03-04T09:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T09:57:13","slug":"how-and-why-we-built-plaky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/how-and-why-we-built-plaky\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning a (Great) Idea Into Reality: How & Why We Built Plaky"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At this time, you might already be familiar with Plaky<\/a> by CAKE.com<\/a> \u2014 our project management tool. But, have you ever wondered how Plaky came to be what it is today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was it that made us want to create such software? Where did the idea come from? How come our design team does such fantastic work with its UI? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, you\u2019re in the right place. Here, we\u2019ll dive into Plaky\u2019s history and look into how it started, how it\u2019s grown, and where it’s going.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"How<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Why a project management tool?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The idea for Plaky came way back in 2021. Our company, CAKE.com<\/a>, had already built two project-centric apps. First came Clockify<\/a>, our time tracking app, which went on to dominate its niche. Second was Pumble<\/a>, our business communication software, which connected teams all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While developing both Clockify and Pumble, we used several project management tools, but none of them offered the kind of reliability, simplicity, and customizability that we wanted. So, we decided to make our own project management software<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was our boldest move yet, as we were venturing into a market already chock-full of similar apps, but \u2014 as with Clockify and Pumble before it \u2014 we developed Plaky to fit our needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create a free Plaky account<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The earliest days<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our small team of, at that point, around 20 developers, proved their worth by completing the launchable version of Plaky in less than 6 months. We wanted it to have every basic project management feature<\/a> necessary by then \u2014 a table view, boards, fields, and items. We also opted to offer the first version completely free of charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our focus with Plaky was always versatility \u2014 from the get-go, we wanted to make every field customizable. Even at launch, you could use the status bar as an importance tracker, priority signifier, or anything else you need. And, this is a principle that we stuck to with every feature since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trials and tribulations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we weren\u2019t left on an easy road \u2014 even with so many other tools having walked it before. So, we had our own fair share of obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first hurdle actually predates Plaky\u2019s launch \u2014 it was building the team itself. We needed to build a competent, well-versed team that was ready to take this project head-on. And we did so meticulously, spending half a year to make sure we have the best team possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The high standard we set was great for the end product, but it made the hiring process long and strenuous. Honestly, at the time, we really could\u2019ve used Plaky\u2019s recruitment template<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many employees chipped in to help, the process of creating a development team was spearheaded by one man \u2014 Milo\u0161 Jovanovi\u0107. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second obstacle was dealing with competition \u2014 and oh boy, was it intimidating. We definitely saw ourselves as the underdogs at the time, as if we were trying to brainstorm in the largest board room in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, we were determined. We didn\u2019t want to just create a couple of hastily built, flashy new features, just so we would stand out from the crowd. Instead, we opted for solid, reliable quality \u2014 and knew we would show our worth in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try Plaky by CAKE.com today<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Houston, we have a liftoff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In February 2022, we officially launched Plaky. And our first celebratory move was to, naturally, have it become the company\u2019s task management software<\/a> of choice \u2014 and we were its main critics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, at this point, Plaky had only the basic features implemented for use. Other PM tools we were using were definitely still more useful to us \u2014 but that was the whole point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wanted to share the pain points our clients would have with our tool. We wanted to give immediate, no-filter, actionable feedback internally \u2014 and it worked like a charm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To this day, the largest and most useful portion of feedback comes internally, from our own team. It ranges from pointing out occasional bugs and little things that can be improved to requesting bigger features we would like to have. We customized Plaky to our own needs \u2014 to make it as dependable and versatile as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first year<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During 2022, we focused on improvement, iteration, and refinement of Plaky. We were excited to share our board templates<\/a>, and found a need for an activity log<\/a> \u2014 so we built it.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Activity
Activity log in Plaky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

External user feedback also proved vital in this first leg of our journey, and we focused on listening intently. We fixed many issues and changed and improved features as we raced through the months. We launched the Android app<\/a> and the iOS app<\/a> versions of Plaky. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Near the end of the year, so much of our focus was on improving board features<\/a>, and therefore the core user experience. We added a board option menu, improved our UI, and improved board filters<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n \n Free project management software <\/span>\n

Take control of your team\u2019s workload, delegate tasks, and achieve better project results with Plaky by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n

\n \n Sign up <\/a>\n \n Download <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \"Plaky\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n

2023 \u2014 focusing on features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From Plaky\u2019s conception to the beginning of 2023, we worked without a product manager<\/a>. By this point, all of the basic functionalities of a PM tool we wanted were there and working pristinely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, in January, we decided it was time to bring a product manager on board \u2014 Dragana Ne\u0161i\u0107 \u2014 and clearly define our process of choosing and creating new features. It was time to get creative, and technical, to make the tools we were so looking forward to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every new addition stemmed from a problem we wanted to solve \u2014 either a problem we noticed our clients struggled with or we had ourselves. Our main focus was still on making the features as intuitive to use as possible. We didn\u2019t want anyone to have to dig through help page after help page just to be able to switch views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first step towards this future was an option to duplicate items<\/a>, a step toward automation. Additionally, we were happy with our summary row<\/a> feature, which helped improve clarity in cluttered boards. We also added a timeline field<\/a>, which further improved task clarity. And, of course, these are just the additions we were most excited about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we were also proud to announce the addition of paid plans<\/a> offering additional value to users. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike much of the competition, which frustrates their users into getting the paid plans through arbitrary limitation \u2014 like limiting the free plan to only 5 users \u2014 we decided to keep all core features necessary to run any project free. This includes unlimited users, boards, and items. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, we wanted our more complex features to provide genuine value and be worth their asking cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This proved to be a great move, as we had our first subscription within 24 hours of launch \u2014 a milestone we couldn\u2019t be more proud of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sign up for Plaky by CAKE.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2024 and beyond<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of features we\u2019re proud of, in 2024, we rolled out the long-awaited Gantt chart view<\/a>. This is a feature we\u2019d been looking forward to (and working on) for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Plaky
Plaky Gantt view<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As with all features, we did our best to make it as easy to use and flexible as possible. Our fantastic development and design teams worked together to create a satisfying, uncomplicated new view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use Gantt chart software<\/a> to see how tasks are interconnected on the timeline and how their due dates intertwine. With this, bottlenecks are much easier to spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what\u2019s next? Well, we don\u2019t want to spoil everything, but here are some teasers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re planning to add subtasks in the near future, as a way to break down your tasks into more actionable steps. But, the feature we\u2019re especially excited about, and are working tirelessly on, is automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t wait to finally be able to automate actions in Plaky. From WHEN-THEN automation, which triggers a response under set conditions \u2014 for example, adding a reviewer in the assignee field when a task is labeled as \u201cdone\u201d \u2014 to automatically creating repetitive tasks, you\u2019ll be able to reduce the amount of repetitive actions in Plaky. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re also working on integrating automation with external apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But shh \u2014 that\u2019s all we can say for now. Stick around, and we\u2019ll be happy to share more in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try Plaky by CAKE.com for free<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out the result of our hard work and give Plaky by CAKE.com a go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As you can see, so much effort and passion went into the creation of Plaky. We wanted, first and foremost, to make a tool that we\u2019d be happy to use internally. In this, we have succeeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of the improvements we make are driven by user feedback \u2014 our own included\u2014 and we\u2019re always happy to hear your suggestions.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We worked hard to make Plaky the most reliable, versatile, and easy-to-learn project management tool out there. So, take a look at what the end result looks like, and sign up for a free Plaky account today.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get started with Plaky by CAKE.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The journey of project management software \u2014 how Plaky went from an idea to a tool we use on a daily basis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":10229,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7468"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7468\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16754,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7468\/revisions\/16754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}