From Helper to Builder: Why I'm Programming an App Every Couple of Days (And You Should Too)

On Monday, I told you the uncomfortable truth: AI is going to do to agencies what the Internet did to newspapers. The $5K retainer is already dead—it just doesn't know it yet.

But at the same time that disruption that's killing traditional agencies is also the biggest opportunity you'll ever see.

I'm not just talking about using ChatGPT to write better emails. I'm talking about something much bigger.

The Vibe Coding Revolution

There's a new way to build software that doesn't require you to learn Python or hire a team of developers. It's called "vibe coding.” If you haven’t heard of it yet don’t worry. The term was only coined in February.

You describe the vibe of what you want. The AI builds it. That’s the promise at least.

"I want an app that helps leadership teams run better meetings with a timer for each section and built-in transcription."

Boom.

"I need a dashboard that tracks my quarterly initiatives and sends automated follow-ups."

Done. In hours, not months.

When you get something working for the first time you feel like a god. I have created!

I've been programming an app every few days using tools like Replit and Bolt.new. Not because I'm some coding genius (I'm definitely not), but because AI has made software development accessible to anyone with a clear vision.

What I've Built in the Last Week

Here's what happens when you stop waiting for permission and start building:

Website: I started small and asked for a new website for OwnerRx. I uploaded my brand colors and fonts and gave it a couple of paragraphs of text. I asked for a modern looking SaaS website with one of those cartoon images in the hero spot.

It even built fake testimonials with people’s pictures and everything (I left them up so you can see them but they’ll soon be replaced by the real thing post launch!).The image didn’t work well but never fear, I went straight to Google Gemini and got the job done. But I was just getting going.

Leadership Team Meeting App: Built on the OwnerRx leadership meeting model. Has timers for each agenda section, manages issues and action items, tracks quarterly initiatives and KPIs. The kicker? Built-in WhisperAI transcription that breaks up meeting notes by agenda item. At the end, it evaluates your team against Lencioni's 5 Dysfunctions and sends action summaries.

Board of Titans Front and Backend: Turned my strategy feedback GPT into a full web app with database and user management.

OwnerRx Playbook Prototypes: Started building the actual coaching modules that will become the full platform. I built the Business Model Evaluation module and I’m moving on to a series of others this week.

Each one took hours or days and cost about $40 and counting, not months and six-figure budgets.

The Reality Check

Let's be honest—it's not perfect. I wasted three days trying to get single sign-on working across all the apps before giving up (there are third-party services for that anyway).

You have to be very patient. While these tools fill in gaps you didn't know existed, it leaves some things out. You forget apps need save buttons and error handling and a thousand other details.

And yes, Replit and Bolt are better for prototypes than production apps. If you want enterprise-grade software, you'll still need real developers using tools like Cursor or Windsurf.

But here's the thing: Most of these limitations will be solved within months. Soon you'll go from idea to working app in minutes.

The OwnerRx Pivot

This has completely changed how I think about OwnerRx as a product.

Instead of building one perfect app and hoping people love it, I'm going to release a series of mini-applications (sign up here if you want early access):

• Meeting management tools

• Content creation assistants

• Direct report management systems

• Financial visualization dashboards

• Business model optimization tools

• Strategic thinking frameworks

• Values development guides

• Marketing tactic selectors

I'll see what resonates and build more of that. Each app becomes a data collection point. Each user interaction teaches me what owners actually need.

I just need that single sign on so I can make sure user data is protected and segregated (still need the developers for that) and then I’m going to ship and ship and ship…

Why This Matters to You

Software allows scale. Scale creates data. Proprietary data becomes your moat.

Right now, while your competitors are still paying agencies $5K a month to do what AI can do for $50, you could be embedding your expertise into software that works 24/7.

Your unique process for onboarding clients? Build an app. Your proprietary method for improving team performance? Build an app. Your specific approach to financial planning? Build an app.

The tools exist today. The barrier isn't technical anymore—it's mental.

Your Move

Stop being a casualty of this transition. Start being the disruptor.

Register for my free webinar where I'll show you exactly how agencies can survive (and thrive) in the AI era. We'll cover the trends driving this shift and the specific tools you need to start using today.

And if you want to see where this is all heading, join the OwnerRx waitlist. You'll get early access to these mini-apps as I build them, plus insights into how other owners are using AI to scale their expertise.

The revolution isn't coming. It's here.

The question is: Are you building or getting built over?

Want business help without the relationship overhead? Join the OwnerRx waitlist at ownerinstitute.com

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