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Show HN: Personal CRM built on top of Gmail APIs(crm.com)

456 points by code_monkey 1 year ago flag hide 20 comments

gnawhoy 1 year ago next
Great job on the Personal CRM! I've been looking for a tool to help manage my interactions with contacts and Gmail seems like the perfect platform. I'm curious, did you run into any issues while parsing and processing the Gmail APIs?
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @gnawhoy, thanks for the kind words! The Gmail APIs were pretty smooth to work with, but the real challenge was extracting the right information to build a CRM system. I spent some time fine-tuning the logic to determine the context of emails and categorize them properly.
sarahr11 1 year ago prev next
Interesting idea! I have a lot of email conversations daily and being able to efficiently manage my contacts is key. How did you approach creating a seamless integration with Gmail's interface without disrupting the user's experience?
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @sarahr11, that's a good question! The key was to build the CRM system as a layer on top of Gmail instead of a separate application. I used the Gmail APIs to access and parse user data, and ensured the CRM features can be easily enabled and disabled. This keeps the user experience as familiar and non-disruptive as possible.
coder_sloth 1 year ago prev next
I like the idea of a built-in CRM for Gmail! Does your implementation have custom tagging and categorization functionality? I'd love to tag emails and attachments with specific project names or areas for organization.
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @coder_sloth, I'm glad you like it! My implementation allows you to create custom tags and categories that best suit your needs. You can apply these tags to emails, labels, individual people, and even entire organizations. Just one of the ways I've enhanced the CRM's functionality.
ashleycodes 1 year ago prev next
How does the CRM work for tracking tasks and events based on email content? I'd love to have emails with task-related triggers automatically fed into a task management system.
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @ashleycodes, the CRM uses natural language processing to identify tasks, meetings, and deadlines in email content. This data can then be integrated with more than 30 calendar and task management tools like Google Calendar, Trello, and Todoist.
mrm2051 1 year ago prev next
Wow! I'm curious how you address privacy concerns with this kind of application? Especially when accessing email data and potentially handling sensitive information.
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @mrm2051, great question! User privacy is of the utmost importance. The CRM system is designed to have the least permissions possible, only requesting the necessary access to operate. All data is stored securely, and the user can disable the CRM at any time to revoke its access.
parismullens 1 year ago prev next
Any plans on open-sourcing or monetizing this application?
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @parismullens, currently, I haven't decided on the monetization path for this application, but do plan to release a open-source version with limited functionality. The full-featured version with integrations and more in-depth CRM functionality will be paid, though.
ai_masters 1 year ago prev next
Are there any advanced NLP features for detecting dynamics within relationships (e.g. detecting a shift in tone from a user's contact)? That would be amazing for future-proofing the system!
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @ai_masters, I like the direction you're thinking. There are possibilities for implementing advanced NLP features in the future to detect relationship dynamics. For now, the focus is on improving the core CRM functionality and addressing user needs.
konradkoval 1 year ago prev next
How do you handle email bulk senders or frequent senders? Does your solution provide any filtering or sorting capabilities?
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @konradkoval, the CRM provides smart filtering and sorting mechanisms to handle bulk senders and frequent correspondents. Users can even set up custom filters based on the sender, content, and timestamp for even more granular control.
pandaswden 1 year ago prev next
I'm not a developer, but I'd like to know how complicated the installation process is for a CRM like this one. Easy or moderately easy installation would be ideal for my non-technical background!
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @pandaswden, I've made sure the installation process is straightforward and user-friendly. It can be installed with a single click, and then accessible directly from your Gmail inbox. You won't need any technical know-how beyond that.
humaninit 1 year ago prev next
Have you considered implementing a recommendation engine, something similar to featured content or articles relevant to the user? That feature could help uncover new business opportunities and provide additional value to users.
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @humaninit, Thanks for the suggestion! A recommendation engine is a great suggestion, and I'm definitely looking into implementing a feature like that, where users an receive tailored content recommendations or discover opportunities based on their email communications.

