The key opportunity for solo developers building ChatGPT apps lies in collaborative utilities. Instead of creating simple search or display tools, focus on apps like spreadsheets, to-do lists, or whiteboards where ChatGPT can act as an active partner—filling in data, adding formulas, and generating content directly within your app's interface.
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The barrier to entry for building on the ChatGPT platform is remarkably low. Using modern AI-assisted coding tools, a solo developer or small team can realistically build and ship a working Minimum Viable Product for a ChatGPT app in under 30 days. This speed allows for rapid experimentation and iteration on new business ideas.
Monologue's developer treats AI tools like Claude Code and GPT-5 as his engineering team. He credits GPT-5's ability to navigate poorly documented, legacy Mac code from the 1980s as a "biggest unlock," enabling him to build a production-grade app without hiring specialist developers.
The most significant productivity gains come from applying AI to every stage of development, including research, planning, product marketing, and status updates. Limiting AI to just code generation misses the larger opportunity to automate the entire engineering process.
Instead of relying on one-off prompts, professionals can now rapidly build a collection of interconnected internal AI applications. This "personal software stack" can manage everything from investments and content creation to data analysis, creating a bespoke productivity system.
Tim McLear used AI coding assistants to build custom apps for niche workflows, like partial document transcription and field research photo logging. He emphasizes that "no one was going to make me this app." The ability for non-specialists to quickly create such hyper-specific internal tools is a key, empowering benefit of AI-assisted development.
The barrier to creating software is collapsing. Non-coders can now build sophisticated, personalized applications for specific workflows in under an hour. This points to a future where individuals and teams create their own disposable, custom tools, replacing subscriptions to numerous niche SaaS products.
Building a single, all-purpose AI is like hiring one person for every company role. To maximize accuracy and creativity, build multiple custom GPTs, each trained for a specific function like copywriting or operations, and have them collaborate.
Unlike the failed GPT Store which required users to actively search for apps, the new model contextually surfaces relevant apps based on user prompts. This passive discovery mechanism is a massive opportunity for developers, as users don't need to leave their natural workflow to find and use new tools.
Beyond its technical capabilities, OpenAI's app ecosystem within ChatGPT functions as a new distribution platform. For founders, this creates a strategic opportunity to build apps that serve as an interface layer to their product, opening a novel and potentially powerful channel for user acquisition and growth.
The new Spiral app, with its complex UI and multiple features, was built almost entirely by one person. This was made possible by leveraging AI coding agents like Droid and Claude, which dramatically accelerates the development process from idea to a beautiful, functional product.