Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (Nov 2025)

Hacker News Discussion ↗

AI, LLMs, and Agents

  • Many projects build on LLMs: coding agents, browser automation, Playwright-like frameworks, prompt-injection defenses, “stopping agents” to end conversations early, self-healing UI test tools, AI dev workflows, MCP-based tool ecosystems, and agent runtimes.
  • Several builders emphasize local or self-hosted AI (Ollama, Apple Intelligence, Rust CLIs, local-only summarization) for privacy and cost control.
  • There’s skepticism about repeatedly “rewriting” mature tools like Playwright instead of extending them, given hard-earned stability around race conditions.
  • AI is also embedded into vertical apps: game development assistants, travel planners, business coaches, language tools, finance analyzers, and help centers.

Developer Tools, Infra, and Databases

  • New frameworks aim to simplify web and app development: anti-React DOM-first frontends, Streamlit-for-Java, NixOS-based home servers, GitOps + Docker Compose, and OpenAPI codegen frameworks.
  • Infra work spans P2P Matrix, BGP proxies, embedded vector DBs, PostgreSQL index types, LevelDB ports to Seastar, SSHFS replacements, and local network abstraction libraries.
  • Many threads mention pain around complex stacks (k8s, systemd, cloud pricing) and attempts to make “simple, batteries-included” alternatives.

Games, Engines, and Creative Tools

  • Numerous game projects: chess variants, rhythm-game utilities, 2D/3D engines, voxel engines, N64 ports, roguelites, puzzle sites, mobile arcade games, and teaching tools for kids.
  • Some focus on new languages for gameplay logic or declarative, behavior-first scripting with automatic multiplayer.
  • Creative tools include sprite animators, AI-powered video/story tools, WebGPU demos, and art-centric IDE-like environments.

Language Learning and Education

  • Strong cluster around language learning: SRS apps combining Anki/Duolingo strengths, reading-based review, manga OCR, AI-generated graded content, and conversational agents for specific languages (e.g., Japanese, Hindi).
  • Several educational projects cover math, programming, retro software history, and interactive health or sports analytics.

Personal Productivity, Health, and Self-Tracking

  • Many builders scratch personal itches around note-taking, journaling with LLM assistance, self-quantification apps, habit/energy tracking, time tracking, and fitness planning.
  • There’s a notable emphasis on local-first storage, privacy, and avoiding subscriptions.

Hardware, Embedded, and Retro Computing

  • Projects include custom 68030 computers, metal 3D printing stacks, LoRa solar nodes, robotics SLAM, audio hardware, keyboard/ISP builds, and open-source firmware for consumer devices.
  • Retro and low-level work spans NES/N64 ports, JVM and OS implementations, assembly tools, FLAC in Scheme, and detailed emulator-like environments.

Communities, Local Impact, and Niche SaaS

  • Many small, targeted products: tourism apps, fintech tools, compliance and accounting systems, recipe managers, CRM rethinks, hiring and PE workflows, and B2B analytics.
  • Several aim at local ecosystems (city tourism, regional tech, rural ISPs, earthquake/typhoon tracking), reflecting interest in tangible, place-based impact.