The Plain Text Revolution: How AI is Transforming Even the Simplest Project Management Approaches
“The future belongs not just to the complex systems we build, but to the elegant ways in which AI helps us simplify them.”
In the realm of software development, we often chase sophisticated tools and systems to manage our work. But what if simpler approaches, enhanced by AI, could offer a better solution? I’d like to share a personal experience that changed my perspective on project management in this new AI-powered era.
Old Problems, New Solutions 🔄
For my recent hobby project—substantial enough to span several months of development—I opted for a minimalist approach: a plain text file containing hundreds of numbered steps, with simple checkboxes to mark completion.
“Sometimes the most powerful productivity system is the one with the fewest moving parts.”
This approach eliminated the friction of setting up and maintaining a dedicated task management system. No more context-switching between different platforms, no user administration, no complex workflows—just a straightforward list of what needed to be done.
However, this simplicity came with challenges. Inserting new tasks mid-list meant tediously renumbering subsequent items. Reorganizing priorities required significant manual effort. Documentation was separate from the tasks themselves.
Enter AI: The Game-Changer 🧠
This is where our current technological paradigm shift reveals itself. With AI assistants now readily available, my simple text file has transformed from a compromise into an advantage.
When I need to insert a task between steps 37 and 38? I ask my AI assistant to renumber everything that follows. Need to reorganize an entire section? The AI handles it in seconds. Want to mark tasks as complete and track progress? AI can update the file, maintaining the format while adjusting the content.
“The true power of AI isn’t in replacing our systems, but in removing the tedious parts of the ones we already love.”
The text format provides a perfect interface between human intention and AI assistance. Unlike proprietary systems with limited API access, plain text is the universal language that both humans and AI understand effortlessly.
And since my task list lives in a Git repository, I maintain a complete history of how my project plan has evolved—something many specialized tools struggle to provide elegantly.
Beyond Hobby Projects 🌐
Admittedly, this approach isn’t directly scalable to large teams or enterprise environments. But the principle remains valid: sometimes, simpler systems with AI augmentation outperform complex dedicated tools.
The industry is catching up. We’re seeing emerging solutions where AI can integrate with existing task systems through Message Control Protocol (MCP) servers. Some forward-thinking companies are building task management systems with AI assistance as a fundamental design principle rather than an afterthought.
“The next generation of productivity tools won’t be measured by their features, but by how invisibly they conform to our natural ways of working.”
Rethinking Our Approach 💡
AI isn’t a magic solution to every problem. But it does invite us to reconsider our workflows and tools. The question isn’t just “What’s the best task management system?” but rather “What’s the simplest approach that AI can help scale?”
In my case, the answer was a plain text file—something I would have considered primitive just a few years ago. Today, it’s a powerful interface to an AI assistant that handles the repetitive work I used to dread.
As we navigate this technological shift, I encourage fellow developers to examine their workflows with fresh eyes. Where are we overcomplicating things? Where could AI handle repetitive tasks? Sometimes, the most powerful approach is also the simplest.
What old problems in your workflow might find new solutions in this AI-augmented world? ✨
“In our quest for perfect tools, we sometimes forget that the best system is the one you’ll actually use consistently. AI helps make even the simplest systems powerful.”
What simple workflows have you enhanced with AI? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below. 👇