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.
When you finish this guide, you'll be ready for Stage 1 of the journey, which walks you through connecting your free accounts (Supabase, Stripe, Resend) and customizing your app.
What you're about to do
Six short steps. None of them require coding experience.
- 1
Install a code editor
5 minutesthe program you'll use to look at and change your app's files
- 2
Install Node and pnpm
5 minutesthe tools that run your app on your computer
- 3
Download the boilerplate
2 minutesyour starting code, in a ZIP file
- 4
Run it for the first time
3 minutesopen your app in your browser
- 5
Tour the three regions
5 minuteslearn where your code lives and how to ask your AI for help safely
- 6
Continue to Stage 1
1 minutestart the journey inside your local app
Total time: about 30 minutes if everything goes smoothly. Closer to an hour 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.