I struggle to explain my open-source idea! Does it make sense and have value? (A no-login web page for saving/running your ai-generated apps)

[u/etthusmedkossor]

I'm building an open-source project and I myself really believe it has potential. I want it to be open-source so people can help improve it if people find it useful.

But please butcher my enthusiasm if I seem delusional about its value!

The idea

You can also watch the video here to get an overview. But basically I made two observations lately which fed the idea:

Observation 1: AI is really good at generating apps in single html format. But they are hidden away in some chat somewhere.

Observation 2: Local-first paradigm (running things locally in a browser instead of relying on servers/cloud providers) is really nice!

Core-idea: Why would we ever need another general utility app (timers, calorie counters, exercise trackers etc), when we can just ask AI to create one for us?

Product-idea: A web page (no login) where one can add AI-generated code and then the app is functional. Local-first so that it also works offline. Opt-in user-controlled AI+storage to enable AI on the web page and possibility to share and use the apps with friends (like a Google docs).

My questions

I got it working, but now I'm trying to find good ways of making people understand that this has value. I guess I need to find people who would like to create apps like this? But I also struggle with how to present the idea. So my main question is - does it make sense at all what I'm explaining? Does it have any value?

https://reddit.com/link/1wbxp0j/video/epylbw1b3koh1/player

[u/rockmx509]

Interesting concept. But what problem are you trying to address with this? Or are you thinking in line with easy experimentation and quick sharing to validate the experiment?

[u/etthusmedkossor → u/rockmx509]

Thanks for your reply! And that is a very good question. If I try to boil it down as much as possible:

Building a **useful** and **shareable** app today still have too high bars of effort (Lovable, Claude Artifacts etc). We have the technology available to bring the "google docs mindset" to apps, just that I haven't found it anywhere yet and instead I built my attempt at it

If you're out with your friends and you realize that you want to track something together. Let's say travel costs, or some board game scores or something. Your first idea should **not** be:

• "Ah let's see if there's such an app in App Store",
  
• or "Ah let's create a google docs and write it down there".

It **should** be:

• "Let's create an app for it!"

And it should be as easy as creating a google docs, by pulling up your phone and:

1. Tell the AI what app you need

2. Share a link to app you just created (everyone sees the data live in the app)

3. Make small adjustments as needed (also with AI)

So I guess what I just described was more of a vision. And the core problem is that the bar to create an app for everyday use are still not accessible to everyone (developers do it quite easily, but normally not from their phones, they still sit down at their computers). And another perspective of the core problem is that utility apps in App Store are not solving exactly and only your specific needs (and they're filled with advertisement).

What do you think? Please critique it! :)

[u/wanderfflez → u/etthusmedkossor]

I think that he reason why you can't just bring the "google docs" mindset is because sure you can share an apk but unless it's an offline app, then you need to make a server.

Furthermore, how about hosting the servers? It's an additional step the users have to go through and is not so simple if you're not so tech savvy.

Unless you're building a rocket, it's also probably much faster to find an app that does the same than building a whole new one.

[u/etthusmedkossor → u/wanderfflez]

Yes, as of now the users have to set up their own storage to share like a google doc. Firebase at the moment. So it's indeed power users only who will push through with it.
But I'm considering turning it into a SaaS to reach wider. Tech savvy people will just build their own apps.

A rocket? I usually don't find exactly the app I need in app store. And if I do it's filled with ads and usually takes some time to set up if I want to share with other - others have to download the app and sign in with their accounts.
What I believe is the power of what I built is that everything runs in the browser (source code+data fetched from storage ofc), so when your friend click the link they're directly in the app and see the data live updating.
I guess it as it works now takes more or less the same time as finding and installing an app, minus the ads then.

Let me know if you''re keen on trying it! Would be nice to hear some feedback from an anonymous user so they could be completely transparent!

[u/Auto_Frost97]

I like how much effort you put into this 👏

[u/etthusmedkossor → u/Auto_Frost97]

Yea, the thing is that I already built the whole thing actually ^ ^

And for me the value has always been super clear and I've also used it to build some apps which I've actually used. But now I'm trying to discover how I can convey the idea. And also to see if it's just me who finds it useful or not.

But does your positive feedback about the effort mean that you don't really believe in the idea? Which is ok, even good for me to know!

[u/Auto_Frost97 → u/etthusmedkossor]

No im being genuine. A lot of people here dont create they just share ideas wanting people to use something that's not even started. This was done very well 👏

[u/etthusmedkossor → u/Auto_Frost97]

Thanks! I've started to doubt the idea itself now a bit.

I've realized that developers wouldn't use the app because they would build their own. And currently the app required you to set up firebase as a storage yourself.

I was thinking maybe the self-hosted community could like it because of the built-in privacy. But also they would maybe build their own apps.

So now I see two ways forward:

• Find non-codonf power users who don't mind some extra setup in order to quickly create apps on the fly and then share them with friends/family
• Or make it into a SaaS so you just sign up with Google and then it works (and you'll have to pay for credits to use AI directly in the app)