goal is a CLI tool for solo developers to capture and triage ideas, bugs, and
tasks without leaving the terminal. You run a quick command, your editor opens,
you write, you save and quit, and you're back to work. Goals are organized into
three categories — Later (unvetted ideas), Next (committed but not
started), and Active (in progress now, one per git branch) — giving you a
small, honest working set instead of one endless list.
The context-switch cost of capturing a thought mid-flow is high enough that most
ideas just get lost. Existing tools — Jira, kanban boards, even a markdown
file — require leaving the terminal, navigating a UI, and managing state. That
friction is fine for a team with shared tracking needs, but it's overkill for a
solo developer who just wants to write something down and get back to work.
goal makes capture nearly free and triage lightweight, so you actually use it.
- Not a project management tool. There are no boards, assignees, due dates, or priorities beyond the three categories. If you need those, use Basecamp or a similar tool.
- Not a team tool. Goals are yours — scoped to your machine, your branches, your workflow. If your team is coordinating work, a shared PM tool is the right answer.
- Not a global task manager. Goals are per-project, initialized with
goal initin a repo. It's about what you're doing here, not a unified inbox across everything you're working on.