One of the reasons I went into product development is because I like to dream about doing things differently. I want to invent and innovate.
AI is lowering the cost of knowledge and accelerating the speed at which we build things. It allowed me to build Quedar from an idea into a functioning iOS and Web App beta in just two weeks.
Do you have an idea that you want to develop? Here is how AI helped me with Quedar.
Identifying the Problem
It started on a Friday when I was scrolling through endless messages, trying to figure out the plans for the weekend. It was time-consuming and frustrating. After 30 minutes of searching, I still had no clear picture of what would happen that weekend, so I decided to explore this problem further.
Using the CRISP Framework
Using the CRISP Framework for product discovery, I had a solid hypothesis for a product in under an hour. It allowed me to:
- Clarify what outcomes I wanted to achieve
- Define customer personas
- Conduct high-level market research to understand existing solutions, their value propositions, strengths, and weaknesses
- Develop a value proposition
- Create several high-level concepts with corresponding experiences
- Outline options for the go-to-market strategy and monetization
Check this post out to learn more about how to Clarify your ideas
Weekend Validation
That weekend, I went full-on research mode to validate the idea. The information from the CRISP Framework made it easy to focus on understanding specific problems through qualitative research.
AI helped me create a landing page in a couple of hours. To get quantitative validation, I ran a 24-hour ad campaign, observing interesting traffic and click-through rates.
After 48 hours of validation, I understood the value proposition, experience, go-to-market strategy, and requirements. My goal was to get to beta as soon as possible, embracing an agile mindset to focus on one feature at a time.
Building the Beta
Once again, the CRISP Framework clarified the requirements for what I was building now to all the features I wanted to include later. This preparation helped me design the app’s architecture to support future features.
Co-creating the boilerplate code with AI allowed me to submit my first beta version to the App Store in a week and a half, together with a Web App that supports the experience.
This was my first time moving from managing product development to building the product independently. I had a theoretical understanding of what needed to be done but had never gotten into the details of how to do it.
Moving Forward
The plan is to keep learning how beta users use Quedar, slowly iterating and adding features before pushing the first version to the broader App Store.
Those two weeks were so exciting while I was validating and building. But I’m not going to lie; they were also frustrating. It was a significant learning process.
Key Learnings
1. Shift to a Manager-Creator Mindset:
As a creator, you need to articulate and express your vision clearly. Co-creating with AI requires the skill to ask for what you need and know what and when to delegate repetitive tasks to free up time for more impactful work.
If you’re a manager who likes to delegate tasks, you must learn how to create meaningful pieces of work. It’s not about directing anymore; it’s about getting your hands dirty.
2. Develop Critical Thinking Skills:
AI tools are not perfect. You need to develop a third eye to spot AI hallucinations (when the tool makes stuff up, like links to articles that don’t exist) and mistakes. Critical thinking skills will become more relevant as AI becomes ingrained in our daily lives.
3. Understand the Basics:
You need to understand how things work, but you don’t need to be an expert on every detail. I have never built an iOS app independently, and I am not a software engineer, but I understand the basic architecture (Model-ViewModel-View).
Learning how things work is crucial if you want to co-create with AI. Remember, you’ll be creating and directing simultaneously. It will save you a lot of time if you have a plan to follow.
4. Stay Humble:
AI accelerates your development process but also means you have to learn and adapt quickly. It’s very important to acknowledge the things that you don’t know. Be open to making mistakes. Learn from them. Iterate and refine. It is all about how quickly you can figure things out.
5. Use a Systematic Framework:
A systematic framework will significantly help you achieve your goals. The CRISP Framework was a game changer for Quedar, allowing me to validate my idea in under 48 hours and build the first beta in less than two weeks.
Turning an idea into a tangible product has been exciting and challenging. As I continue to learn from beta users and iterate on Quedar, I’m excited about the possibilities ahead.
Wrap Up
Do you have an idea that you’re passionate about bringing to life? AI can be a powerful ally in your journey, whether you’re just starting or looking to refine an existing concept. Book a consultation today, and let’s connect to explore how we can leverage these tools to innovate together.
