Hey everyone,

Yesterday was the last day of the No-Code x AI Bootcamp.

The last weekly deep dive I managed to write before the Bootcamp got crazy was when I publicly committed to putting my all into it to launch a functional MVP.

Read it here if you want to see me set unrealistic goals for myself.

One thing I can say is that I did it! 

I built a (barely) functional MVP in 3 days and achieved the goal I set for myself.

The thing I failed miserably at was sending regular updates here.

Consider today’s post to be one massive three-week update on:

• What I built last weekend.

• What I learned in the Bootcamp.

• And what’s next for me and the project.

Let’s get into it.

The Launch

You’d be forgiven for thinking that after finishing a rigorous 25-day Bootcamp where I had to learn a tonne of stuff for the first time, push myself to the limit and build an app in a weekend, I’d be exhausted and ready to chill.

However, a funny thing happened after I ended the final Zoom call of the Bootcamp and realised I wouldn’t be waking up to another daily email.

It was a similar feeling to when I quit my corporate job a year ago to the day. Like the feeling of riding a bike without training wheels for the first time.

It was the realisation that I’m on my own again, not without community, but that it’s all on me to carry the momentum I’ve created into the rest of 2024.

I actually have more energy right now than before I started the Bootcamp.

Although it’s a type of energy that I haven’t felt before — it’s a deep, internal energy that feels liberating, that’s telling me anything is possible as long as I apply the framework I’ve learnt.

I hope to carry this momentum forward, create some cool stuff, share my learnings and keep myself accountable here.

Before we get to that, let’s go through Yodex, the app I built last weekend.

What I built

Yodex is the funnest way for the next generation of entrepreneurs and creators to learn about finance.

I built this because I've been passionate about personal finance and investing for over a decade now.

And what better way to channel a passion than to solve a real-world problem.

I chose to focus on the challenge that Generation Alpha faces in becoming financially literate among the stock market bubbles and crypto scams of today.

Two-thirds of this generation and their parents rank finances as their most talked about issue, but they still only average 64% in financial literacy tests.

Coupled with the fact that they spend 2 hours on average per day on TikTok but only 9 minutes on average on Duolingo, there’s a huge disparity between what this generation wants to learn about and where their attention is.

Yodex aims to address this disparity with an interactive quiz that’s more educational about finance than an MBA while being as engaging and addictive as TikTok for its users.

I recorded (and stumbled through) a quick demo of the app for those interested — check it out here.

And if you’re brave enough to give the app a whirl, try it here.

A warning that it is still very unfinished. I’ve got a tonne of things to build into it before I get it in front of a wider audience.

But I'd love to get your feedback on the current UX.

• What content should I focus on?

• How can the app be more engaging?

Any thoughts you have will help improve it and get me out of the echo chamber that is my own chain of thought.

Finally, if you’re interested to know how I planned the build, the tools I used and what the roadmap for Yodex looks like, I’ve open-sourced my Notion planner for the internet to hold me to account.

While this announcement is all about how I built the app myself and what I plan to do with it, the reality is that I could never have done it without the help of the expert instructors and the community of builders.

Having people going through shared struggles and pushing each other to succeed is a truly special thing to witness.

Lots more to come with Yodex — I hope you enjoy v0.

What I learned

If I were to list everything I’ve learned from the Bootcamp, I would turn this post into an essay.

There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be sharing my learnings in the coming weeks, from more Deep Dives to the Sunday Space.

But if I were to sum up everything I learned for myself into one principled paragraph, it’d go something like this:

There are a tonne of ideas in there.

I’ll be expanding on them in the coming weeks and months as I continue to build Yodex and this newsletter.

What’s next?

Like the amount of lessons I have to share, the list of things I want to do with my new-found energy is endless.

First of all, there’s a mountain of features I want to build into Yodex. I’m most excited about the following:

• 1,000x’ing the content library of the app — this is crucial to simulate the feeling of scrolling through the “For You” page.

• Increasing the engagement features — think timers or progress bars to create urgency, scores attached to user profiles and social sharing.

• Building in AI functionality — from content creation to sentiment and user feedback.

• Building a premium service offering — AI tools and assistants for users to help them manage their money and invest.

While these are long-term goals, there are shorter-term features I’ll be focussing on in the next few days to get the app in a position where I can distribute it to my target audience.

For particulars on my launch strategy, check out the open-source app spec.

Aside from Yodex, I’ve got a laundry list of things I want to build. I might have to open-source my “ideas” soon…

And, of course, you’ll get to hear about my latest adventures first — it’s regular programming for the Stocks To Space newsletter from here on out.

Offers & Asks

If any of you have particular questions on my experience in the Bootcamp, about different tools/automation or anything really, just hit reply to this email.

I’d love to engage and help you along if you’re on a similar journey.

Finally, like in my original post, I have a small ask for you.

If you know anyone who might find value in Yodex, send them my way. Whether they’re a millennial parent or a young Roblox creator.

And if you have any ideas on how or where to market the app, let me know.

Most of all, if you give the app a whirl, make sure you send me the most unfiltered constructive criticism. That’s the only way I can make it better.

That’s all for today, friends. Damn, there’s just so much to build.

Speak to you all on Sunday.

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Thanks for reading today’s deep dive.

See you in the Sunday Space.

— Luca