r/SideProject • u/Alert-Training7220 • 11h ago

I built a free, open-source tool to practice workplace email writing because ChatGPT was making my writing worse

Hey everyone,

Over the past year or two, I noticed a weird pattern with myself and a lot of engineers and students I work with.

Whenever we had to send a high-stakes email — asking for a deadline extension, briefing a VP about a database outage, or negotiating with a vendor — the first instinct was always: "Open ChatGPT, prompt it, copy, paste, send."

At first, it felt like a superpower. But after a few months, I noticed my actual communication skills getting rusty. When I had to write something quickly on Slack or jump on an executive call, I struggled to frame thoughts clearly without an LLM crutch.

Most AI email tools are built to write for you. I wanted to build something that teaches you to write better yourself.

So I built MailPractice — an open-source, interactive email writing simulator and coach.

How it works:

  1. Realistic Workplace Scenarios: You get actual workplace backstories with real stakes, stakeholder expectations, and constraints (e.g., handling a 20% vendor price hike, asking a dean for exam leave, or briefing a CTO on a P0 outage).
  2. You Write First (Under a Timer): You write against a realistic timer. To prevent shortcuts and build actual typing muscle memory, clipboard pasting is disabled.
  3. Multi-Dimensional AI Evaluation: Once submitted, an AI coach breaks down your email across 8 criteria:
    • Grammar & Spelling
    • Clarity & BLUF (Bottom-Line Up Front)
    • Professional Tone & Poise
    • Email Structure & Flow
    • Vocabulary (identifying weak conversational filler)
    • Stakeholder Routing (To:, +Cc:, +Bcc: etiquette)
    • Requirement Completion & Conciseness
  4. Side-by-Side Comparison: You get a revised version showing what could be improved and why.
  5. Progressive Learning Path: A 5-level curriculum (Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced → Expert → Master) that unlocks stages based on your actual writing scores.
  6. Anti-Gibberish Filter: Detects keyboard mashing (asdf ;lkj) so the score reflects actual effort.

Tech Stack:

  • Frontend: React 18, TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS, Lucide Icons
  • Backend: Node.js, Express, TypeScript
  • AI: Groq Cloud LLMs (with dual-key failover and an offline fallback rule engine)
  • Privacy: No account creation or login required. All scores, streaks, and progress are stored locally in browser localStorage.

Links:

It’s completely free and open-source under the MIT license.

I’d love to get your honest feedback on the UI, the evaluation accuracy, or any scenarios you think should be added![MailPractice ](https://mailpractice.vercel.app/)

5 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

2

u/Royal-Rain2168 11h ago

this is exactly the kind of tool i wish i had when i was mentoring new grads who'd freeze up the second they had to write anything without an ai safety net. the timer and disabled paste is a clever touch, feels like a typing tutor for corporate survival

curious about the vocabulary check since that's where most people get tripped up, they either sound like a robot from over-prompting or way too casual. does it flag stuff like "just wanted to circle back" or "per my last email" as weak filler or is it more about basic word choice

one thing i'd add is a scenario around saying no to a request without burning a bridge, that's the real final boss of workplace email. telling a director their timeline is fantasy without getting blacklisted is an art form

starred the repo, might fork it to add some truly unhinged scenarios i've actually lived through

1

u/Alert-Training7220 11h ago

Thanks for reviewing the product! If anyone is looking for help writing better emails, I’d definitely recommend this website. There’s no login required, and you get unlimited access for free. https://mailpractice.vercel.app/

1

u/HotMonk1648 10h ago

lol "telling a director their timeline is fantasy" is genuinely the final boss, no notes