Tag: AI

  • How I Built “ExcuseNow” – A Fun Side Project for Instant Excuses

    As a developer, I often get ideas that seem silly at first… but still spark that itch to build something. Over the weekend I had this urge to build something simple, funny and doesn’t take time to build, ExcuseNow is exactly that kind of project, a one-page web app that generates funny excuses on demand. What started as a small idea turned into a surprisingly rewarding and enjoyable side project.

    Here’s how it came to life.

    The Idea

    We’ve all needed an excuse at some point whether for work, school, or social plans. I thought, what if I could automate that?

    So the idea was simple:

    Create a website that generates fun, believable, and occasionally ridiculous excuses with the click of a button.

    No signups, no accounts, no fluff – just fast, funny excuses.

    The Stack & Tech Choices

    I wanted to keep things light, modern, and easy to maintain. Here’s the tech breakdown:

    • HTML + CSS + JavaScript – Classic and simple for a static site.
    • Modular JavaScript – I split out the logic into clean files (excuses.js, script.js) for maintainability.
    • SEO & Social Meta Tags – Optimized the site with Open Graph tags, sitemap.xml, and robots.txt for better visibility.

    And for a touch of magic, I added:

    • ✨ Emoji-enhanced categories
    • 🎩 A fake “wizardry” loading bar when generating excuses
    • 🌐 OG image and metadata for social sharing

    Design & Branding

    Since this is a humor-based app, the branding needed to reflect that.

    • Logo: I used a playful logo with bold rounded letters, a sparkly wizard hat, and a wand. (Yes, I generated it with the help of AI.)
    • Color Scheme: Deep blue and purple background, accented with gold and white to give it a magical, modern vibe.

    Excuse Categories

    I categorized excuses into:

    • 💼 Work
    • 📚 School
    • 🎉 Social
    • 👨‍👩 Family
    • 🩺 Health
    • 🦄 Random

    Each category has over 50 unique excuses. You’ll find excuses like:

    “My Wi-Fi broke after my cat walked across the keyboard.”

    “My dog accidentally submitted my homework… blank.”

    Monetization Thoughts

    While ExcuseNow is free to use, I’m considering a few monetization strategies:

    • Offer a Pro version with advanced features like downloadable excuses or integrations (e.g., calendar excuses).
    • Sell printable products or eBooks with categorized excuses (great for creators or prank gifts).
    • Add affiliate links subtly related to productivity or humor tools.

    I’m keeping it fun-first, but with a clear eye toward passive income.

    What I Learned

    • Building a micro-project from scratch is a great creative reset.
    • Modern static sites can be both fast and full of personality.
    • Humor-based apps can still benefit from good UX and clean structure.
    • Even a fun side project is worth optimizing for SEO and performance.

    Try It Out

    If you’re ever in need of a quick excuse, try it out at
    👉 https://excusenow.com/

    Final Thoughts

    ExcuseNow reminded me that not every project needs to be serious or enterprise-level to be meaningful. Sometimes, it’s about shipping something fun, clever, and personal.

    Have a similar idea or want to build your own micro-app? Feel free to reach out or follow my blog for more behind-the-scenes builds like this one.