Mendex: Why I Build

Source: Dev.to

Introduction

Hello everyone. Today I want to share who I am, what I’m building, and why.

Early Career and Burnout

I started my career as a developer 17 years ago at a large company in Europe. I worked full‑time during the day and attended university at night. Things were going well, but gradually I began feeling a persistent tiredness that sleep, weekends, or vacations couldn’t alleviate.

Eventually I couldn’t control my emotions, couldn’t get out of bed, and couldn’t work. A doctor sedated me, and I spent days sleeping. That was my first burnout—a silent event that changed my life forever. Over the years I experienced three more similar episodes.

I consulted specialists repeatedly, trying to understand what was wrong. The answers were always the same: I felt like a lab rat—medication X, then Y, then Z—none of which worked.

Health Challenges

In 2017, while recovering from my second major burnout, I was hospitalized with severe respiratory failure. I survived, but I emerged with severe asthma. I’m not sure if there’s a connection between years of burnout and this respiratory condition.

During the COVID‑19 pandemic, despite being extremely careful, I was infected four times. Each time I managed to overcome the illness, though with great difficulty.

Diagnosis

In 2025, after countless consultations, I finally discovered that I’m neurodivergent. I have AuDHD—both autism and ADHD. For 37 years I had been playing life’s game with the wrong rulebook. The diagnosis brought both relief (finally an answer) and sadness (realizing why I hadn’t achieved what I wanted).

PRISm

Just as I thought I could start anew, another challenge appeared: PRISm. My lung capacity was reduced by 31 % and continues to decline. This condition forces me to protect myself at all costs; another burnout could accelerate the disease.

My country, which promises to care for its people, treated me as a disposable asset. I have no right to support, no concern for helping me, and in the eyes of the system I’m no longer useful to society. The sadness and anger led me to start Mendex.

Founding Mendex

I will work for myself, by myself, with one mission:

Help people like me—solo developers, startups, small businesses—by providing self‑hosted tools that respect privacy.

Core Principles

• Open source first
• Privacy by default
• Fair pricing for advanced features
• No venture capital, no growth‑at‑all‑costs mentality

Currently I’m operating on the absolute minimum: no outings, no unaffordable treatments, and no spending a single cent I don’t have.

Call to Action

With open source, my only path to sustainability is people who want to join the Mendex community. Follow my story, use my products, and become sponsors of this journey.

There are many surprises to come. It will work. I have no other options—my health is degraded—but giving up is not an option. If I were to give up, I might as well not be here at all. I’m here, alive, and fighting.

Contact & Support

• 🌐 Website: mendex.io
• 🐙 GitHub: github.com/mendexio
• 𝕏 Twitter/X: @mendexio

Support the Journey

• 💜 GitHub Sponsors
• ☕ Ko‑fi

Every star, follow, and share keeps this dream alive.

— Filipe, Founder of Mendex
“To give up, I might as well not be here.”