🌐 AI Helps Solo Founders Make A Website & App In Hours!

Introduction: The Solo Founder Revolution Is Here!

Hey there, future startup founder!

Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI) and other tech leaders believe the next $1 billion company could come from a solo founder. After reading this guide, that could very well be YOU!

I've spent countless hours experimenting with Google's latest AI tools - NotebookLM and Gemini 2.5 - and I'm blown away by what they can do. These free tools can act as an entire startup team, helping you research, build and promote your ideas more quickly than ever, including how to make a website.

I know someone who ran a marketing agency working with software companies from small startups to the biggest SaaS giants and they told me that these tools can match or even outperform what some of the best teams in the industry produce.

I’ll show you a complete workflow that helps you go from an idea to a working product in hours, not months!

What We're Building Today

To make this journey concrete, we'll follow the creation of an illustrative health tech application called "Blood Works". The concept is simple yet impactful: an app designed to consolidate a user's blood test results in one secure place and utilize AI to help them understand and interpret this complex data.

Sounds like a monumental task for one person? In the past, maybe. But with AI tools, it’s now possible. But by the end of this playbook, we’ll aim to conceptually outline:

• A functional web application prototype for "Blood Works".

• A professional, compelling landing page to attract users.

• A clear path to a hosted, publicly accessible version of the app.

• A foundational content marketing strategy to promote it.

And the primary power tools for this entire endeavor? Google's NotebookLM and Gemini 2.5. Are you ready to build and make a website? Let's begin the solo founder revolution!

Understanding Your AI Co-Pilots: A Quick Look at NotebookLM & Gemini 2.5

• NotebookLM: Think of NotebookLM as your AI-powered research assistant and personal knowledge base. It allows you to upload various sources (documents, PDFs, web links, text notes) and then "chat" with these sources. You can ask questions, summarize information, synthesize ideas and generate new content based only on the information you've provided. Its new "Discover" feature, which we'll explore, supercharges its ability to find relevant external sources for you.

• Gemini 2.5 (and its ecosystem, including potential Canvas mode): Gemini represents Google's latest family of powerful multimodal AI models. These models can understand and generate text, code, images and more. When accessed through interfaces that might include features like a "Canvas mode" (a more expansive, document-like workspace for AI interaction), Gemini can be used for complex creative tasks like drafting entire applications, writing long-form content and designing web pages - all crucial steps to make a website.

Now, let's put them to work.

Step 1: Research with NotebookLM's New "Discover" Feature

Every successful startup is built on a deep understanding of its potential users, the market landscape and the competitive environment. NotebookLM's "Discover" feature is a game-changer here, transforming it from just a personal knowledge tool into a proactive research engine.

NotebookLM just got a massive upgrade that changes everything. The new "Discover" feature means you no longer need to hop between different tools to find information - it's all built right in!

To start building our app, we need to understand three key areas:

1. User pain points.

2. Industry trends.

3. Competitors.

Finding User Pain Points

First, open a fresh NotebookLM notebook and click the "Discover sources" button. This is where the magic begins!

Enter this prompt (feel free to adjust for your own project):

Find sources on sites such as Reddit, Quora and niche forums to find user pain points regarding understanding, accessing and sharing blood work labs and similar healthcare data.

NotebookLM will return several relevant sources. Import them all and rename each one with "USER" at the beginning so you can easily identify them later.

Researching Industry Trends

Understanding broader market trends helps ensure your product is not only solving a current problem but is also aligned with future directions.

Next, go back to "Discover sources" and use this prompt:

Gather studies from leading consulting firms and other credible sources on consumer healthcare apps. Focus on trends. Exclude anything published before 2024.

Import these sources and label them with "TRENDS" at the beginning.

Finding Competitors

Finally, who is already trying to solve similar problems? What can you learn from their successes and failures? Discover your competition with this prompt:

Find the most successful consumer healthcare apps and tracking software. Please return only the homepage or app page of fast-growing startups or established market leaders. Ideally, a mix of both.

Import these and label them with "COMPETITOR" at the beginning.

Congratulations! You now have a powerful research asset for your startup idea with minimal effort. Let's put it to work!

