I Built an App in < 1 hour (And, Yeah, I Still Can't Code)

TL;DR – I used Lovable + Supabase to create a simple app with zero coding knowledge 🤖 🤓

Last week I wrote about how Suno AI created an amazing song for me. But I wasn't done exploring AI music tools. This time I wondered: Could I skip the tedious process of manually creating music in software like Ableton and just type what I hear in my head? Spoiler: yes—and it works surprisingly well!

And here’s a cute picture of me building stuff with my dad as a kid. AI is making it just as easy for us to build digital apps as adults and it’s also that fun!

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Why I Even Bothered 🥲

Confession: I'm a DJ who still has to Google basic music theory. Writing chord progressions by hand feels like drawing a masterpiece with crayons while blindfolded. One night I spent an entire hour creating just four bars of music. My excitement quickly turned into frustration.

So I set myself a challenge: Build a tool that takes a text description and automatically creates a music file. No complicated coding required.

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Why I needed both: Lovable builds what you see and interact with (the interface), while Supabase keeps track of all the information behind the scenes—like a digital filing cabinet that organizes everything automatically.

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How I Built It (Step-by-Step)

1. Planned the layout – I asked Lovable to create a simple page with a text box for describing music, options for key and tempo, a preview player, and a download button.

2. First attempt – The page looked good but couldn't save any information, so it didn't work properly.

3. Set up storage – I created a Supabase project, which is basically an instant online database (think of it as a spreadsheet in the cloud).

4. Connected everything – I linked the Lovable app to the Supabase database—now the app could save and retrieve information.

5. Added extra features – I included options to choose different instruments and save multiple ideas.

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How It Works (Super Simple) 🚀

1. Type something like: "Deep-house chords, key of G-minor, 122 BPM."

2. Click Generate.

3. Tap Play to hear what it created.

4. Not quite right? Tell it "more 7th chords" or other adjustments.

5. Hit Download and use the file in music software like Ableton.

From idea to playable music in under a minute. Amazing!

Try the beta here → midi-muse-scribe.lovable.app

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Where Lovable Could Level Up 🛠️

• UI ↔ Backend Alignment: Every control should trigger backend logic; visually flag any orphaned components so non‑engineers spot issues instantly.

• Human‑Friendly Errors: Swap stack traces for plain‑language messages plus a clear “Fix it for me” button.

• One‑Click Auto‑Patches: If Lovable detects a missing environment variable or database table, auto‑generate the patch and let the user approve.

• Visual Dependency Map: Show which front‑end widgets rely on which backend resources, with broken links highlighted in red.

• Usage Insights: Surface analytics on prompt success/failure so builders know where to iterate first.

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Product‑Manager Nuggets 💡

1. Prototype to De‑risk Scope: A working demo beats a 20‑page PRD at flushing out hidden requirements.

2. Iterate in Hourly Loops: Rapid feedback cycles uncover edge cases and unlock creativity before you over‑invest.

3. Technical Fluency, Zero Code Debt: Light hands‑on with schemas and APIs sharpens PM <> engineering dialogue without adding maintenance overhead.

4. Design by Doing: Interactive prototypes give designers real context, accelerating high‑fidelity work and reducing rework.

5. Role Convergence Is Real: Today’s PM straddles strategy, UX, data, and prompt engineering—lean into the hybrid skill set.

6. Metrics Early, Metrics Often: Even at prototype stage, track generation success and usage to build a habit of data‑driven iteration.

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What's Next 🎧

Creating this text-to-MIDI tool in just an afternoon started as a fun challenge but turned into something genuinely useful for my music workflow. If I can build this so quickly, imagine what's possible with more time!

Help me decide what to explore next:

• Do you have a favorite no-code tool I should try?

• Know any other AI music tools I should check out?

• Curious about something completely different?

Drop your suggestions in the comments, reply to this email, or message me on social media—I'll explore the most interesting ideas in my next post.

Thanks for reading and joining me on this creative journey!

This Week’s Extra 10% Assignments…

• Reflection of the week: I was struggling with a big decision this week and a good friend shared this thought exercise: “If we were talking about this decision 3 years down the road, which option would you regret having made, no matter the consequences?” … I expanded this to myself and thought, “which decision would I be the most proud to share with my kids one day?” …

• Figma’s AI Prototyping tool was just announced last week, check out the details here. I definitely plan on checking it out this week.

• Let me know your top questions and topics that YOU want me to write about by using this Google Form!

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Disclaimer: All opinions, experiments, and thoughts here are my own and don't represent the views of any current or former employer.