COSCUP 2025

“I Just Wanted to Read an API Doc” – How a Side Project Became a Full Platform 我只想寫個 API 文件,結果做出一整個平台:一人開發的 Side Project 演化史
2025-08-10 , TR214

As an independent full-stack developer, I didn’t expect that one badly written HackMD API doc would push me into creating an entire platform.

In a Web3 project, I was forced to work with API specs full of broken enums and undocumented responses. Swagger didn’t work well on mobile, and debugging APIs became a daily nightmare. I just wanted to check the docs easily — even while on the go.

So I built a small tool. But that tool grew into OpenAPI Studio — now at version 0.4.7 — a project that features real-time validation, embedded display, multi-language support, and more.

This talk is a behind-the-scenes story of:

Turning pain points into product ideas

Managing a solo dev project from 0 to a viable open platform

Deciding what to open-source vs. what to keep for future hosting/SaaS

Learning how to build something sustainable — without a team

I’m releasing a community-ready version soon, and this talk is for anyone who's built (or broken) something out of frustration and wondered, “Could this go further?”

我原本只是想能在手機上好好看一份 API 文件而已。
結果,一不小心寫出了整個開源平台。

身為一位長期獨立全端開發者,雖然有參與過資安平台、工研院等專案,但很少有機會和外部團隊密集協作。某次 Web3 專案中,我終於體驗到「團隊合作」的痛……後端的 API 文件只貼在 HackMD,上面是 Node.js 的 Enum、殘缺的 response 範例,描述寫一套,實際打 API 卻完全打不通。我只能用「土法煉鋼」的方法,一次次試、一次次撞牆。

我受不了了,決定自己寫一個能「隨時打開、格式友善、能驗證錯誤、支援手機顯示」的工具,一開始只是個小工具。沒想到做著做著,竟從 v0.1 慢慢演進出完整的 OpenAPI Studio,目前已推進至 v0.4.7,具備可驗證、可補全、支援多語系與 RWD 的編輯器與視覺系統。

這場分享,我不談「如何用幾行 code 做出奇蹟」,而想分享我怎麼:

從一個明明只是為了解決一點點痛點的工具,讓它長出平台級的模樣

用個人專案的方式走出明確願景、開源策略與功能優先順序

管理自己一人開發的壓力與節奏,並打造未來能延續的基礎

目前我也正準備釋出一個「簡化開源版本」,以開放的方式邀請更多人參與,但保留一部分穩定模組作為可自建 SaaS 的產品藍圖。

如果你也有個 Side Project 在醞釀、卡關,或者不知道怎麼讓它變得更大、更穩、更真實——那你一定要來聽聽這場。


Target Audience:

Engineers and product builders interested in API docs, dev tools, and developer experience design. 對 API 文件協作、開發者工具與 DX 設計有興趣的工程師與產品人員。

Difficulty:

中階

I’m not your typical startup founder, and I don’t have a wealthy background.
I’m a solo developer — I’ve failed, I’ve been in debt, and I’ve even lost millions.

But I’m still here, because I have something even more valuable:
A family who believes in me — my partner and our three children.
I have no investors, no team, and my business is currently just a sole proprietorship.
But I have passion, I have a vision, and I have multiple working systems I built completely on my own.

I’m participating in COSCUP not just to share my code,
but to prove how far a single person’s effort can go.
I hope to meet partners, to be seen, to be supported —
and maybe, just maybe, to bring this platform to the next stage.

This is a defining step in my life.
Thank you for giving me the chance to take it.

我不是典型的創業者,也沒有富爸爸。我只是個一人獨立開發者,過去曾跌倒過、負債過,甚至賠上千萬。

但我還在這裡,因為我還有一個家,一個支持我的家人與三個孩子。
我沒有資本、沒有團隊,現在的公司也只是登記為商行。
但我有熱情、有願景,還有好幾套我真正自己做出來的系統。

我參與這次 COSCUP,不只是為了分享技術,更是希望能讓更多人看到一個人的努力是可以走多遠的。
也希望能有機會遇見志同道合的夥伴、被看見、被投資、甚至讓這個平台有機會被帶上另一個舞台。

這是我人生重要的一步。謝謝你們給我這個機會。

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