Step 2: Analysis and Strategy

Now, it's time to transform that raw research into actionable insights and a clear plan for your Minimum Viable Product (MVP). NotebookLM excels at helping you analyze and synthesize information from your uploaded sources.

Pain Point Analysis

Now, head over to your NotebookLM chat and paste the following prompt:

Please analyze the pain points listed in these sources.

IMPORTANT: Make sure ONLY the "USER" sources are selected!

This will generate a summary of the most critical user pain points. Save this as a note, then convert it to a source and name it "USER PAINPOINTS".

Cross-Reference with Trends

Next, let's see how these pain points align with industry trends. In the same chat, unselect the user sources, select all the "TRENDS" sources and paste:

Please return an aggregate of industry trends related to healthcare data management, specifically focusing on areas that align with the user pain points we discussed earlier.

Save this as a source called "TRENDS SUMMARY".

Map Features for Your MVP

Now, select both your "USER PAINPOINTS" and "TRENDS SUMMARY" sources and ask:

Using the selected sources, please outline the key features of an app that addresses the identified concerns.

This will give you a detailed feature list but for an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), let's simplify it:

Please simplify this into 3-5 core features for a minimum viable product that addresses the most critical user needs while staying aligned with promising trends.

Generate Your Development Prompt

Finally, let's create a prompt that will help Gemini build our app. Ask NotebookLM:

Create a detailed prompt for Gemini 2.5 to develop a JavaScript-based MVP for this blood test tracking app. Include the core features we identified and specific implementation details.

This will generate a comprehensive prompt ready to feed into Gemini 2.5, helping you to make a website prototype!

Step 3: Building Your App with Gemini 2.5

Now comes the exciting part - building your actual app!

1. Carefully copy the entire detailed development prompt generated by NotebookLM in the previous step.

2. Go to Gemini.google.com.

3. Paste the prompt and turn on "Canvas" mode. If Gemini has this, activate it. This mode is often better for handling complex, multi-turn interactions and generating larger outputs like code. If not, a standard chat interface will work but you might need to manage the output in chunks.

4. Title it "Blood Works" (or your project name).

5. Let Gemini work its magic!

Within minutes, you'll have a working JavaScript app prototype! But we're not stopping there; we still need to make a website publicly accessible.

Step 4: Moving from Prototype to Hosted App

To move from a prototype to something people can actually use, you have two great options to make a website live:

Option 1: Firebase (Google's Development Platform)

1. Go to firebase.google.com (Google's platform for app hosting) and sign in.

2. From your Gemini session, carefully copy all the generated HTML, CSS and JavaScript code for your application.

3. Copy all the code from your Gemini prototype.

4. Paste it into Firebase.

5. Add this follow-up prompt:

Here's some code from an app I created. We can use this code as-is. Feel free to make any enhancements you want to improve on it and use Shadcn for better design.

Firebase will transform your single-file prototype into a proper multi-file codebase with improved structure!

Option 2: Replit (Easy Web Hosting)

Replit is known for its ease of use in getting web projects live quickly.

1. Set Up Replit: Go to replit.com and create an account/new "Repl" (Replit's term for a project environment). Choose an appropriate template (e.g., HTML, CSS, JS).

2. Use Replit AI (if available) or Manual Setup:

• If Replit's AI prompts you for how to start the project, you can try a prompt like:

Take the document attached and use this exact code. No need to change anything. I'm simply looking to create a new repl with this and host it on Replit.

• Then, copy the respective HTML, CSS and JavaScript sections from your Gemini-generated code into the corresponding files created by Replit.

  

3. Run and Deploy: Replit usually makes it very simple to run your project and get a live, shareable URL.

Either way, you'll have a live, hosted application in minutes! This is how you make a website ready for users.

Step 5: Creating Your Marketing Website

Now that your app is built, your amazing app needs a compelling landing page to introduce it to the world, explain its benefits and encourage sign-ups or downloads. Let's use our AI duo for this too to make a website that drives conversions!

1. Go back to NotebookLM

2. Select all your "COMPETITOR" sources plus your MVP feature list (to ensure your landing page accurately reflects your product).

