From a tiny email cleaner to a bigger question about email workflows.

I’m still early in my indie journey and trying to learn by shipping small things instead of overthinking big ideas.

Recently, I noticed a recurring annoyance while using ChatGPT for emails (work updates, follow-ups, applications). The draft itself is usually fine — but when pasting into Gmail or Outlook, formatting often breaks: markdown symbols, bullets, emojis, inconsistent spacing.

Instead of debating whether this was a “real startup idea,” I built the smallest possible thing to test the friction: a tiny browser-only cleaner that turns ChatGPT drafts into plain, send-ready text. No AI, no backend, no login — intentionally simple.

This isn’t a launch or a finished product. It’s a probe. I’m using it to understand whether the pain is real, where it shows up, and who actually feels it.

What I’m really curious about goes beyond this tool.

The more I think about it, the more it feels like email is missing a middle layer — a sandbox. A space where the system understands the incoming email, intent, and tone, and lets you think, rewrite, and respond in context before anything feels final.

Right now, the cleaner is just a small step toward exploring that idea. I’m building in public on purpose, trying to let real usage and real conversations shape where this goes instead of committing to a fully imagined system too early.

If you’re willing to try the small experiment, I’d love feedback on:

• When does this friction show up most for you?
• Does a sandbox-style email flow resonate, or feel unnecessary?
• What would actually make this worth building further?

Here’s the tiny tool, only as a concrete reference point:
https://chatgpt-email-cleaner.netlify.app

At the bottom there’s also an optional “support” link — not as a paywall or feature unlock, but as a way for early believers to signal that this problem is worth exploring. Advice, pushback, or skepticism is just as valuable at this stage.

I’m mainly trying to learn how to think better as a builder — and appreciate any perspective from people further along the path.