Ask HN: What are you working on? (February 2026)
February 2026's "Ask HN: What are you working on?" thread overflows with builders showcasing an astonishing array of personal and professional projects. The discourse reveals a community heavily leveraging and building with AI, debating its impact on development workflows, from "vibe coding" to sophisticated agent orchestration. It's a vibrant snapshot of innovation, ambition, and the ever-evolving toolkit of the modern developer.
The Lowdown
The "Ask HN: What are you working on?" thread for February 2026 serves as a bustling digital showcase, with Hacker News users enthusiastically detailing their diverse projects, ranging from hobbyist endeavors to full-fledged startups. This recurring community event highlights individual initiative, problem-solving, and the cutting edge of personal and professional development.
Key projects and themes include:
- AI-Powered Development & Agents: Many creators are building tools that leverage AI for coding assistance (e.g., Claude Code), agent orchestration, context management (Memory Store, Instagit, VVM), and even to build entirely new languages or systems for agents (Postkit, SAFi).
- Niche Developer Tools: A significant number of projects aim to fill specific gaps in the developer ecosystem, such as cross-platform database management GUIs (DB Pro, Tabularis), HTTP clients (Kvile), internal linking tools (Linkcherry), screenshot APIs (Allscreenshots), API clients (Burn Them APIs), and workflow platforms (Hot Dev).
- Personal & Social Impact Projects: Users are "scratching their own itch" by creating apps for managing personal finances (Envelope, Predictable, Finbodhi), language learning (Phrasing, SubSmith, Vocabuo), habit tracking (PointWiseSystem, Plimsoll Line), local community platforms (datenba.ch), and even a website to track private equity ownership of vet clinics (privateequityvet.org).
- Games & Creative Computing: A strong contingent is developing games (surf sim, roguelikes, puzzle games, game engines), music tools (sampler, Spotify recommender), and creative platforms (StoryStarling for AI children's books, Visual Universe for functional modeling).
- Hardware & Embedded Systems: Projects also venture into the physical world, including PCB design languages (Circuitscript), analog computers, IoT drones (HandsomeTello), and a contactless sleep monitor.
The thread collectively paints a picture of a highly engaged, technically proficient community constantly innovating, often by building the tools they wish existed, and increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into every facet of the development lifecycle.
The Gossip
AI-ssisted Alchemy & Agentic Ambitions
A dominant theme revolves around the pervasive use of AI tools like Claude Code, Gemini, and OpenClaw for generating code, automating tasks, and building complex agentic systems. Many projects *are* AI tools, from debuggers to language learning platforms, memory stores for agents, and orchestration frameworks. The discussion often circles back to the concept of "vibe coding" – the rapid, AI-assisted development often with an admitted lack of deep understanding or rigorous testing – and the evolving role of developers in this new paradigm. Concerns are raised about AI-generated code quality, the practical limitations of AI agents in complex tasks, and the constant flux of AI APIs.
Developer Delights & Productivity Power-ups
Many users are crafting tools to streamline their own development workflows, or those of others. This includes database management applications, API clients, code generation/refactoring tools, accessibility checkers, and internal developer platforms. The focus is often on reducing boilerplate, improving efficiency, and providing better insights or control over existing systems, frequently drawing comparisons to existing popular (but often bloated) solutions.
Personal Passion & Problem-Solving Projects
A heartwarming aspect of the thread is the sheer number of projects born from personal needs or deep-seated passions. These range from apps for managing family photos off social media, expense trackers, sleep monitors for elderly relatives, garden design tools, language learning aids, to highly specific games or creative endeavors. The motivation is often self-improvement, helping family, or tackling a niche problem that larger companies overlook.
Beyond the Code: Unique Ideas & Societal Impact
This theme captures projects that stand out for their unconventional nature, aiming to address social issues, or explore philosophical/scientific concepts. Examples include a podcast on "Majority World" history, a platform for funding independent chemical testing of food for plastics, a tool for structuring arguments, an AI emotional regulation coach for autism, and even a project related to auxetic geometries for 3D printing. These projects often spark broader discussions about their potential implications, ethical considerations, and real-world utility beyond typical tech.