Second Edition · Just Released

A book by Omer Haderi

Build a real mobile app, even if you've never written a line of code.

The hands-on guide to creating Android and iOS apps with AI coding assistants. By the end of 24 chapters, you'll have an app live on both stores.

New in 2E: a chapter on finding and validating your idea, a monetization chapter with a RevenueCat paywall, and senior-reviewer prompts for catching what AI's first draft misses.

Get the book for $13.99 Buy on Amazon

Launch price ends June 30 · PDF

You have an app idea.
You don't know how to code.

Most coding tutorials teach you to write code. This one teaches you to direct an AI that writes the code for you.

By the end of 24 chapters, you'll have built and published HabitFlow, a complete habit tracker, on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Not a tutorial demo. A real app that strangers can download.

Who this book is for

Professionals

Shipping a side project after hours.

Entrepreneurs

Turning a product idea into something real.

Students

Building their first thing that runs.

Creatives

Who design before they build.

Returning hobbyists

Who tried code once and quit.

If you can use a web browser, install apps on your phone, and type in English, you have everything this book needs.

What you'll build

HabitFlow, a complete habit tracker for Android and iOS.

✓Daily tracking with streaks
✓Calendar heatmap of your progress
✓User accounts with password reset
✓Cloud sync across devices
✓Works offline
✓Push notification reminders
✓Statistics with charts
✓Light and dark mode
✓Smooth animations and iOS haptics
✓Published to both app stores

What's inside

24 chapters and 2 appendices take you from a blank page to a live store listing.

New: finding and validating your idea before you write a prompt
The mental model for how mobile apps actually work
Setting up Claude Code, VS Code, Expo, Node.js
The wireframe-to-prompt pattern (the core skill the book teaches)
Building every screen, step by step
Data persistence, then cloud sync with offline support
User accounts and authentication
Push notifications that actually arrive on time
Statistics with charts and analytics
Polishing the design system, adding animations
Accessibility: screen readers, touch targets, scalable text, reduced motion
Testing manually and with automated Jest tests
Publishing to Google Play (including the 14-day closed-test rule)
Publishing to the Apple App Store
Marketing, ASO, and growth strategies for indie apps
New: making money — the honest economics and a RevenueCat paywall
Maintaining and updating after launch
Troubleshooting common issues, with the universal debug process
"When AI Hits a Wall": the escalation ladder for when AI can't fix it
New appendix: senior-reviewer prompts for what the AI builds
New appendix: security, privacy, and app-store readiness checklist

What this book is, and what it isn't.

This book will teach you to plan, build, and publish an app. It won't make you a software engineer. Worth knowing before you start.

Think of it like getting a driver's license. You can drive anywhere you want to go, but you're not a Formula 1 engineer, and most journeys don't need one. The same is true for apps. Most ideas don't need deep engineering chops. They need someone who can plan, build, and ship.

That's what this book teaches you.

What you need

✓A computer (Mac, Windows, or Linux) from the last five years.
✓A smartphone for testing, either Android or iPhone.
✓About 8 to 12 weeks of evenings.
✓Willingness to follow instructions carefully.

That's it. No prior coding experience. No design degree. No bootcamp.

About the author

I've been writing software professionally for over twenty years. That makes me the wrong person, in some ways, to teach beginners. I haven't been one in a long time, and I'd be lying if I said I remember what it feels like to stare at a terminal for the first time.

Then last year, my ten-year-old son wanted to build an app.

I sat next to him while he learned, and for the first time in two decades I watched someone meet software development cold. I saw exactly where he stumbled, which errors confused him, which prompts produced nonsense, which steps the tutorials skipped because everyone assumes you already know. Four months ago, he published his app.

I went back through everything we'd done together (every prompt, every fix, every "wait, what?" moment) and turned it into this book.

Build Apps with AI is what I wish I'd handed him on day one.

Get the book

$13.99

$19.99

Launch pricing ends June 30.

✓PDF, ideal for following along on a second monitor
✓All 75 prompts on GitHub, ready to copy-paste

Buy on Payhip for $13.99 Buy on Amazon

Common questions

Do I need to know how to code?

No. Zero coding experience is assumed. The book teaches you to direct an AI that writes the code for you. You'll learn to recognize the code when you read it, but you won't write it yourself.

Which AI coding tool do I need?

Claude Code (by Anthropic) is the primary tool the book uses. Every prompt is also tested with OpenAI Codex CLI. Either works. You'll need an active Claude Pro subscription ($20/month) or an API key.

Do I need a Mac?

No. Any computer from the last five years works, whether Mac, Windows, or Linux. iOS builds run in the cloud, so you don't need Xcode (which would require a Mac).

How long will it take?

Eight to twelve weeks of evenings, a few hours per week. The book is designed to be picked up and put down. Each chapter leaves your app in a working state, so you can stop anywhere and come back later.

Will the book stay up to date?

Yes. Software changes constantly, so updates are pushed to the PDF and the GitHub companion repo.

Is this on Amazon?

Yes. The paperback is available on Amazon. Buying direct here saves you about 50% on the paperback price, and the author keeps more of what you pay. You also get instant access to the PDF and the GitHub prompts repo.

Stop wishing you could build apps. Pick this up and ship something.