You can build the tool you need
In the past, if you needed a tool that did not exist, you looked for a similar program or paid a subscription for something you only used a small part of. Now all you need is the idea, or a similar tool to learn from, and AI writes the code.
For example, Mahmoud needed to record meetings and videos all the time, and most extensions offered a free trial followed by a subscription. So he built his own browser extension, which he uses every day. Then he made other extensions, such as one for downloading images and videos.
Tools you can build
| Tool type | Examples | Where to build it |
|---|---|---|
| Browser extension | Record your screen and meetings, download images from a page, or add a button that summarizes the page. | Claude or ChatGPT can write the files, with Claude Code or Codex for further development. |
| An app for your students or clients | An app where they can listen to lectures, book appointments, or track their work. | Lovable or Google AI Studio. |
| An app for everyday life | Habits, expenses, and prayer times. | Lovable or Gemini Canvas. |
| A custom version of your work system | A clinic or booking system with only what you use. | Lovable with a database. |
For general building and editing details, see the guide to building websites and apps.
A browser extension, step by step
- Describe the extension: what it does, where the button goes, and where the result is saved.
- Ask for the complete Chrome extension files and put them in one folder.
- Open chrome://extensions, enable Developer mode, click Load unpacked, and choose the folder.
- Try it. If an error appears, copy its message from the same page and send it to the assistant.
Copy the prompt as it is, or tailor it with your details first.
Tailor the prompt to your workOptional: add your details and the prompt adjusts itself
View full prompt
An app for your students or everyday life
In Lovable, you describe the app and it builds it with login and a database. It opens on a phone, and you can add a shortcut to the home screen. For example, an app for your students: each lecture has a page with the recording and summary, and students mark what they have finished.
Copy the prompt as it is, or tailor it with your details first.
Tailor the prompt to your workOptional: add your details and the prompt adjusts itself
View full prompt
Record your screen instead of describing it
The easiest way to communicate what you have in mind: record your screen while using a program or website you like, or while carrying out your workflow, and upload the video to Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude. Ask it to describe the tool first, review the description, then build it.
If you have the Claude or ChatGPT app installed on your computer, task mode (Cowork or Work) can access your computer to build, run, and test the tool itself. This makes a big difference for extensions and plugins, like those video editors build for their programs.
A custom version of a program you use
If you are a doctor with a clinic system full of features you do not use and missing others you need, take screenshots of the screens you work on and write down your daily steps and what is missing. Ask the assistant to analyze them and suggest a simpler version suited to your work, then build it.
The same idea applies to a tool you like: send screenshots and say, “Like this, but in Arabic, with a button that saves to Drive.”
Try it now
Your first tool
Think of something you pay a subscription for but use only a small part of, or something you do manually every day. Describe it in 5 lines, build the first version, and use it for a week before adding more.