Building an Android App with AI After Two Failed Attempts

The author built an educational Android app called BaalVidya in 2019 but failed to turn it into a full-fledged app. In 2023, he revisited the project and used AI to help with various development tasks, leading to a successful launch on the Google Play Store.

Details

The author initially built a simple learning website called BaalVidya in 2019 during the COVID-19 pandemic to help his daughter with daily practice. He then tried to turn it into an Android app, first by wrapping the website in a WebView, which was rejected by the Play Store, and then by starting a native app with a friend, but the project was abandoned midway. In 2023, the author decided to revisit the idea, this time using AI as a development partner. He used AI to help with tasks like choosing the tech stack, structuring backend APIs, generating Android UI components, fixing layout issues, debugging, generating assets, and writing Play Store metadata. This AI-assisted workflow drastically reduced the friction in development, allowing the author to complete the project mostly on weekends. The author observed that AI doesn't replace thinking but can accelerate execution, and that iteration becomes cheaper with AI support, making solo development viable for larger projects. The BaalVidya app is now live on the Google Play Store.