Build a personal CRM for keeping up with friends

Start with the conversation you want to remember

Suppose a friend mentions they're starting a new job next month. A short note about that gives you something to ask when you next talk. Their postal address, employer hierarchy, and a dozen empty profile fields don't help with that moment.

Begin with a name, a note from the last catch-up, and an optional date you'd like to get in touch. Let the date stay empty. Some friendships have a regular rhythm; others don't need a timetable.

Think about what happens after the next conversation. Replacing the previous note is simple, but it loses the detail you saved. A small history of dated notes may be worth having from the start if looking back is part of the reason for the app.

A starting request

Build a small personal CRM for keeping up with friends. Each person has a name and an optional date I'd like to reach out. Let me add dated notes after a conversation and see the most recent note on their card, with older notes available underneath. Show upcoming and past reach-out dates in a simple list. After a catch-up, let me clear or choose a new date without deleting old notes. Make it easy to update on my phone. Start with manual entry and no automatic messages.

Use this as a build request and check the result with fictional people. Change the wording to suit you. “Catch up soon” may be more useful on the screen than “overdue,” particularly when the date was only a loose intention.

What happens after you catch up?

Add someone with yesterday's date, someone with next week's date, and someone with no date. They should all remain accessible even if only two appear in the reach-out view.

Record a new note for the first person and clear the date. Check that the old note is still there and the new one appears first. Refresh, then edit the note to correct a detail. Editing should update that note rather than add a second copy.

Consider whether you want the app to suggest a new date or leave it to you. Automatically scheduling everyone on the same interval can create a list you spend more time dismissing than using. It's reasonable to decide after each conversation.

Keep the notes modest and private

Save enough to help you remember, and leave out sensitive details you don't need. A brief cue can do the job without turning an ordinary conversation into a detailed record of someone else's life.

Before sharing the app, check who can read its records. A public app may expose underlying data as well as the visible screen. A friends tracker is a good candidate to keep private.

The request above doesn't read your messages, import contacts, or send a phone reminder. It's a list you open. If you'd like a prompt to check it, an existing calendar reminder is a simple way to establish that habit without building another integration.

Looking back before getting in touch

In Kaddy, you can discuss the app's notes with its assistant, perhaps to recall what you wanted to ask someone. Keep the exact conversation notes in the records and check them if a detail matters. The assistant's memory is additional context, not a replacement for those entries.

It won't automatically know about messages or conversations outside the app. You decide what to record and when to contact someone. If a quick look at the list helps you remember a call you wanted to make, you may already have all the features you need.