After 6.5 years at Webflow, I found myself in that familiar place many of us reach: stepping back to figure out what's next. As I worked through my own career questions, I realised something. While there are plenty of career assessment tools out there, I wanted to build a tool that respects your privacy, and considers that needs change depending on where you are in life.

So I built something different.

What is Ikigai? #

Ikigai (生き甲斐) literally means "a reason for being." It is a Japanese concept that has guided people for centuries in finding purpose and fulfilment in their daily lives.

At its core, ikigai lives at the intersection of four elements:

  • What you love — your passion, what brings you joy
  • What you're good at — your skills and strengths
  • What the world needs — your contribution to others
  • What you can be paid for — your vocation

What makes ikigai particularly valuable is that it is not a one-time destination. Your ikigai naturally evolves through different seasons of life. The questions you face when exploring options early in your career differ from those when you are established and seeking deeper meaning, transitioning between roles, reinventing yourself after a major change, or approaching retirement and thinking about legacy.

This is why context matters. Understanding where you are in your journey shapes what kind of guidance will actually help.

Why I Built This #

I wanted a tool that:

  • Respects your privacy by running entirely on your own computer—your assessment data never leaves your machine
  • Costs almost nothing to use (just your own Claude API key—about 1-5 cents per analysis)
  • Adapts to your life stage, whether you are exploring, transitioning, established, reinventing, or retiring
  • Works whether you are technical or not

The app guides you through 190+ curated options across 30+ categories, lets you weight what matters most to you right now, and produces an analysis that considers your specific context—not just generic advice.

How to Get Started #

If you are comfortable with basic terminal commands:

  1. Download the repo from GitHub
  2. Run npm install
  3. Add your Anthropic API key to the .env file
  4. Run npm run dev and open http://localhost:5173

That is it. Everything runs locally. Your API key stays in a local file that never gets uploaded anywhere. Your reports are saved to a folder on your computer, not a cloud server.

For more detailed instructions, see the README file.

If command lines are not your thing: No problem. I have created a printable worksheet you can fill out by hand. Send it to me and I will run the analysis for you.

What is Next? #

Try using the Ikigai Compass to find some clarity or ideas for where you currently are in life. If you hit a bug, open an issue on GitHub. If you'd like to support the project, consider giving the repo a star.

And if this tool genuinely helps you find direction? Consider donating to one of the charities I support. Purpose is not just about what we do for ourselves.

Questions or feedback? Find me on GitHub or reach out directly.