The New Era of AI App Builders

THIS WEEK’S STORY

The AI Coding Gold Rush

2025 is a breakout year for AI startups, especially in the world of AI-assisted software development.

Cursor raised $900M at a $10B valuation. Windsurf, makers of Codeium, is being acquired by OpenAI for $3B. Both hit $100M+ in ARR with tiny teams and sky-high burn, proving that there's massive demand for tools that help people write code using natural language.

But the story doesn't end there.

Lovable, another rising star, has taken a different path. Instead of building dev tools for engineers, it's focused on empowering non-developers to build entire apps visually, powered by AI. It’s quietly grown a strong user base of solo founders, designers, and operators shipping full-stack apps without writing a line of code.

These companies are showing us something big:
You don’t need to be a traditional developer to build world-class software anymore.

Whether you're a marketer, designer, or a scrappy founder with no coding background, the tools being built today—by Cursor, Windsurf, Lovable, and others—are leveling the playing field. You can now ship faster, smarter, and with more power than most engineers had five years ago.

Of course, there are challenges.

Heavy reliance on third-party APIs makes startups fragile. Windsurf saw this when Anthropic limited access to Claude during its OpenAI talks. Infra costs are brutal. GPU access is scarce. Regulations are murky. And competition from giants like Microsoft-backed GitHub Copilot is fierce.

But despite all that, these AI-native startups are rewriting the rules of software creation.

They're not just helping people code. They're unlocking a future where anyone—regardless of technical skill—can build and shine like an expert.

This is the new frontier of software. And it's wide open.

HEADLINES

Apple to Open Its Foundation Models to Third Party Developers

At this year’s WWDC, Apple is expected to make a bold move: opening up its foundation models to third party developers. This could be one of the most important AI announcements Apple has made in years.

Instead of keeping its large language models locked inside Siri or internal tools, Apple plans to let developers tap directly into its on device models. That means faster AI features, more privacy, and less reliance on cloud based APIs from OpenAI or Google.

The implications are huge.

Native iOS apps will soon be able to run AI tasks locally like summarizing text, generating replies, or editing images without sending data to the cloud. That is a big win for speed, privacy, and the overall user experience.

Apple may still be playing catch up on flashy generative features like ChatGPT and Gemini, but this move is strategic. It gives iOS developers the tools to build powerful AI experiences directly into their apps using the iPhone’s hardware and software stack.

If Apple executes well, this could spark a new wave of AI powered apps built entirely on device and shift the momentum back in their favor.

THIS WEEK’S TIP

How to Promote Your Vibe-Coded App with $0

People think you need a big budget to break through the noise. That you need to raise money, run ads, and be everywhere at once.

Not true.

If you vibe-code your app, you only need a few users to be profitable. No investors. No burn. Just a clear product and a path to revenue.

So how do you get those first users?

Start with organic faceless TikTok marketing. It’s free. You don’t need to show your face. And you just need one post to pop.

The best play right now is to post 1 to 2 carousels every day. Make them simple. Talk about the problem your app solves. Keep posting. Stay consistent.

Soon you’ll hit $3k, $4k, even $5k MRR. From there, the sky opens up.

And once you find what works, automate the whole thing. Use n8n and AI to schedule, post, and reply. Your growth engine runs on autopilot.

Plenty of solo founders are doing this already. Try it. It works.

QUICK HITS

• Apple WWDC 2025 to Focus on OS Redesigns: Major UI overhauls coming to iOS 26, macOS 26, and more. AI updates will be minimal and utility-focused.

• Apple Opens AI Models to Developers: Third-party devs will soon access Apple’s LLMs to build native AI apps, boosting on-device AI capabilities.

• AI Upgrades for AirPods & Messages: Live translation for AirPods and AI-generated features like polls and translations coming to Messages.

• Google’s Gemini 3 Enables Real-Time AI Coding: Developers and AI agents can now code together live inside IDEs.

• Anthropic’s Claude 4 Prioritizes Secure AI Coding: New release reduces hallucinations and defends against AI-generated code threats.

And That is all for this week!

See you next Saturday!

Filippo

Filippo Pietrantonio

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