The Origin Story

The Story Behind Suplex

How a side project became an obsession
Dear curious reader,

Every product has an origin story. Most of them are boring. This one isn't.

It started with a breakdown. Not a technical one—an emotional one. I was sitting in my apartment at 3 AM, surrounded by empty coffee cups, staring at a spreadsheet with 847 names on it. I had been manually researching prospects for 14 hours straight. My eyes burned. My back ached. And I still had 200 more to go.

"I remember thinking: 'There has to be a better way.' Then I realized—I was going to have to build it."

That night, I didn't sleep. I started sketching. Not a business plan—just ideas. Ways to automate the research without losing the humanity. Ways to scale the personal touch. Ways to own my data instead of renting it from companies that didn't care about me.

The Moment of Truth

Six months later, I had a working prototype. It was ugly, held together with Python scripts and prayer. But it worked. I could input a list of companies, and it would research each one, find the right contact, and draft a personalized email.

The first email it sent got a reply in 12 minutes. Not a "thanks but no thanks"—a real reply. A conversation starter. I knew I was onto something.

But here's what surprised me: other people wanted it too. I showed it to a friend who ran a sales team. He offered to buy it on the spot. Then another friend. Then a stranger I met at a conference. Everyone had the same problem, and everyone was desperate for a solution that didn't require selling their soul to a SaaS giant.

EARLY 2023
The Prototype
Built for myself. Ugly but functional. Only worked on my specific use case.
LATE 2023
First Users
Friends started using it. Feedback was brutal but invaluable. Rebuilt from scratch.
2024
Suplex Takes Shape
Added AI research. Local-first architecture. Proper UI. Started feeling like a real product.
2025
Public Launch
Released to the world. Scary and exhilarating. Real customers with real expectations.
2026
Now
Thousands of users. Constant improvements. Still feels like day one.

The name? That's a story too. I wanted something that suggested power and precision. Something memorable. Suplex just felt right—it's a wrestling move that requires technique, timing, and strength. Perfect for a tool that helps you grapple with the challenge of outreach.

What Stayed the Same

  • Local-first. Your data, your computer, always.
  • Human-centered. Automation that enhances, not replaces, genuine connection.
  • Simple. One tool, one click, no confusion.
  • Honest. No dark patterns, no hidden fees, no data selling.

What changed? Almost everything else. The UI went through 12 major revisions. The AI got smarter, faster, more nuanced. The features grew based on what users actually needed, not what I thought they wanted.

Through it all, I kept that original spreadsheet. It's in a drawer somewhere, coffee-stained and wrinkled. A reminder of where this started. A reminder that problems are just opportunities wearing uncomfortable clothes.

Suplex isn't just a product to me. It's the answer to a question I asked that sleepless night: "What if this could be easier?" Turns out, it can. For me, and for thousands of people who were asking the same question.

Thanks for being part of the story,

Founder
SUPLEX
Still coding at 3 AM sometimes
If you're wondering whether to start that side project that's been nagging at you—do it. Worst case, you learn something. Best case, you end up writing origin stories like this one.