About Waybound Studio

The vacation plan that became something else

Uppsala, 2026.

I was sitting there like I always do, a solo parent with two kids and a motorhome, trying to piece together a puzzle that never quite fits.

Norway, which everyone says is so beautiful you have to see it for yourself.

A son with a birthday to celebrate at friends' place in Skellefteå.

And between those two points, a stretch of road that would either become a journey — or just transport.

I'd already learned that lesson once. France looked beautiful on paper, until a quick check showed it wasn't practical even with long driving days. This time I was going to do it right.

So I sat down with ChatGPT and talked it through, day by day. Coffee stops. Lunch stops. Overnight spots. Sights that actually lay along the way, not just somewhere nearby.

A week later I had a spreadsheet I was genuinely proud of — a balanced trip from Uppsala to Skellefteå, into Norway and back home. I was deeply grateful for what AI could pull off these days. It felt good to have a real plan before setting off.

The question I couldn't shake

And right then, with the plan finished, that thought arrived.

This was good. But what if it could be better?

I'd built simple games with AI before, so I knew it could write real code — not just give advice. So I asked it for a route planner. Something that would work out a balanced trip with sensible spacing between stops, automatically, without a week of back-and-forth in a chat window.

The first prototype took a few days.

From prototype to ten modules

Then something happened that I never planned for.

The project grew. And kept growing. The route planner was joined by a travel guide that suggested destinations from a feeling instead of an address. Then a companion for the road itself — is there a toilet, is it a nice place, can I stay the night here? Then a way to look back on the trip once it was over, with a voice that could actually tell its story.

Before I knew it, I no longer had a route planner. I had an entire suite, built module by module in exactly the same way as the trip to Skellefteå: one conversation at a time, with AI as the tool and curiosity as the compass.

It's the most transformative journey I've ever taken — not to Norway, but into what's actually possible to build when you dare to ask "could this be better?" one more time. Vibe-coding was the spark. Waybound Studio is what happened when I let it catch fire.

Where we're headed

Today the suite is focused on the Nordics and Europe, because that's where I actually drive. The hope is that it grows well beyond that — with a premium tier that one day covers the whole world, built by the same stubborn question that started all of it.

I'm sharing this site the same way I shared that spreadsheet back then: with friends first, then colleagues, then everyone else who recognizes that feeling of standing in the garage with a motorhome, a map, and a sense that the journey there should be able to become more than just the road.

One last thing...

If you've made it this far, thank you.

It means we've shared a little more than a story about a product suite. We've shared a way of thinking about journeys, curiosity, and building the things you once wished existed.

I sincerely hope Waybound Studio helps you find extraordinary places, spend more time with the people you love, and create memories that stay with you for years to come.

If, somewhere along that journey, you feel like buying me a coffee, I'd be deeply grateful. Your support helps the suite keep growing, while covering hosting, development and, naturally, the occasional cup of coffee behind every new module.

I wish you safe roads, beautiful sunsets and unforgettable adventures.

Thank you for letting Waybound Studio become a small part of your journey.

— Joakim