5 Tools I Use To Build Revenue-Generating AI Web Apps

Vercel, Stripe, Lovable, Supabase, GitHub. Image by author

Becoming a full-stack developer typically demands years of dedicated learning and practical experience — until today.

Before the popularity of AI programming assistants, developers needed a deep understanding of programming languages like JavaScript and familiarity with at least one web framework to build front-end UI and implement back-end logic. Not to mention the technical knowledge required to implement databases, storage solutions, and payment systems.

Times have changed. As a 30-year-old software engineer, I certainly wouldn’t want to return to the days of traditional, lengthy learning processes.

I’ve been wanting to write this article for months now, but I haven’t had the time until today. If you’re not tech-savvy or lack programming experience yet want to build web applications, this article is for you. I’m going to share five essential tools you should know to build a revenue-generating application. I’ll also walk you through the process of building these apps step-by-step.

Here’s a summary of the workflow I usually follow:

1. Build the base application with AI tools Bolt, V0, or Loveable
2. Add a database with Supabase. Use this platform to integrate user registration and authentication too.
3. Implement the backend or features of the web app.
4. Implement subscriptions or one-time payments through Stripe.
5. Launch on Vercel and connect a custom domain.

Alright, let’s dive into the details.

1. Building the Application

The first step is creating the application’s basic structure — no backend or database just yet. Think of any app you’d like; I’ll use an image generator as an example. To design your user interface, tools like Bolt.new, Lovable.dev or V0.dev are excellent. This time, I’ll demonstrate using Lovable.

Design a website for AI image generation with:
Landing Page:
Modern hero image with clear CTAs.
Sign-up/login flow (no backend logic yet).
Dashboard:
Header with logo and user profile menu.
Image generation section (prompt input, generate button, image placeholder).
Gallery of previously generated images…