How I made a paid Mac app in 11 days with Caude – without writing a single line of code

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• I shipped a Mac app without writing a single line of code.
• Vibe coding took 502 directives, not one magic prompt.
• App Store promo images took almost as long as the app.

At around noon on Sunday, Sept. 20, I came up with an idea for a Mac app. One week later, on Sunday, Sept. 27, also around noon, I submitted my completed app to Apple. Four days later, Apple accepted the tool, and it went live on the App Store.

Also: AI completely changed how I develop iPhone apps … and I think I love it

This is the story of an unrelated assignment by a ZDNET editor, a happy accident, and vibe coding at its best. It began 30 years ago, with a giant library of icons.

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