3. Ask:

Based on a competitive analysis of the selected 'COMPETITOR' landing pages and considering our core 'MVP FEATURE LIST' for 'Blood Works', craft a detailed prompt for a large language model (like Gemini 2.5). This prompt should instruct the AI to generate the complete HTML, CSS and any necessary JavaScript for a visually compelling, persuasive and effective landing page. The landing page should:
Have a clear, attention-grabbing headline.
Succinctly explain the problem 'Blood Works' solves.
Showcase the 3-5 core MVP features and their benefits.
Include trust-building elements (even if placeholders for now, e.g., for testimonials or 'as seen on').
Have a clear Call to Action (e.g., 'Sign Up for Early Access,' 'Download the App').
Suggest a modern, clean and trustworthy design aesthetic suitable for a health tech app.

4. Copy this generated prompt into Gemini 2.5 with Canvas mode on.

5. You'll get a beautiful HTML landing page that matches your app's style.

6. Deploy it using Replit or Firebase, just like we did with the app.

Now you have both a working app AND a professional marketing website!

Step 6: Content Marketing Strategy

A great product and website are essential but you need to get the word out. Let's task NotebookLM and Gemini with creating a foundational content marketing strategy.

Go back to NotebookLM, select all your sources and ask:

Develop a content marketing strategy outlining four hub pieces of content (comprehensive guides or resources), each supported by four blog posts. Target key traffic sources like search engines, social media, email and communities where our potential users gather.

This will give you a complete content marketing plan with:

• 4 major "hub" content pieces.

• 16 supporting blog posts.

• Distribution strategies for each piece.

Creating Visual Assets

To really stand out, you'll want eye-catching visuals. Try this prompt in Gemini:

Design a visually compelling infographic titled 'The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Your Blood Test Results' that educates readers on blood testing basics, common markers and how to interpret reference ranges. The visual style should be clean, modern and trustworthy, similar to the aesthetic of a health tech app. If possible, follow the visual style cues from our app's landing page code
[PASTE YOUR Content Marketing Strategy]
 The infographic should be easily shareable on social media and embeddable in a blog post". 
[PASTE YOUR LANDING PAGE CODE]

We’ll have a new prompt for our visual assets. Copy it, go to a new chat in Gemini and paste it.

Gemini will create amazing infographics and interactive content that you can host on your website to attract and engage potential customers!

The Power of a One-Person Startup

Pause for a moment and consider what has just been conceptually achieved. Just a few short years ago, bringing an idea like "Blood Works" from concept to a deployed app with a marketing site and content strategy would have unequivocally required a team:

• A Product Manager (or market researcher) to identify pain points and trends.

• A UX/UI Designer to plan the interface and user experience.

• One or more Software Developers to build and debug the application.

• A Web Designer/Developer to create the marketing website.

• A Marketing Team (strategist, content writers, graphic designer) to plan and create promotional materials.

Today, as this workflow demonstrates, ONE DEDICATED PERSON, armed with the right AI tools like NotebookLM and Gemini 2.5, a clear vision and a willingness to learn and iterate, can orchestrate all of these functions, including how to make a website from scratch. And not just create them once but rapidly iterate, adapt to user feedback and continuously improve every aspect of the venture. This is the solo founder revolution.

Final Thoughts: Your Unfair Advantage

The technological landscape is changing at an unprecedented rate. Those who not only understand but also actively master these new AI tools will possess an almost unfair advantage over the competition. This AI-assisted workflow isn't about replacing human creativity; it’s about supercharging it.

Remember, many of the world's most significant success stories have emerged from individuals solving problems they've personally experienced. The "Blood Works" example was inspired by a real-world need. What challenges have you faced? What frustrations have you encountered that you suspect many others might be struggling with too?

With tools like NotebookLM for deep, AI-assisted research and strategy and Gemini 2.5 for powerful code and content generation, you now have the capability to take those personal insights and transform them into tangible, impactful solutions faster and more efficiently than ever before, including the ability to make a website with unparalleled ease.

The era of the AI-powered solo founder is not just dawning; it has arrived. The question is no longer if one person can build a massively successful company but who will be next.

What problem will you solve? What will you build? The tools are ready. Your journey starts now.

If you are interested in other topics and how AI is transforming different aspects of our lives or even in making money using AI with more detailed, step-by-step guidance, you can find our other articles here:

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