I'm a product manager. And as a non-coding PM, the idea of building an app from scratch by myself used to be a distant dream. But by collaborating with ClaudeCode, I was able to build and launch Dognames in a single day.
(A quick note: My native language is Chinese, so this article was translated with the help of AI. Please excuse any awkward phrasing!)
Here's a breakdown of my workflow:
1. Discovering the Opportunity: I started with SEO research. Using Semrush, I found a golden keyword opportunity: "girl/boy dog names." It had high search volume but low keyword difficulty (KD).
2. From Idea to Concept (with AI as my user): I shared this initial idea with ClaudeCode. To dig deeper into the user needs, I had ClaudeCode role-play as a potential user. This conversation was a game-changer, pivoting the idea from a simple information aggregation site into an interactive, AI-powered quiz to generate name suggestions.
3. Structuring the Product: Next, we discussed the overall product architecture, including the SEO content system I planned to build out later. Based on our discussion, ClaudeCode generated a detailed Product Requirements Document (PRD.md).
4. Building the Core Functionality: With the plan in place, I had ClaudeCode start by building out the main user flow—the quiz. We focused on getting this core feature working end-to-end first.
5. Refining the Design: I quickly realized the initial design wasn't very appealing. So, I found some great design inspiration on Dribbble and fed it to ClaudeCode. It first analyzed the references to identify the design style, color palette, and key principles. Then, I had it compile this analysis into a formal Design Style Guide, which I manually reviewed and approved.
6. Designing the Homepage: To ensure the homepage was effective, I provided ClaudeCode with design principles from other excellent landing pages. This gave it a clear understanding of what information we needed to showcase.
7. Iterating on the Details: With all the reference material, ClaudeCode completed the homepage. However, some details were missing. I continued to work with it to add polish: a custom cursor, mobile responsiveness, and sourcing puppy images (I instructed it to use Unsplash or find royalty-free images online and download them).
8. Scaling with SEO & Internationalization: With the core product live, we moved on to building out the SEO system and handling multi-language support (i18n). This turned out to be the most time-consuming part of the entire project.
9. The Final Product: And finally, you have the product you see today. The entire process, from idea to launch, took less than 24 hours.
I'm sharing this case study to show that anyone who is willing to try has the opportunity to build the product they envision.
I hope you're inspired to build your own product, too. Even if very few people know about it, there's a special kind of accomplishment in creating something of your own, isn't there?