AlanShiflett@AlanShiflett9h ago

Personal software is going to change the way we live. It already has for me. Last year I set out to improve my health and lost about 60 pounds along the way. I thrive on data, so I tried almost every tool out there (Fitbit/Google Health, Function Health, Superpower, MyFitnessPal, etc.). Each gave me bits and pieces that together helped me make better decisions. I loved using LLMs to check my progress and get advice, but none had direct access to all my tools/data, and I didn't want to wait for an LLM provider to partner with each company. I also didn't like the UX of many of these platforms. Several got worse as they tried to add AI. So over time I built my own personal command center. It connects to Epic MyChart and other doctor records (every note, lab and imaging result), AirGradient for my bedroom air quality, Google Health for my Fitbit data (steps, sleep, HRV), my air conditioner, my Govee lights, and an AI tool I built to track nutrition and calories using food databases. This made me the OWNER of my data, not just a consumer of it. I don't have to wait for a provider to add a feature or sign a deal with Claude/ChatGPT. If I want a feature, I build it. The personal MCP was my biggest unlock. I own all my data and connections and can take them anywhere, now and in the future. A few things it has made possible: -CO2 control: I didn't realize how much my breathing raised the CO2 in my bedroom. It wasn't dangerous, but it could hurt my deep sleep. My OpenClaw uses the MCP to watch CO2 while I sleep and has my AC pull in outside air when it gets too high. -Food and sleep: Claude spotted that when I ate bananas late in the day, I didn't sleep as well. Maybe that's obvious to others, but it wasn't to me. -Recovery: My OpenClaw decides when my Govee lights come on in the morning. It knows when my first meeting is and adjusts the ramp-up based on when I went to bed, how much I exercised the day before, and how I've been feeling. -Medical analysis: When I felt gout coming on, Claude pulled 10 years of uric acid results, my doctors' notes, my weight history and that week's diet. It pointed to my weight loss, which can raise uric acid, combined with the sugar-free popsicles I'd been eating as a diet snack. I cut the popsicles and it hasn't come back (I'm oversimplifying, but I don't need to be able to explain it, I just need the result) -Medical history: Claude found a note in dr notes from a specialist I saw in 2017 that was never followed up on. I didn't even know about it, and it prompted me to take action. -Diet and exercise planning: Claude looks at what I'm eating and suggests things I can cook. It also looks at my sleep and health metrics to tell me how hard I should train. All of this would have been incredibly hard to pull off in the past. Now I can build features myself. Personal software built with AI has unlocked a lot for me and this is just the beginning.