Stop talking about it. Build it.
Bring me the spreadsheet you hate. Leave with the tool that replaces it.
We sit down with one annoying problem, or the idea you keep putting off, and build the fix together. You leave with it live on its own link, knowing how to change it yourself.
This is one of my bigger builds. Your first tool will be much smaller, and that's the point.
Nights and weekends, I build small things.
hhaust.in
I wanted to build something that would help me and the people around me. It knows where you are, what day it is and what time it is, and shows the closest and best deals that are active right now.
See hhaust.in
Zipgun
Text your brain. I text myself notes, links, reminders and to-dos, and they file themselves into a searchable feed.
Try the Zipgun demo
Alpine
A first-person hiking game set before dawn, from an idea I had on a headlamp hike. The page is up to see who wants to play.
See AlpineYou watch it get built. Then you take the keys.
Start with a 30-minute call
Bring an idea, a problem, or the spreadsheet you hate. I ask questions until we both understand what you're after, then tell you straight what it will take. It's also how we both check we're a good fit before you commit to anything.
We build it together
Working sessions run by the hour, in person in downtown Austin, usually over coffee at Brew & Brew, or over Google Meet. You describe what you need in plain English, AI does the building, and I steer so it comes out right.
You leave with it live
Your tool is hosted on its own link, under your own accounts, not mine. You also get a one-page cheat sheet for asking for changes, so tool number two is on you.
Simple launch pricing.
Starter call
- Talk through your idea or problem
- I ask the questions that turn a fuzzy idea into a clear ask
- You get an honest read on what it will take
- We both make sure it's a good fit before you commit
- In person downtown or on Google Meet
Working session
- We build your tool together, live
- Hosting set up on your own accounts
- A one-page cheat sheet for making changes yourself
3-hour pack
- Three working hours, split however you like
- Works out to about $67 an hour
- Room for a bigger tool, or two small ones
What a first tool usually costs: a $30 starter call plus about one working hour at $75, so about $105 all in. Planning something bigger, or more than one tool? The 3-hour pack saves you $25.
Rather have it built for you? I do that too. Tell me what you need on the starter call and I'll quote it.
Small tools for real annoyances.
A quote calculator that knows your prices. A maintenance log for every unit you manage. An open house sign-in that builds your follow-up list. A stock count that flags what's running low. Or the thing currently living in a notes app and three spreadsheets.
This is for you if
- You have one annoying problem you deal with again and again
- You have an idea you want to see working, not just talk about
- You're willing to type what you want in plain English
It's not for you if
- You need card payments or health records
- You need a full product with a team behind it
- You already build with AI tools every week
What is Build Session?
Build Session is one-on-one coaching in downtown Austin, Texas, and over Google Meet, that teaches people to build and host their own small software tools using AI. No coding experience is needed. It starts with a $30, 30-minute starter call to shape your idea and make sure we're a good fit. Working sessions are $75 an hour, or $200 for a 3-hour pack, and most first tools take about an hour. Everything you build is yours, on your own accounts.
What people ask first.
Do I need to know how to code to build my own app with AI?
No. If you can describe your problem to a person, you can describe it to the AI. I show you how to ask so you get what you meant.
Are you selling me software?
No. Everything we build is yours, under accounts in your name. The AI tool we use has its own subscription, about $20 a month at the time of writing, which you pay to them directly, not to me. Hosting a small tool is usually free.
What if it breaks later?
The cheat sheet covers most fixes, because you fix it the same way we built it: by asking. If you would rather have backup, book another hour.
Is there anything you won't build?
Yes. Anything that takes card payments or stores health records. Those need a proper software team, and I'll tell you so before you book.
How much does it cost?
A 30-minute starter call is $30. Working sessions are $75 an hour, or $200 for a 3-hour pack, which saves you $25. Most first tools take about an hour, so about $105 all in. That's launch pricing.
Why is the first call paid?
Because it's real work, not a sales pitch. In 30 minutes I ask the questions that shape your idea into something buildable, and we both find out whether we're a good fit. If we're not, you leave with a clearer idea and no obligation.
Where do sessions happen?
In person in downtown Austin, Texas, or over Google Meet from anywhere. For in-person sessions we pick a spot downtown that's convenient for you. My first suggestion is usually Brew & Brew, my favorite coffee shop in Austin. I don't travel outside downtown for sessions.
What kinds of tools can I build?
Small ones that solve one problem well: calculators, trackers, sign-up pages, simple dashboards, and personal apps for you, your family or your team. Most first tools replace a spreadsheet or a manual chore.
Is this vibe coding?
That's one name for it. You describe what you want in plain English and AI writes the code. The difference here's that someone who has built software since 2014 sits with you and steers, so you end up with something that works and that you understand.
What tools will we use?
Claude Code, an AI coding tool from Anthropic, plus free accounts on GitHub and Netlify to store and host what you build. It's the same setup I use for my own projects.
Why not just learn this from YouTube?
You can, and plenty of people do. What a video can't do is look at your actual problem, tell you what's realistic, and get you unstuck in the moment. Setup and hosting are where people tend to stall, and that's the part we do together.
Can you just build it for me?
Yes. If you would rather hand it off, tell me what you need on the starter call and I'll quote it. You still own everything, on your own accounts.
What happens to my data?
We build with sample or scrubbed data wherever we can. I don't keep copies of your data after a session, and anything your tool stores lives in your own accounts.
Hi, I'm Charlie.
I'm a product manager, and I've been building software since 2014: mostly B2B products used by hundreds of thousands of people. Nights and weekends I build small things for myself, a happy hour finder, a notes app I text, a hiking game. The three above are real, and you can use them today.
For most of my career, software was something companies built for thousands of people. AI changed that. Now anyone with a real problem and an hour can build a tool for an audience of one, or their family, or a few friends. I've done it dozens of times, and I'll be honest: it's easier than people think. Most people just don't know where to start. That's the part I help with.
Start with 30 minutes.
Pick a 30-minute slot and tell me in a sentence or two what's annoying you, or the idea you keep coming back to. It's how we both make sure we're a good fit before you commit to anything.
- 1. Pick a time. Any open 30-minute slot on my calendar.
- 2. Send one line. What is annoying you, or the idea. I collect the $30 before we meet.
- 3. Show up. Downtown Austin or Google Meet. Bring a laptop.