Huly

How Huly Built a Robust Project Management Tool for Global Teams

February 28th, 2025

Founded By

Andrey Platov

Employees

15 (est.)

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2021

Customer

B2B

Founded By
Andrey Platov: Employees
15 (est.)

Profitable
Yes: Year Started
2021

Customer
B2B

Who is Andrey Platov?

Andrey Platov, originally from Russia, studied at Novosibirsk State University and has an extensive background in architecture and distributed systems, bringing over 27 years of experience in software development to establish Huly.

What problem does Huly solve?

Huly simplifies team collaboration by integrating project management, communication, and knowledge sharing in one self-hosted platform, saving time and reducing tool overload.

How did Andrey come up with the idea for Huly?

Andrey Platov, the founder of Huly, was driven by his experiences with existing project management and collaboration tools like Jira and Slack. He identified that these tools were often fragmented and cumbersome, pushing him to think about creating an all-in-one solution. His thought process was rooted in the desire to integrate essential features like issue tracking, chats, and wikis into a single platform that could be self-hosted for greater control and privacy.

Platov observed the growing trend of decentralization and the increasing demand for flexible, remote work solutions, which further inspired his idea. He conducted thorough research and gathered feedback from global users to validate and refine Huly’s features, ensuring it catered to both gig workers and digital nomads. One of the challenges he faced was incorporating diverse functionalities without overcomplicating the platform, a test he overcame by focusing on seamless integration and user-centric design.

Key lessons from his ideation process included the importance of flexibility and adaptation in product features and the value of staying open to continuous improvement based on user feedback. By addressing the missing integration in professional tools, Platov successfully laid the groundwork for Huly’s development as an open-source platform aiming for broad accessibility and customization.

How did Andrey Platov build the initial version of Huly?

Huly was developed as an open-source project, allowing it to be self-hosted on Kubernetes clusters or with Docker Compose. Initially started as an issue tracker, the product evolved into a comprehensive project management and collaboration platform, integrating features like chats, wikis, and GitHub connections. The development of Huly required crafting a complete technology stack from scratch, including RebelDB™, a database engine, and Huly Chain™, an L1 blockchain implementation. Throughout this process, the team used languages such as Zig, Rust, Go, and TypeScript, while leveraging Cloudflare for infrastructure. Building the first version of the platform presented significant challenges, involving complex integrations and ensuring seamless operation of diverse tools within the ecosystem.

What was the growth strategy for Huly and how did they scale?

Open Source Community

Huly's platform is open source, which allows developers and businesses to access the source code and customize it to their needs. The project is hosted on GitHub, making it accessible to developers who may be interested in contributing or using it for their work.

Why it worked: Open source projects are often popular among developers because they offer transparency, flexibility, and community collaboration. By making the Huly platform open source, the company taps into a pool of developers and businesses who are likely to provide feedback, contribute improvements, and help market the product simply by using and discussing it in their networks.

GitHub and Reddit

The Huly platform's presence on GitHub enables seamless access to its source code and documentation, inviting contributions from developers to improve the platform. Additionally, Huly has utilized Reddit for introducing the platform and seeking feedback from potential users.

Why it worked: These platforms are frequented by tech-savvy individuals and developers who are the target audience for a project management tool like Huly. GitHub encourages collaboration and transparency, while Reddit allows for direct interaction with users for feedback and suggestions. Together, these platforms help in building a community around Huly.

Community Engagement via Slack

Huly established a community Slack channel to engage with users and developers directly. The Slack community serves as a space for discussions about hosting options, deployment assistance, and to gather suggestions.

Why it worked: Direct engagement with users through a community platform like Slack allows Huly to provide real-time support and cultivate a loyal user base. This direct line of communication helps build a stronger relationship with users, fostering a sense of community and encouraging feedback that can lead to product improvements.

What's the pricing strategy for Huly?

Huly is primarily open-source and free to self-host, providing an integrated project management platform, enhancing user control and encouraging community development.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Huly?

Embrace Open Source: Huly leveraged the open-source model to foster a sense of community and continually improve their product through user feedback and contributions. This approach not only reduced development costs but also ensured the platform evolved with real user needs.
Adapt and Evolve: Initially starting as an issue tracker, Huly pivoted to become a comprehensive project management and collaboration tool. This adaptability allowed the business to stay relevant and meet broader customer demands.
Harness Team Diversity: With a team spread across nine countries, Huly took advantage of diverse perspectives and skills. Remote collaboration was at the core of their operations, enabling creativity and innovation to flourish without geographical constraints.
Focus on Integration: By integrating project management with communication and professional networking functions, Huly created a cohesive system that enhanced user experience and efficiency. This focus on seamless integration set them apart from single-function competitors.

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