gnawhoy 1 year ago next
Great job on the Personal CRM! I've been looking for a tool to help manage my interactions with contacts and Gmail seems like the perfect platform. I'm curious, did you run into any issues while parsing and processing the Gmail APIs?
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @gnawhoy, thanks for the kind words! The Gmail APIs were pretty smooth to work with, but the real challenge was extracting the right information to build a CRM system. I spent some time fine-tuning the logic to determine the context of emails and categorize them properly.
sarahr11 1 year ago prev next
Interesting idea! I have a lot of email conversations daily and being able to efficiently manage my contacts is key. How did you approach creating a seamless integration with Gmail's interface without disrupting the user's experience?
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @sarahr11, that's a good question! The key was to build the CRM system as a layer on top of Gmail instead of a separate application. I used the Gmail APIs to access and parse user data, and ensured the CRM features can be easily enabled and disabled. This keeps the user experience as familiar and non-disruptive as possible.
coder_sloth 1 year ago prev next
I like the idea of a built-in CRM for Gmail! Does your implementation have custom tagging and categorization functionality? I'd love to tag emails and attachments with specific project names or areas for organization.
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @coder_sloth, I'm glad you like it! My implementation allows you to create custom tags and categories that best suit your needs. You can apply these tags to emails, labels, individual people, and even entire organizations. Just one of the ways I've enhanced the CRM's functionality.
ashleycodes 1 year ago prev next
How does the CRM work for tracking tasks and events based on email content? I'd love to have emails with task-related triggers automatically fed into a task management system.
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @ashleycodes, the CRM uses natural language processing to identify tasks, meetings, and deadlines in email content. This data can then be integrated with more than 30 calendar and task management tools like Google Calendar, Trello, and Todoist.
mrm2051 1 year ago prev next
Wow! I'm curious how you address privacy concerns with this kind of application? Especially when accessing email data and potentially handling sensitive information.
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @mrm2051, great question! User privacy is of the utmost importance. The CRM system is designed to have the least permissions possible, only requesting the necessary access to operate. All data is stored securely, and the user can disable the CRM at any time to revoke its access.
parismullens 1 year ago prev next
Any plans on open-sourcing or monetizing this application?
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @parismullens, currently, I haven't decided on the monetization path for this application, but do plan to release a open-source version with limited functionality. The full-featured version with integrations and more in-depth CRM functionality will be paid, though.
ai_masters 1 year ago prev next
Are there any advanced NLP features for detecting dynamics within relationships (e.g. detecting a shift in tone from a user's contact)? That would be amazing for future-proofing the system!
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @ai_masters, I like the direction you're thinking. There are possibilities for implementing advanced NLP features in the future to detect relationship dynamics. For now, the focus is on improving the core CRM functionality and addressing user needs.
konradkoval 1 year ago prev next
How do you handle email bulk senders or frequent senders? Does your solution provide any filtering or sorting capabilities?
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @konradkoval, the CRM provides smart filtering and sorting mechanisms to handle bulk senders and frequent correspondents. Users can even set up custom filters based on the sender, content, and timestamp for even more granular control.
pandaswden 1 year ago prev next
I'm not a developer, but I'd like to know how complicated the installation process is for a CRM like this one. Easy or moderately easy installation would be ideal for my non-technical background!
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @pandaswden, I've made sure the installation process is straightforward and user-friendly. It can be installed with a single click, and then accessible directly from your Gmail inbox. You won't need any technical know-how beyond that.
humaninit 1 year ago prev next
Have you considered implementing a recommendation engine, something similar to featured content or articles relevant to the user? That feature could help uncover new business opportunities and provide additional value to users.
- johndoesmail 1 year ago next
  @humaninit, Thanks for the suggestion! A recommendation engine is a great suggestion, and I'm definitely looking into implementing a feature like that, where users an receive tailored content recommendations or discover opportunities based on their email communications.