Vibecode Fathom
track this build5 steps, step by step0%A solo clone can handle recordings, transcripts, and summaries, but the product's paid value is automated capture plus CRM/workflow sync and team sharing.
You are building a lean indie version of Fathom. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Fathom indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Fathom workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Record or import calls, transcribe, summarize by template, clip moments, and push notes to a CRM or docs destination. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - automatic call capture - integrations - searchable team library - polished clips - permissions and admin If those capabilities are essential, use whisperX instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal call-notes pipeline to replace Fathom. Requirements: - A watched folder: I drop call recordings (m4a/mp3/mp4) into ~/Calls/inbox/, chokidar picks them up, a Node pipeline processes each one. - Transcribe with whisperX for speaker-labeled, timestamped transcripts, or a hosted Whisper API if a key is present in .env. - Summarize with an LLM (key in .env) using templates in ./templates/*.md. The default produces a 5-bullet summary, decisions, action items with owners, and open questions. Pick the template from the filename prefix (sales-, 1on1-). - Clips: any transcript line can be cut into a share-able moment, ffmpeg trims 15 seconds either side of the timestamp into ~/Calls/clips/. - Output per call: ~/Calls/notes/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>.md, summary on top, full transcript below a divider. - A small local web page (Express, localhost) listing calls with keyword search over transcripts. - No accounts, no telemetry; audio never leaves my machine unless I opt into the hosted API. - Out of scope: a bot that joins meetings, calendar auto-capture, CRM sync, team libraries. I record with my meeting app or OS and drop the file in. - README: dependencies, keys, and how to capture system audio on macOS. ## Required capabilities - speech-to-text API - LLM API - calendar/Zoom/Meet/Teams integration - hosted database - optional CRM API keys ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a lean indie version of Fathom. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Fathom indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Fathom workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Record or import calls, transcribe, summarize by template, clip moments, and push notes to a CRM or docs destination. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - automatic call capture - integrations - searchable team library - polished clips - permissions and admin If those capabilities are essential, use whisperX instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal call-notes pipeline to replace Fathom. Requirements: - A watched folder: I drop call recordings (m4a/mp3/mp4) into ~/Calls/inbox/, chokidar picks them up, a Node pipeline processes each one. - Transcribe with whisperX for speaker-labeled, timestamped transcripts, or a hosted Whisper API if a key is present in .env. - Summarize with an LLM (key in .env) using templates in ./templates/*.md. The default produces a 5-bullet summary, decisions, action items with owners, and open questions. Pick the template from the filename prefix (sales-, 1on1-). - Clips: any transcript line can be cut into a share-able moment, ffmpeg trims 15 seconds either side of the timestamp into ~/Calls/clips/. - Output per call: ~/Calls/notes/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>.md, summary on top, full transcript below a divider. - A small local web page (Express, localhost) listing calls with keyword search over transcripts. - No accounts, no telemetry; audio never leaves my machine unless I opt into the hosted API. - Out of scope: a bot that joins meetings, calendar auto-capture, CRM sync, team libraries. I record with my meeting app or OS and drop the file in. - README: dependencies, keys, and how to capture system audio on macOS. ## Required capabilities - speech-to-text API - LLM API - calendar/Zoom/Meet/Teams integration - hosted database - optional CRM API keys ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a production product version of Fathom. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== PRODUCT.md ===== # Fathom product brief ## Problem A solo clone can handle recordings, transcripts, and summaries, but the product's paid value is automated capture plus CRM/workflow sync and team sharing. ## Product outcome Record or import calls, transcribe, summarize by template, clip moments, and push notes to a CRM or docs destination. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - speech-to-text API - LLM API - calendar/Zoom/Meet/Teams integration - hosted database - optional CRM API keys ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - automatic call capture - integrations - searchable team library - polished clips - permissions and admin ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees. ===== ARCHITECTURE.md ===== # Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal call-notes pipeline to replace Fathom. Requirements: - A watched folder: I drop call recordings (m4a/mp3/mp4) into ~/Calls/inbox/, chokidar picks them up, a Node pipeline processes each one. - Transcribe with whisperX for speaker-labeled, timestamped transcripts, or a hosted Whisper API if a key is present in .env. - Summarize with an LLM (key in .env) using templates in ./templates/*.md. The default produces a 5-bullet summary, decisions, action items with owners, and open questions. Pick the template from the filename prefix (sales-, 1on1-). - Clips: any transcript line can be cut into a share-able moment, ffmpeg trims 15 seconds either side of the timestamp into ~/Calls/clips/. - Output per call: ~/Calls/notes/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>.md, summary on top, full transcript below a divider. - A small local web page (Express, localhost) listing calls with keyword search over transcripts. - No accounts, no telemetry; audio never leaves my machine unless I opt into the hosted API. - Out of scope: a bot that joins meetings, calendar auto-capture, CRM sync, team libraries. I record with my meeting app or OS and drop the file in. - README: dependencies, keys, and how to capture system audio on macOS. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone. ===== MILESTONES.md ===== # Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations. ===== OPERATIONS.md ===== # Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Fathom capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
# Fathom indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Fathom workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Record or import calls, transcribe, summarize by template, clip moments, and push notes to a CRM or docs destination. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - automatic call capture - integrations - searchable team library - polished clips - permissions and admin If those capabilities are essential, use whisperX instead of pretending the gap is solved.
