01
The problem I saw
One landscape clip may need vertical, horizontal, and square versions. The creator repeats trimming, captions, graphics, and export work for each channel. Moving among several tools adds another round of file handling.
02
What I built
The first-launch tour mirrors five editor steps: start with media, shape the timeline, add captions, polish the look, and export locally. The page shows vertical 1080 by 1920, horizontal 1920 by 1080, and square 1080 by 1080 outputs. Kite can be installed as a web app, and the same editor language appears on phone, tablet, desktop browser, and the macOS shell.
03
What I learned
A cross-device editor still needs one stable path. Import, timeline, captions, polish, and export give that path a beginning and an end.
PAIN POINTS
What the product addresses
- Repeated resizing and reframing
- Caption and export work split across tools
DECISIONS
Decisions that shaped it
- Teach the editor with the same five steps used in the workspace.
- Keep source files on the device during the browser-first workflow.
- Provide social-format presets before asking users to build custom dimensions.
- Keep AI assistance behind a server function so provider keys do not enter browser code.
LEFT OUT
What I deliberately did not build
- An app-store download or detached feature tour before a visitor can edit.
MEASURES
What I would measure
- Time from import to the first local export.
- Exports completed in vertical, horizontal, and square formats.
- Projects that fail because of browser codec or device limits.
EVIDENCE AND BOUNDARIES
What this note is based on
- Visible on kitevideo.iangoh.com on 21 July 2026: the five-step tour, three social dimensions, install guidance, local-file claim, multi-track editor, and local export path.
- The first-party GitHub README states that Kite builds on the MIT-licensed OpenReel Video project and adds the Kite brand, onboarding, AI proxy, mobile work, and macOS packaging. I did not verify every codec, 4K export, mobile performance, or signed Mac distribution.
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