What's Next
You’ve learned the method. Here’s where to go from here.
The Guided Projects
If you haven’t already, work through the guided projects:
| Project | Platform | What You’ll Build |
|---|---|---|
| ColorDrop | macOS | Menu bar color picker |
| Weather | Web | Weather app with forecast |
| HabitTracker | iOS | Daily habit tracker |
Each gives you a concrete win — a real tool you built yourself. Start with whichever platform interests you most.
Project Ideas by Complexity
Once you’ve completed a guided project, here are ideas for what to build next.
Same Level as ColorDrop
Small, focused utilities. Completable in a single session.
| Project | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Clipboard History | Saves your recent copies, lets you paste old items |
| Quick Note | Menu bar app for capturing thoughts, syncs to a text file |
| Pomodoro Timer | Simple work/break timer with notifications |
| Unit Converter | Quick conversions (px/rem, colors, temperature) |
| Meeting Countdown | Shows time until your next calendar event |
These are all “scratch your own itch” projects — tools you’d actually use.
Slightly More Ambitious
Multi-screen apps or web projects. A few sessions to complete.
| Project | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Personal Site | Portfolio or blog, deployed to the internet |
| Simple iOS App | Basic utility app, could submit to App Store |
| Browser Extension | Adds functionality to Chrome/Safari |
| API-Connected Tool | Pulls data from a service (weather, stocks, etc.) |
| Habit Tracker | Daily check-ins with streak counting |
These involve more moving parts but use the same workflow.
Stretch Goals
Real products. Multiple sessions, more complexity.
| Project | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Full iOS App | Complete app with data persistence, settings, polish |
| Multi-Window Mac App | More sophisticated macOS utility |
| Something You Publish | An app you actually ship to users |
The workflow scales. Bigger projects just have more iterations.
What to Build First
The best project is one you’ll actually use.
Ask yourself:
- What small annoyance do I have daily?
- What tool do I wish existed?
- What would I pay $5 for if someone built it?
Build that. Motivation matters — it’s easier to push through challenges when you want the result.
Going Deeper
At some point, you might want to understand more about how code works. That’s fine — but it’s optional. You can build a lot without deep technical knowledge.
If you’re curious:
SwiftUI (Apple UI Framework)
- Apple’s SwiftUI Tutorials — Official, well-made
- You don’t need to complete these to build apps, but they explain why things work
General Programming Concepts
- When something comes up repeatedly, ask Claude to explain it
- “What is a function, really?” is a valid question
- Build understanding through use, not upfront study
The Community
- Indie iOS developers on Twitter/X
- r/SwiftUI on Reddit
- Various Discord servers for iOS dev
You’ll pick things up over time. There’s no rush.
The Real Lesson
This guide gave you a workflow. But the real lesson is simpler:
You can build things now.
Not “someday when you learn to code.” Not “after you take a course.” Now.
The tools exist. The method works. The only question is: what do you want to exist?
Start with something small. Ship it. Learn from it. Build the next thing.
That’s it. That’s the whole game.
Quick Reference
Keep these nearby as you build:
- Prompts Library — Copy-paste prompts for common tasks
- Templates — CLAUDE.md files and project starters
- Getting Unstuck — When things go wrong
- Projects: ColorDrop · Weather · HabitTracker
Good luck. Go build something.