08 · Resources

Building a web and mobile app for a small business

Building an app for a small business today means writing one codebase that runs in the browser, on iPhone and on Android, with React Native and Expo, backed by a service such as Supabase. The first version can be live within weeks, and the store release comes next.

This category covers choosing between an installable web app and a native app, the cost of building an app depending on what it must do, publishing on the App Store and Google Play (developer accounts, review, common rejection reasons), and what an app costs once it runs: hosting, back end, updates. It also shares what we learn building our own apps, decisions and mistakes included.

Start with the guide

Vibe coding: AI codes fast, the product stays human

AI has removed real technical barriers, but it has not removed what makes a product. What is true and what is false in "anyone can do anything with computers", with examples in both directions.

5 articles

  • Stepping back8 min

    Are AI companions dangerous for teenagers?

    An American survey indicates that most teenagers have already talked to an AI companion, but its figures come from a campaigning non-profit and call for caution. The design question, though, is a legitimate one, and Europe has already answered it in part.

  • Stepping back7 min

    Should schools ban AI or teach it?

    An experiment on nearly a thousand high school students shows that a ChatGPT without guardrails helps during the exercises, then leaves lower marks than for students who never had it. A version designed as a tutor largely limits this effect: the debate is about how the tool is designed.

  • Choose and price6 min

    How much an app costs: what makes the price vary

    A price range says nothing about your project: what makes an app quote vary is a handful of specific decisions, plus a monthly running cost to be priced separately. Here they are.

  • Choose and price6 min

    PWA or native app: which to choose for your business?

    An installable web app (PWA) goes onto the home screen without going through the App Store or Google Play, and is enough in many cases, not all. Here is how to decide, and why we start with it.

  • Stepping back22 min

    Vibe coding: AI codes fast, the product stays human

    AI has removed real technical barriers, but it has not removed what makes a product. What is true and what is false in "anyone can do anything with computers", with examples in both directions.

WhatsApp