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
# Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal call-notes pipeline to replace Fathom. Requirements: - A watched folder: I drop call recordings (m4a/mp3/mp4) into ~/Calls/inbox/, chokidar picks them up, a Node pipeline processes each one. - Transcribe with whisperX for speaker-labeled, timestamped transcripts, or a hosted Whisper API if a key is present in .env. - Summarize with an LLM (key in .env) using templates in ./templates/*.md. The default produces a 5-bullet summary, decisions, action items with owners, and open questions. Pick the template from the filename prefix (sales-, 1on1-). - Clips: any transcript line can be cut into a share-able moment, ffmpeg trims 15 seconds either side of the timestamp into ~/Calls/clips/. - Output per call: ~/Calls/notes/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>.md, summary on top, full transcript below a divider. - A small local web page (Express, localhost) listing calls with keyword search over transcripts. - No accounts, no telemetry; audio never leaves my machine unless I opt into the hosted API. - Out of scope: a bot that joins meetings, calendar auto-capture, CRM sync, team libraries. I record with my meeting app or OS and drop the file in. - README: dependencies, keys, and how to capture system audio on macOS. ## Required capabilities - speech-to-text API - LLM API - calendar/Zoom/Meet/Teams integration - hosted database - optional CRM API keys ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
# Fathom product brief ## Problem A solo clone can handle recordings, transcripts, and summaries, but the product's paid value is automated capture plus CRM/workflow sync and team sharing. ## Product outcome Record or import calls, transcribe, summarize by template, clip moments, and push notes to a CRM or docs destination. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - speech-to-text API - LLM API - calendar/Zoom/Meet/Teams integration - hosted database - optional CRM API keys ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - automatic call capture - integrations - searchable team library - polished clips - permissions and admin ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
# Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal call-notes pipeline to replace Fathom. Requirements: - A watched folder: I drop call recordings (m4a/mp3/mp4) into ~/Calls/inbox/, chokidar picks them up, a Node pipeline processes each one. - Transcribe with whisperX for speaker-labeled, timestamped transcripts, or a hosted Whisper API if a key is present in .env. - Summarize with an LLM (key in .env) using templates in ./templates/*.md. The default produces a 5-bullet summary, decisions, action items with owners, and open questions. Pick the template from the filename prefix (sales-, 1on1-). - Clips: any transcript line can be cut into a share-able moment, ffmpeg trims 15 seconds either side of the timestamp into ~/Calls/clips/. - Output per call: ~/Calls/notes/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>.md, summary on top, full transcript below a divider. - A small local web page (Express, localhost) listing calls with keyword search over transcripts. - No accounts, no telemetry; audio never leaves my machine unless I opt into the hosted API. - Out of scope: a bot that joins meetings, calendar auto-capture, CRM sync, team libraries. I record with my meeting app or OS and drop the file in. - README: dependencies, keys, and how to capture system audio on macOS. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Fathom capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
They pay for workflow certainty: after every call, the right people and systems have the notes without manual effort.
xautomatic call capture
xintegrations
xsearchable team library
xpolished clips
xpermissions and admin
Fathom pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/user | $0/user | Unlimited recordings, transcriptions, and storage; advanced summaries, Ask Fathom, and automations are limited but no numeric public cap is stated. |
| premium | $20/user | $16/user | Unlimited recordings, transcriptions, and storage with the full individual AI feature set. |
| team | $19/user | $15/user | Minimum 2 seats; team folders, sharing, comments, keyword alerts, and CRM sync. |
| business | $34/user | $25/user | Minimum 2 seats; adds advanced coaching, deal views, security, and administration. |
| enterprise | custom | — | Custom package; public price and numeric limits are not stated. |
free tierUnlimited recordings, transcriptions, and storage; advanced AI summaries, Ask Fathom, and automations have unpublished caps.
billingmonthly + annual; annual saves 20%-26%; 90-day money-back guarantee
hidden costsTeam and Business require at least 2 seats; optional Enterprise onboarding costs extra but the amount is not public.
verified 2026-08-14 · source ↗
Vibecode Fathom
Kinda. The core of Fathom is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: automatic call capture, integrations. Read the honest list above before committing.
How much does Fathom cost?
Fathom costs about $20/month (Premium, checked 2026-07-30), which is $240 per year.
What do I lose by replacing Fathom?
Honestly: automatic call capture; integrations; searchable team library; polished clips; permissions and admin. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Fathom?
Yes: whisperX (Useful for transcript alignment and speaker-labeled call records.). Using prior art is also vibecoding; the prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.