I built an app in 1 week without touching any code

👟 Topic: I built an app in 1 week without touching any code

👾 Get my AI Coding file: I’m documenting everything I learn about AI coding so you don’t have too. Get my personal notes below

With AdQuick, you can now easily plan, deploy and measure campaigns just as easily as digital ads, making them a no-brainer to add to your team’s toolbox.

You can learn more at www.AdQuick.com

A year ago, I knew nothing about building apps.

Today? I just shipped a fully functional expense tracker with a working database, user authentication, and security, all in 5 days.

No, I didn't suddenly become a coding wizard. And no, I didn't hire a developer.

I used AI tools. The right ones, after wasting time and money on the wrong ones.

Here's what happened, what I learned, and why I'm now confident I can build the networking app I promised you last week.

Two months ago, I started playing around with n8n; a no-code automation platform that lets you connect different tools together like building with LEGO blocks.

My idea? Build a workflow that would generate personalized cold emails automatically.

I spent weeks configuring nodes, connecting APIs, and testing prompts. And you know what? It kind of worked.

Like, it found me email contacts, and drafted messages.

The problem? The emails it generated were... bad.

Like, "clearly written by AI" bad. Generic. Unpolished. They needed so much human editing that I might as well have just written them from scratch.

That's when it hit me: AI shouldn't do your networking for you. It should empower you to do it better yourself.

So I pivoted.

Next, I heard about these vibe-code websites where you could describe what you want and the AI would build it for you. Lovable was getting a lot of buzz, so I gave it a shot.

At first, it was okay. It generated a decent-looking UI pretty quickly.

But then I tried to build something... real.

And that's when the cracks showed:

I was basically paying for a fancy prototype tool that couldn't ship anything production-ready.

Waste of money. Moving on.

But after the Lovable disappointment, I decided to give Cursor a shot.

For context: Cursor is an AI-powered code editor (think of it as a smarter version of VS Code), and Claude Code is an AI assistant that helps you write and debug code through conversation.

Setting it up was surprisingly simple.

To test it out, I built something I actually needed: an expense tracker. I recently moved downtown Toronto, and costs are no joke.

So I started building.

And honestly? I was blown away.

In 5 days, I had:

Let me be clear: I didn't write any code myself. But I understood what was happening. I could make changes. I could fix bugs. I could iterate.

That's the difference between these tools and something like Lovable. With Cursor + Claude Code, you're learning as you build.

You're not just generating output, you're actually understanding the underlying logic.

Last week, I told you I'm building an AI networking app that helps job seekers get in direct contact with decision makers, without needing resumes.

After testing out Cursor, I'm confident it can be built.

Here's what I'm planning:

🗣️ Main Feature: Voice-to-Cold-Email
AI prompts you to explain why you want to reach out to someone. You ramble for 30-60 seconds, think out loud, and just... talk. The AI then takes your thoughts and drafts an effective, personalized cold email that sounds like you.

No more staring at a blank screen. AI tailors the email, and it’ll still feel human, because it’s all based on your thoughts.

📆 Secondary Feature: Connection CRM
A simple tracker to manage your networking relationships, set follow-up reminders, and keep notes on previous conversations.

No more forgetting to follow up or forgetting why you connect with this person.

Your input will directly shape what I build.

If you’re tired of a broken job search and want early access to the app, the survey below takes 2 minutes max to fill - thanks in advance!

That’s all for today. If you enjoyed this post, share it with a friend!

If they subscribe, I’ll send you a interview guide!

To refer, use your unique link.

See you next Tuesday 🤝

-Michael Ly

Gmail tracks you. Proton doesn’t. Get private email that puts your data — and your privacy — first.

Ditch the Gmail data grab

{{rp_personalized_text}}

Or copy and paste your unique link to them: {{rp_refer_url}}