I’d be exaggerating if I said SignUpGenius drove me crazy. But I wouldn’t be far off.

I think Daniel first brought up the idea of building something like this, and I instantly agreed. Most parents are familiar with the tool, for school  parent-teacher conferences, sports signups, and party RSVPs. It’s clunky, dated, and honestly, pretty ugly. Worse, it’s smothered in ads. And for something that’s supposed to help coordinate people, it somehow makes that feel even more annoying. It does work, and it’s widely used, but that doesn’t mean it’s done well.

If you’ve ever tried to organize snacks for a game, set up a volunteer shift, or get more than three people to commit to anything, you’ve probably felt the same. So instead of complaining again or picking the least terrible option, I did what I usually do when I see something broken,I built what I wish existed.

It’s called SignUpStar.  www.signupstar.app

I built this for two main reasons. First, I truly don’t like clunky websites, and I really hate ads. This tool kept popping up in my life and in the lives of people around me. Second, I needed a real, full-scale app idea to build with AI. Not just a proof of concept. Not a throwaway prototype. A real product solving a real problem, something I could use to prove that AI coding isn’t a “someday” thing. It’s something we can and should be using right now, not just for tests, but for full, production-ready applications.

My goal was to rebuild the core functionality of SignUpGenius, but with:

• Clean templates (so you’re not starting from scratch every time)

• A simple, modern design (so you’re not embarrassed to send the link)

• Mobile layout (because that’s how people actually sign up)

• Ad-free experience (because you shouldn’t have to close three popups to bring snacks)

• Free to use (because this should help, not take)

I built SignUpStar in about three weeks using the AI-assisted coding tools Lovable.dev and Cursor.com. It’s not a prototype—it’s a real, working app. Granted, it’s still a beta and I keep finding bugs, but it’s fast, secure, and production-level. And it’s entirely built by me, a designer. I don’t know how to code. I’ve never written a line of React, Tailwind, or SQL in my life. But I do work with developers, and I understand the concepts, the lingo, and the structure well enough to hold my own.

That helped a lot. These tools aren’t magic, it still takes work, but the speed is unreal. For someone like me to build this in three weeks is freaking crazy.

This build is personal for me. I truly believe that small teams, or even just one or two focused people, can now create simple, beautiful software using AI. Not someday. Today. AI isn’t just for experiments or rough ideas. It’s for building real, useful things right now.

This app is proof.

If you think I’m wrong, check it out. And if you find something broken or not up to par, let me know using the Submit Feedback option in the main menu once you’re logged in.

This is a free app, which means I’m currently covering all the overhead to build and run it. I’ve kept costs extremely low, which I may post about at some point, but for now—think of this as my gift to the world. If it gets huge, I’ll figure something out. But until then, I’m treating it as an investment in my future.

I hope you enjoy using it as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it.