Building LanceTracker: Why I Needed My Own Tool
A quick look into why I'm building LanceTracker and what problem it solves for my freelance workflow.
Building LanceTracker: Why I Needed My Own Tool
Published on: 2026-08-20
Juggling multiple freelance clients, deliverables, and tracking project statuses usually starts with simple notes or spreadsheets. But pretty quickly, things get messy and scattered across too many places.
That’s why I decided to start building LanceTracker — a dedicated freelance client and project tracking portal.
The Problem
When taking on freelance work, you constantly have to answer questions like:
- Which milestones are currently active?
- What’s pending review or payment?
- Where are all the client links and project notes stored?
Most existing project management tools are either way too bloated with enterprise features or too barebones to keep client workflows organized in one place.
What LanceTracker Focuses On
I wanted something clean, snappy, and tailored specifically to freelancers:
- Single Source of Truth — Keep clients, project timelines, and active tasks organized in one unified view.
- Fast & Responsive UI — Built with Next.js, Zustand for state management, and Sonner for smooth toast notifications.
- Real-time Updates — Powered by Firebase on the backend to keep everything synchronized effortlessly.
Current Status & What’s Next
The project is currently a work in progress (around 40% along), but the core structure is already shaping up nicely.
I’m deploying early previews on Netlify to test the flow in real daily use. As I polish the dashboard and add more features, I’ll be sharing updates and notes on what I learn along the way.
Stay tuned, and feel free to check out the Live Preview!