Make it yourself
If you’d asked me how to make a something people want 6 months ago, my answer would’ve been different. Things move quickly, especially when building an app combined with AI. So let’s see how well this post ages.
Here’s my short how-to-guide to make stuff people want, today.
Step 1: Start by Building it Yourself
Don’t wait for someone else to bring your idea to life. Jump in yourself using platforms like lovable.dev, v0, Cursor, or Claude Code. You don’t need coding experience—just explain clearly in plain language and let the AI help you build both the front and back ends. Whether using Python, Vercel/Next.js, Supabase, OpenAI/Anthropic, or PyTorch, dive in hands-on. Yes, you’ll get frustrated, but that’s exactly the point.
Step 2: Get Your First Developer
When frustration hits and you can’t get further, hire your first developer. Forget about hiring a CTO with decades of experience. Find someone reliable and affordable. Don’t randomly hire from Upwork or Fivrr. If you know me, reach out and I’ll help find a great developer from the Global South (🇵🇭 🇮🇩 🇻🇳 🇮🇳 🇵🇰 🇱🇹 🇪🇬 🇨🇴 🇦🇷).
Expect to pay around $2,000 per month. A fresh, talented grad typically won’t work for less than $1,000, and anything above $3,000 means you’re probably overpaying. This person will be responsible, hardworking, and trustworthy.
Step 3: Daily Check-Ins and Simple Management
Hold daily meetings at the same time, five days a week, for just 30 minutes. The format is straightforward:
- Quickly review what they completed in the last 24 hours. Test everything yourself.
- Clearly agree on what they’ll do next.
- Keep tasks realistic and achievable within one day.
Don’t overwhelm your developer with countless features. Prioritize, focus, and execute. Small, AI-powered teams significantly outperform large traditional teams. Telegram, with about 30 people, is surpassing WhatsApp, which employs 3,000+.
Step 4: Take Real Ownership
If you are the visionary investing your own money, then you are implicitely an owner and this section may not apply to you.
Treat every dollar and resource as if it’s your own. Keep your client updated weekly and occasionally include them in meetings. Don’t rely solely on their satisfaction. Ensure accountability by staying deeply involved. They pay you with their time and attention first.
Realistically, 10-20 hours per week from you is enough to effectively guide a full-time developer working 160 hours per month. Your job is to provide vision, guidance, and testing.
Step 5: Improve the User Experience
If your product has merit, you will know. People will line it up to try it. If falls flat, then maybe your vision needs to be updated, or you need a better UX designer to help you out. Here, it may make sense to find a seasoned person who will give you plenty of negative feedback. If you know me, reach out and I’ll give you my advice.
Until then, stay involved, stay hands-on, and keep pushing.