Frequently Asked Questions
About Idea Warehouse, the technology behind the projects, and how we work.
What is Idea Warehouse?
Idea Warehouse is a personal technology lab based in Toronto, run by Colin Smillie. It's where ideas become shipped products. The lab explores AI-assisted development, modern web platforms, mobile apps, e-commerce, and whatever problem is worth solving next.
What kinds of projects get built here?
Projects span platforms and industries: EV tracking (EVD2), AI model evaluation (Model Trust), news aggregation (Fresh News), e-commerce (Wolf Wednesday), mobile games (Cash Grab NG), and more. The common thread is taking a real problem and shipping a real product to real users.
What's the technology stack?
Next.js is the primary web framework, paired with React, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS. Backend work uses Node.js, MySQL, Redis, and BullMQ for job queues. Mobile projects use Swift and SpriteKit. Shopify powers the e-commerce work. Infrastructure decisions are driven by what ships fast, scales well, and keeps operational costs low.
How does AI fit into the development process?
AI-assisted development is core to how things get built here. Tools like Claude Code and Cursor accelerate everything from prototyping to production code. AI also drives content automation, marketing workflows, and data processing across projects like EVD2 and Fresh News. Not AI for the sake of AI, but AI as a force multiplier for a solo builder shipping real products.
How do you stay current with AI tooling?
By building with it constantly. Every project is an opportunity to test the latest models, frameworks, and workflows. When a new approach emerges, like agentic coding, multi-model evaluation, or AI-driven content automation, it gets put to work on a real project, not a toy example. The goal is to understand what actually works in production, not just what demos well.
How do projects go from idea to shipped product?
Every project starts with a problem worth solving. Ideas get validated quickly, built with modern tooling, and shipped to real users. No spec documents sitting on a shelf. It's product management discipline applied to personal projects: real scoping, real prioritization, and knowing when something is ready to ship.
What makes this different from a portfolio?
Everything here is live and maintained. These are not demos or proofs of concept. They have real users, real infrastructure, and real operational concerns like uptime, performance, cost management, and security. Projects are treated as products, not experiments.
Are you open to collaboration?
Yes. Whether it's a partnership on a new idea, consulting on technology strategy, or building something together, the best projects come from good conversations. Colin brings experience as a technology executive alongside hands-on development skills.
How can I get in touch?
Through the contact page at ideawarehouse.ca/contact, or connect with Colin on LinkedIn, GitHub, and Twitter. For professional inquiries, visit colinsmillie.com.