From Idea to App
in 47 Minutes
No code. No experience. Real app.
What if you could...
Turn any idea into a working app
Ship it to the internet
Install it on your phone
...all in under an hour?
The 6-Station Journey
SPARK
5 min
DREAM
5 min
STRUCTURE
10 min
ENHANCE
10-15 min
BUILD
15-30 min
SHIP
5-10 min
0. SPARK
What's in your head?
1. DREAM
Write your idea in plain English
2. STRUCTURE
Let Gemini organize your thoughts
3. ENHANCE
Add real content with Deep Research
4. BUILD
Where the magic happens
5. SHIP
Three commands to the internet
Total: ~47 minutes
By the End, You'll Have
A Working App
Runs on any device with a browser
An Installable PWA
Add to your phone like a "real" app
A Live URL
Share with anyone: yourapp.vercel.app
SPARK
What's in your head?
The Three Questions
Before opening any tool, answer these:
WHO has this problem?
Not "everyone" — be specific.
WHAT is their frustration?
What do they complain about?
WHY would they use YOUR solution?
What's the hook?
The 30-Second Brain Dump
Write one sentence that captures your idea
I want to build a [TYPE OF APP] for [SPECIFIC PERSON] who [HAS THIS PROBLEM] so they can [ACHIEVE THIS OUTCOME].
Copy and paste this into your tool
DREAM
Write your idea in plain English
The Dream Prompt
Copy this, fill in the blanks, paste into Gemini Pro
Create a PRD for [YOUR APP NAME]. I am building this for [DESCRIBE YOUR USER] who struggle with [THEIR MAIN PROBLEM] and want to [THEIR DESIRED OUTCOME]. The app must: [KEY FEATURE OR CONSTRAINT] It should feel like: [VIBE: fun, serious, calming, etc.] Design style: [minimal, playful, corporate, etc.] Brand colors: [get from coolors.co, e.g., #3B82F6, #10B981] • Mobile-first responsive design • PWA-ready (installable on phone) • Deploy to Vercel • MVP: complete but lean
Copy and paste this into your tool
Good vs Bad Examples
❌ Too Vague
- "for everyone"
- "to help with water"
- "looks nice"
✅ Specific
- "for remote workers aged 25-40"
- "forget to drink water and feel tired"
- "minimal with dark mode and blue accents"
STRUCTURE
Let Gemini organize your thoughts
What is a PRD?
PRD = Product Requirements Document = A plan for your app (like a cooking recipe).
Cooking Recipe
- • What you need (ingredients)
- • Steps to follow
- • Picture of final dish
- • How many people it feeds
App PRD
- • What the app does (features)
- • How it works
- • What it looks like (design)
- • Who will use it
Gemini AI reads your idea and writes this plan for you. You do not write it yourself!
The Process
ENHANCE
Add real content with Deep Research
OptionalWhen to Use Station 3
✅ Use It
- • Language learning apps
- • Recipe apps
- • Fitness trackers
- • Travel guides
❌ Skip It
- • Calculators
- • Timers
- • Forms/surveys
- • Note-taking apps
Rule: If your app needs real content to display, use Deep Research.
BUILD
Where the magic happens
Choose Your Tool
Antigravity
Best for: Beginners
Quick prototypes
Claude Code
Best for: Control
Complex apps
Cursor
Best for: Developers
Iteration
Recommendation: Start with Antigravity
The Magic Prompt
This is the secret ingredient. Copy it exactly.
You are a senior software architect AND a top 1% UX/UI designer. You write clean, modern code. You design beautiful, intuitive interfaces. You think about the user at every step. 📎 ATTACHED: PRD document from Gemini Pro 📎 ATTACHED: Data file (if you did Station 3) Build this app exactly as described in the PRD. 🏗️ ARCHITECTURE RULES • MVP mindset: complete features, lean code • Mobile-first: design for phones, scale up • PWA-ready: include manifest.json • Vercel-ready: include vercel.json config • Use React/Next.js with Tailwind CSS 🎨 DESIGN RULES • Follow the exact colors from the PRD • 44px minimum for all tap targets (thumb-friendly) • 8px spacing grid (all margins divisible by 8) • Smooth animations (200-300ms, ease-out) • Empty states: never show blank screens • Loading states: always show feedback 📦 DELIVERABLES □ Complete working codebase □ vercel.json (deployment config) □ manifest.json (PWA config) □ README.md (how to run locally)
Copy and paste this into your tool
SHIP
Three commands to the internet
Two Places for Your Code
Like Google Docs: you have a local copy and a cloud copy.
Git = Your Computer
Save points on your machine only.
- • Save your work often
- • Go back if you make a mistake
- • Works without internet
- • If computer breaks = code lost
GitHub = The Internet
Your code stored online.
- • Safe backup online
- • Open from any computer
- • Share with other people
- • Vercel can see it and build your app
git push = Send your code from computer to GitHub (like clicking "sync" in Google Docs)
The Three Commands
Open Terminal in your project folder and run these
git init git add . git commit -m "🚀 First version of my app" git remote add origin YOUR_GITHUB_URL git push -u origin main
Copy and paste this into your tool
What Does Vercel Do?
Vercel takes your code and puts it on the internet. Like a factory that makes your website.
Your Code
(on GitHub)
Vercel
(builds it)
Live Website
(anyone can see)
Auto Update
Push new code = website updates
Go Back
Made a mistake? Undo quickly
Your URL
yourapp.vercel.app — share with anyone
Deploy to Vercel
🎉
YOUR APP IS LIVE!
What is a PWA?
PWA = Progressive Web App = A website that works like a phone app.
Normal Website
- • Need internet to use
- • Type address every time
- • No icon on phone
Your PWA
- ✅ Can work offline
- ✅ Icon on home screen
- ✅ Opens like real app
App Store App
- • Download from App Store
- • Wait for Apple/Google approval
- • Uses lots of phone space
Simple: Share a link. Anyone can use it. They can add it to their phone. No app store. No download. No waiting.
Your Journey Checklist
Check off each station as you complete it
Total: ~47 minutes
You just built and shipped an app. Most people never do this once.
What's Next?
📋 Full Guide
Detailed documentation with troubleshooting
📝 Templates
All prompts ready to copy and paste
You just learned to build and ship apps with AI.
Now go create something.