Since 13/06/2022, I’ve been a paid user and have happily been using this tool called Lucidchart for flowcharts, BPMN diagrams, system maps, mockups, and all kinds of visual thinking.
I genuinely love tools that help turn messy systems and problems into something you can actually see.
Over that time, I paid €541.25 for the service, that's about €13/month. Worth it.
But after building digistrategy.eu with Codex, and seeing what AI-assisted coding can now do, I started wondering:
Could I build a simpler flowchart tool for myself?
So I did.
I exported my Lucidchart diagrams to Visio, built an importer for my own tool, and I’m now cancelling my subscription.
The migration was not just a test either:
63 pages
4,871 cards
2,436 connectors
All was exported from the old system and imported into the new one.
Not because Lucidchart is bad. Quite the opposite, it’s excellent.
But because the AI shift is no longer something “coming soon.” It has already started, and I’m already reaping the benefits.
AI has improved my work routine in many small but meaningful ways: faster drafting, better structuring, clearer analysis, quicker prototyping, and more effective decision-making.
But beyond the productivity gains, there are also very tangible savings.
So far, I can directly point to:
• ~€500 saved by repairing my dishwasher myself guided by the AI
• ~€13/month saved by replacing one SaaS subscription
And that disregards the numerous smaller ways AI helps me compare options, analyse purchases, and avoid inefficient decisions.
The biggest benefit is not even the money. It’s the ability to build tools that fit exactly how I work.
The build-vs-buy equation is changing fast:
less “one-size-fits-all software,” more personal tools built around specific workflows.
Curious to hear what’s the first SaaS tool you’d try to rebuild for yourself with AI?
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