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Lately, it feels like every other headline is about AI building apps from scratch. Just type in what you want, and — boom — fully functioning software. No developers, no planning, no problem, right?
Not quite.
No matter how good AI gets, business owners still need to understand how software is built. Why? Because AI isn’t magic. It doesn’t know what you actually want — it only knows what you tell it. And if you don’t know how to describe your software in clear, structured terms, you’re going to end up with a product that isn’t what you envisioned and doesn’t meet your customers’ needs.
The same way business owners today struggle with hiring developers because they don’t know how to explain what they need, they’ll struggle with AI-generated apps. The problem isn’t just who builds the software — it’s how well the requirements are defined.
So, what do you need to know?
1. Software architecture: The blueprint of your app
Imagine you tell AI: “Build me a marketplace app like Airbnb.” Cool. But what happens when it spits out a single-page website with a search bar and calls it a day?
Software architecture defines how your app is structured — what the different components are, how they interact, and what needs to happen under the hood. If you don’t understand front-end and back-end communication, APIs, and data storage, you won’t be able to troubleshoot when AI inevitably misses the mark.
Think of it like building a house. You wouldn’t tell a contractor, “Build me a house,” and expect it to turn out exactly the way you want. You’d specify the number of rooms, the layout, the materials — otherwise, you might end up with a kitchen in the basement and no bathrooms.
2. How data moves: Front-end, back end, and APIs
AI-generated software isn’t just about slapping together a user interface. Your app needs to store, retrieve, and update data, which means understanding how information moves between the front end (what users see) and the back end (where the magic happens).
For example:
- A booking app needs to save a user’s reservation, update availability in real time, and notify other users when a slot is taken.
- A fitness tracking app needs to collect sensor data, store historical logs, and generate insights based on user activity.
If you don’t specify these things, AI might build something that looks functional but doesn’t actually work the way you need it to.
3. User roles and stories: The details AI needs
Let’s say you ask AI to build a “subscription-based learning platform.” Great. But for whom? A student? An instructor? A content manager?
Every software product involves different user roles — each with unique permissions and interactions. Without defining user stories (how each user moves through the system), AI will default to the simplest version possible, which usually isn’t what you want.
For example:
- A doctor using an AI-built medical record system might accidentally see all patient data when they should only see their own patients.
- A marketplace app might let sellers edit anyone’s listings because user permissions weren’t clearly defined.
If you don’t think through these things upfront, AI won’t either.
What AI won’t replace in software development
Even if AI gets shockingly good at coding, there are things it won’t do well:
1. Strategic thinking and business logic
AI can generate a signup form. AI cannot decide whether your app should be free with in-app purchases, a one-time payment, or a subscription model. It doesn’t understand why users behave a certain way or what makes a business model work, because it’s never been in your business. It only knows what it has been taught.
2. User Experience (UX) and human behaviour
AI can design a UI layout. AI cannot predict how real people will use your app in the wild. Understanding human psychology, reducing friction, and designing for accessibility are all deeply human tasks.
3. Creative problem-solving and innovation
AI builds based on existing patterns. If you are building something, it’s likely going to be something different than what is already on the market. AI can’t generate software in a way that challenges norms or rethinks user interactions — it just remixes what already exists.
If you’re serious about using AI — or human developers — to build your app right, you need to start with the basics.
Want to get started? Grab my free roadmap for non-technical founders and learn the key things you need to know before building software.
