Building a $10,000 App with AI: A Step-by-Step Guide

Imagine creating an app that not only serves a purpose but also has the potential to earn you $10,000, all without writing a single line of code. Sounds too good to be true? Well, it's not! In this guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process of building a productivity app using artificial intelligence and various modern tools. From idealization to deployment, we'll cover everything you need to know to get started.

Step 1: Finding a Viral App Idea

The first and most crucial step in building an app is coming up with a viral idea. This involves solving a real problem in a simple way. To identify a viable app idea, it should meet these three essential criteria:

• Identify a Common Problem: Look for issues that are frustrating or emotionally charged. People download apps to solve their pain points.
• Keep It Simple: Your app's core functionality should be explainable in three words or less. For instance, “task manager” or “focus timer.”
• Make It Shareable: The app should be so helpful that users feel compelled to share it with others.

For this project, I decided to create an all-in-one productivity tool. After long hours of work, I realized how unproductive multitasking can be. My app will help users prioritize tasks, focus on one at a time, and chat with an AI to easily add new tasks.

Step 2: Finding App Designs

Next, we need to find viral app designs that we can legally replicate. For this, we will use Mobbin, a platform filled with over 300,000 UI & UX designs from popular apps like Duolingo, Spotify, and Netflix. It’s a treasure trove of inspiration!

To find suitable designs:

1. Go to the Mobbin website and click on the search bar.
2. Select the category that fits your app—since we’re creating a productivity app, I chose that category.
3. Pick a design that aligns with your app idea. I found a design that I felt was perfect for my concept.

Once you find a design, you can copy the entire flow of the app legally. Click the copy button, download the plugin, and paste it into a new Figma file to start customizing it.

Step 3: Structuring the App

Now that we have our design, it's time to create the structure of our app. This is a critical step that I refer to as creating the "brain" of the app. By structuring the app properly, we save ourselves a lot of time and frustration later on.

To begin, we will create two important files to guide our AI—Cursor AI—step by step:

• Context File: This file explains everything about your app to the AI. Write down all your thoughts about how the app should function, detailing the entire flow from start to finish.
• Development Plan: This will outline the steps needed to build the app.

Using Cursor AI, we can start building the app. If you haven’t downloaded Cursor yet, head over to their website to grab it. It’s free and offers a trial version of the pro features.

Step 4: Building the App with Cursor AI

Once you have your context file ready, open Cursor and create a new project folder. Name it something relevant, like "DeepWork AI." Create a documentation folder inside it and add your context file.

Cursor AI uses powerful AI models to write code for you. To start building, you’ll need to tag your context file so the AI can reference it. Open the terminal and use the command:

npx create-expo-app@latest with-router

Once your project is created, navigate to your project folder and run:

npx expo start

This will initialize your app and generate a QR code that you can scan with the Expo Go app on your phone to see the app in action!

Step 5: Setting Up the Backend

For the backend, we will use Supabase for our database and authentication. Create a new project in Supabase and get your public Anonymous token. This token will be essential for connecting your app to the database.

In your Cursor project, navigate to the environment file and paste the Supabase token and URL. Then, ask Cursor to build the login and signup pages for your app.

Step 6: Improving the UI of the App

After setting up the basic functionality, it’s time to improve the UI. Go back to Mobbin and explore more designs, copying the ones that you think would work well for your app. Paste them back into your Cursor project and ask the AI to use them as inspiration for improving your app's design.

This step significantly enhances the aesthetics of your app, making it look professional and user-friendly.

Step 7: Integrating AI Features

Now, let’s set up the AI chat feature using the DeepSeek API. This feature will allow users to interact with the app and add tasks via chat. Make sure to copy the API key into your environment file as well.

With everything set up, reload the app and test the AI chat feature. You should be able to add tasks just by typing in natural language!

Step 8: Deployment

Congratulations! Your app is now built and ready for deployment. To upload your app to both the App Store and Google Play Store, you will need to create developer accounts: an Apple Developer account ($99 annually) and a Google Play Developer account ($25 one-time fee).

In the terminal, you can use the command:

npm install eas-cli

This command installs the Expo Application Services, which you can then configure to build and publish your app.

Conclusion

Building a $10,000 app with AI is not just a dream—it’s an achievable reality. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a productivity app that helps users focus, prioritize tasks, and enhance their productivity without writing a single line of code. Remember to iterate and improve based on user feedback, and you could be on your way to creating a successful app!

If you want to dive deeper into AI development, feel free to check out BuildWithAI for more resources and articles.

Made from How To Build A $10,000 App with AI (Cursor + DeepSeek)