Vibecode Fathom HQ
track this build5 steps, step by step0%A KPI dashboard over accounting exports is buildable, but Fathom's value is accounting integrations, consolidation, forecasting, polished board reports, and accountant workflows.
You are building a lean indie version of Fathom HQ. 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 HQ indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Fathom HQ workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Import Xero/QuickBooks CSV/API data, calculate KPIs, build dashboards, and export PDF reports. ## 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: - accounting integrations - consolidation - templates - forecasting - report builder - advisor workflows - reliability If those capabilities are essential, use Metabase 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 small-business KPI dashboard to replace Fathom HQ. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, binds to localhost, my financials never touch a server. - Import: I drop monthly Xero or QuickBooks CSV exports (P&L and balance sheet) into ./imports/; a parser loads them as monthly line items in SQLite. - KPIs computed per month: revenue, gross margin %, net profit, cash on hand, plus custom ratios defined in kpis.json as formulas over account names. - Dashboard: KPI tiles with month-over-month change, 12-month trend charts via Chart.js, and a drill-down table per account. - Targets: kpis.json can set a target per KPI; show green/red against it. - One-command board pack: render the dashboard to ./reports/YYYY-MM.pdf with Puppeteer, one page of KPIs, one of charts. - No accounts, no telemetry, everything local, no API keys needed at all. - Out of scope: live accounting API sync, multi-entity consolidation, and forecasting. CSV in, dashboard and PDF out. - README: exactly which reports to export from Xero/QuickBooks and the CSV columns the parser expects. ## Required capabilities - accounting exports/API - data model - chart/report builder - PDF export - hosted app - permissions ## 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 HQ. 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 HQ indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Fathom HQ workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Import Xero/QuickBooks CSV/API data, calculate KPIs, build dashboards, and export PDF reports. ## 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: - accounting integrations - consolidation - templates - forecasting - report builder - advisor workflows - reliability If those capabilities are essential, use Metabase 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 small-business KPI dashboard to replace Fathom HQ. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, binds to localhost, my financials never touch a server. - Import: I drop monthly Xero or QuickBooks CSV exports (P&L and balance sheet) into ./imports/; a parser loads them as monthly line items in SQLite. - KPIs computed per month: revenue, gross margin %, net profit, cash on hand, plus custom ratios defined in kpis.json as formulas over account names. - Dashboard: KPI tiles with month-over-month change, 12-month trend charts via Chart.js, and a drill-down table per account. - Targets: kpis.json can set a target per KPI; show green/red against it. - One-command board pack: render the dashboard to ./reports/YYYY-MM.pdf with Puppeteer, one page of KPIs, one of charts. - No accounts, no telemetry, everything local, no API keys needed at all. - Out of scope: live accounting API sync, multi-entity consolidation, and forecasting. CSV in, dashboard and PDF out. - README: exactly which reports to export from Xero/QuickBooks and the CSV columns the parser expects. ## Required capabilities - accounting exports/API - data model - chart/report builder - PDF export - hosted app - permissions ## 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 HQ. 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 HQ product brief ## Problem A KPI dashboard over accounting exports is buildable, but Fathom's value is accounting integrations, consolidation, forecasting, polished board reports, and accountant workflows. ## Product outcome Import Xero/QuickBooks CSV/API data, calculate KPIs, build dashboards, and export PDF reports. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - accounting exports/API - data model - chart/report builder - PDF export - hosted app - permissions ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - accounting integrations - consolidation - templates - forecasting - report builder - advisor workflows - reliability ## 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 small-business KPI dashboard to replace Fathom HQ. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, binds to localhost, my financials never touch a server. - Import: I drop monthly Xero or QuickBooks CSV exports (P&L and balance sheet) into ./imports/; a parser loads them as monthly line items in SQLite. - KPIs computed per month: revenue, gross margin %, net profit, cash on hand, plus custom ratios defined in kpis.json as formulas over account names. - Dashboard: KPI tiles with month-over-month change, 12-month trend charts via Chart.js, and a drill-down table per account. - Targets: kpis.json can set a target per KPI; show green/red against it. - One-command board pack: render the dashboard to ./reports/YYYY-MM.pdf with Puppeteer, one page of KPIs, one of charts. - No accounts, no telemetry, everything local, no API keys needed at all. - Out of scope: live accounting API sync, multi-entity consolidation, and forecasting. CSV in, dashboard and PDF out. - README: exactly which reports to export from Xero/QuickBooks and the CSV columns the parser expects. ## 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 HQ capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
