Building in Public: The 33FIGS Journey So Far
From idea to testing phase, a transparent look at how 33FIGS went from a one-person project to a growing catalogue of AI-integrated WordPress tools.
How It Started
33FIGS began as a personal challenge: could one developer build a suite of AI-integrated WordPress tools that actually solve real problems? Not theoretical AI, not demo-ware, real tools for real site owners.
The name "33FIGS" is personal. It represents figures, data points, characters, ideas, that drive our creative process. The "33" is a nod to the founder journey.
The First Year
The first year was all about research and prototyping. We explored:
The result? Six plugin concepts and three theme designs, each solving a distinct problem.
Our Philosophy
Hard and Swift
We move fast, but we do not ship broken code. Every plugin goes through rigorous testing before it reaches users.
Creative
Our solutions are not copies of existing plugins with AI bolted on. Each product starts from a genuine problem and works backwards to a solution.
Generative and Human
We use AI in our development process, and we are transparent about it. But every design decision, every feature priority, every line of code is reviewed by a human.
Genius
We aim for elegance in our solutions. Simple interfaces that hide complex functionality.
What is Next
All six plugins and three themes are in testing. We are preparing for public beta releases, and we will be sharing more about each product in the coming weeks.