A Practical Software Directory for Solo Builders
by Lee Russel
This book will teach you how to create software that sells itself. Within its pages, you’ll discover a way to significantly increase your chances of a successful product launch. You’ll learn the secret of how to get paying customers lining up for your product before it’s been built. You’ll be able to launch your product safe in the knowledge that your customers want what you’re offering, because they’ve already given you an emphatic YES! Sound too good to be true? Through his Minimal Viable Launch process, Lee Russel can help you achieve these results and many more. He’s applied his years of experience launching software products and being a business owner into a system that will help you: Launch your product faster, without wasting time or money Develop software that people will actually pay for Get your first paying customers before you launch. In The Minimal Viable Launch, Lee shares his approach to accelerating startup growth for the first time outside of his agency. He takes you through the steps you need to follow to change your mindset as a founder and become a Minimal Viable Launcher, unlocking a significant competitive advantage in the process. If you’re ready to learn how to iterate with conversations, not code, and are prepared to leave your assumptions about product development at the door, this is the book for you.
LEARN MORE →Turning a useful idea into a working application
An app can help customers use a service, give people access to information or make a repeated business task easier.
Tools in this category will help you to...
Build screens, organise data, add features and prepare an app for people to use. Some tools work through written instructions or visual building blocks; others help you write and understand code. Start with one useful task and a small first version. Check how the app will be published, what users can access and what it will cost to keep it running.
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The directory is developing incrementally. We’ll add research and first-hand testing as we carry them out, while keeping straightforward listings useful for discovery.
Bolt.new builds apps and websites from written instructions in your browser. Describe what you need, review the generated screens and functionality, then refine the result through chat, visual adjustments or direct code editing. Built-in hosting and database tools help you develop and publish a working project. The free plan includes one million tokens per month, subject to a daily limit of 300,000. Tokens measure the text and code the AI processes, so larger projects and repeated changes can use the allowance quickly. Paid plans increase capacity and provide additional publishing and management options.
Referral offer: Eligible new users who sign up through our link receive 20% off their first three months on a monthly Pro or Teams plan, or 20% off their first annual subscription payment. The discount applies automatically at checkout.
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GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant for people building or modifying an app’s code. Use it in supported code editors and on GitHub to suggest code, explain unfamiliar files, investigate errors and help make changes across a project. It can support learning as you develop, while you manage the project and decide how the finished app will run and be published. The free plan includes 2,000 code completions per month and a limited monthly allowance for AI chat and agent features. Paid plans increase allowances and provide additional development tools.
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Lovable turns written instructions into a web app, bringing together its screens, data and working features. Describe a dashboard, customer portal or other useful tool, then refine the result through conversation, visual changes or code editing. Database connections, user sign-ups and publishing tools support developing the idea further. The free plan provides five build credits daily, capped at thirty per month. Credits are used when AI builds or changes your project. Paid plans provide more capacity and additional options. Running a published app and powering its AI features also use allowances, so check ongoing costs as activity grows.
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Softr is a visual app builder for customer portals, dashboards and internal business tools. Start from a template or describe an app to its AI assistant, then organise pages using reusable blocks. Connect Softr’s database or existing data from services such as Airtable and Google Sheets. The ongoing free plan includes unlimited apps, five logged-in app users, 5,000 database records and limited AI and workflow usage. You can continue editing visually after AI credits run out. Paid tiers increase allowances and unlock options such as custom domains, more detailed access controls and removal of Softr branding.
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Zite builds business apps from written instructions, combining the interface, database, user access and working processes. Create a customer portal, inventory tracker, approval system or dashboard, then adjust it through chat and visual controls. Built-in workflows can connect forms, emails, data changes and other actions. Its ongoing free plan includes unlimited apps and users, fifty AI credits per month and up to 5,000 database records, with daily messaging and monthly workflow limits. Paid plans increase capacity, support custom domains and remove Zite branding. Its focus makes it particularly relevant to practical tools for teams and customers.
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Start with one useful task. Describe who the app is for, what they need to do and what a successful result looks like. A small working version gives you something to try before spending time and money on additional features.
A tool for your own use has different needs from an app with customer accounts, payments or private information. Decide what people should be able to see and change. These choices affect the tools, hosting and ongoing support your project will need.
Work through the app as a visitor would, using realistic examples. Check what happens when information is missing or entered incorrectly. An attractive preview is a starting point; allow time to check the finished app before relying on it for customers or business information.