# Fathom HQ indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Fathom HQ workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Import Xero/QuickBooks CSV/API data, calculate KPIs, build dashboards, and export PDF reports. ## 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: - accounting integrations - consolidation - templates - forecasting - report builder - advisor workflows - reliability If those capabilities are essential, use Metabase 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 small-business KPI dashboard to replace Fathom HQ. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, binds to localhost, my financials never touch a server. - Import: I drop monthly Xero or QuickBooks CSV exports (P&L and balance sheet) into ./imports/; a parser loads them as monthly line items in SQLite. - KPIs computed per month: revenue, gross margin %, net profit, cash on hand, plus custom ratios defined in kpis.json as formulas over account names. - Dashboard: KPI tiles with month-over-month change, 12-month trend charts via Chart.js, and a drill-down table per account. - Targets: kpis.json can set a target per KPI; show green/red against it. - One-command board pack: render the dashboard to ./reports/YYYY-MM.pdf with Puppeteer, one page of KPIs, one of charts. - No accounts, no telemetry, everything local, no API keys needed at all. - Out of scope: live accounting API sync, multi-entity consolidation, and forecasting. CSV in, dashboard and PDF out. - README: exactly which reports to export from Xero/QuickBooks and the CSV columns the parser expects. ## Required capabilities - accounting exports/API - data model - chart/report builder - PDF export - hosted app - permissions ## 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 HQ product brief ## Problem A KPI dashboard over accounting exports is buildable, but Fathom's value is accounting integrations, consolidation, forecasting, polished board reports, and accountant workflows. ## Product outcome Import Xero/QuickBooks CSV/API data, calculate KPIs, build dashboards, and export PDF reports. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - accounting exports/API - data model - chart/report builder - PDF export - hosted app - permissions ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - accounting integrations - consolidation - templates - forecasting - report builder - advisor workflows - reliability ## 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 small-business KPI dashboard to replace Fathom HQ. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, binds to localhost, my financials never touch a server. - Import: I drop monthly Xero or QuickBooks CSV exports (P&L and balance sheet) into ./imports/; a parser loads them as monthly line items in SQLite. - KPIs computed per month: revenue, gross margin %, net profit, cash on hand, plus custom ratios defined in kpis.json as formulas over account names. - Dashboard: KPI tiles with month-over-month change, 12-month trend charts via Chart.js, and a drill-down table per account. - Targets: kpis.json can set a target per KPI; show green/red against it. - One-command board pack: render the dashboard to ./reports/YYYY-MM.pdf with Puppeteer, one page of KPIs, one of charts. - No accounts, no telemetry, everything local, no API keys needed at all. - Out of scope: live accounting API sync, multi-entity consolidation, and forecasting. CSV in, dashboard and PDF out. - README: exactly which reports to export from Xero/QuickBooks and the CSV columns the parser expects. ## 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 HQ 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 because board/advisor reporting needs accuracy, comparability, and presentable output.
xaccounting integrations
xconsolidation
xtemplates
xforecasting
xreport builder
xadvisor workflows
xreliability
Fathom HQ pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| fathom pro starter | $41.54/workspace | — | 1 company; unlimited users and consolidated groups; each extra company is about $41.54/month |
| fathom pro silver | $221.77/workspace | — | 10 companies included; each extra company is about $21.83/month |
| fathom pro gold | $316.82/workspace | — | 25 companies included; each extra company is about $11.97/month |
| fathom pro platinum | $566.75/workspace | — | 50 companies included; each extra company is about $9.15/month |
| fathom pro enterprise | custom | — | Custom company allowance and commercial terms |
| portfolio, 100 companies | $43.65/workspace | — | Portfolio reporting for up to 100 companies |
| portfolio, 300 companies | $260.49/workspace | — | Portfolio reporting for up to 300 companies |
| portfolio, unlimited | $352.02/workspace | — | Unlimited companies for portfolio reporting |
free tierno free tier; 14-day trial only
billingmonthly only; no annual contract
hidden costsPrices exclude Australian GST. Pro accounts auto-upgrade when company count crosses a band but do not automatically downgrade when companies are removed; additional-company charges apply above the included count.
verified 2026-08-10 · source ↗
Vibecode Fathom HQ
Kinda. The core of Fathom HQ is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: accounting integrations, consolidation. Read the honest list above before committing.
How much does Fathom HQ cost?
Fathom HQ costs about $41.54/month (Fathom Pro Starter, checked 2026-08-10), which is $498.48 per year.
What do I lose by replacing Fathom HQ?
Honestly: accounting integrations; consolidation; templates; forecasting; report builder; advisor workflows; reliability. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Fathom HQ?
Yes: Metabase (Open-source BI/dashboard platform that can power custom KPI dashboards.). Using prior art is also vibecoding; the prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.