Stage 0
Welcome — let's get your software running.
By the end of this guide, you'll have a working SaaS app on your computer that you can see in your browser. The whole stack is engineered to launch with $0 in monthly platform costs — no subscriptions required to ship your idea.
Part of this guide is connecting your free Supabase project (your database and login) — your app needs it to run. When you finish, you'll be ready for Stage 1 of the journey, which walks you through your remaining free accounts (Stripe, Resend) and customizing your app.
What you're about to do
Nine short steps. None of them require coding experience.
- 1
Create your GitHub account
5 minutesthe login you'll reuse for Supabase, Vercel & Resend — and deploy from
- 2
Pick your editor and AI tier
15 minutesthe program you'll edit your app in — and the AI plan that does the work with you
- 3
Install Node and pnpm
5–10 minutesthe tools that run your app on your computer
- 4
Download the boilerplate
2 minutesyour starting code, in a ZIP file
- 5
Create your Supabase project
10–15 minutesyour database and login system — connect it before the first run
- 6
Set up your database
5–10 minutescreate your app's tables — essential; your app needs these before the first sign-in works
- 7
Run it for the first time
3 minutesopen your app in your browser
- 8
Tour the three regions
5 minuteslearn where your code lives and how to ask your AI for help safely
- 9
Continue to Stage 1
1 minutestart the journey inside your local app
Total time: about an hour if everything goes smoothly. Longer if you've never installed dev tools before — which is normal.
A note before you start
You're not going to learn to code today. You're going to set up your software business — which is a different thing. Throughout this guide, you'll be using AI tools (Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, etc.) to do the actual coding work for you. Your job is to:
- Follow the setup steps
- Give your AI clear instructions
- Review what the AI does
That's it. You don't need to read or write code. You don't need to memorize anything. We'll show you everything you need at each step.
If you get stuck
Every page in this guide has a “What to do if something went wrong” section near the bottom. If you're still stuck after that, click Support at the top of this page and we'll help you out.