Building a Travel-Tech App with AI: My Journey from Zero Coding to MVP Launch

Creating a travel-tech app from scratch without any coding background sounds like a daunting task. Yet, with the help of AI tools, I managed to build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that assists airport travelers across major US airports. This post shares my experience using AI-powered coding assistants, the challenges I faced, and the next steps for this project.

Choosing AI Tools for Coding Assistance

Starting with zero knowledge in coding or web development, I turned to AI tools to help me write the app’s code. The main tools I used were Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Cursor. Each had strengths and weaknesses that shaped my development process.

• Claude handled about 90% of the coding. It was reliable for most tasks but started making errors and repeating itself as I neared daily prompt limits.

  
  

• ChatGPT often introduced errors and unnecessary information, sometimes breaking existing code.

  
  

• Gemini had very limited support for Kotlin, the language I used for Android development.

  
  

• Cursor was similar to Claude and could write more complex code, but once it started making mistakes, it became difficult to recover.

  
  

Claude was my main workhorse, but I had to switch between tools depending on the task and the quality of output.

Coding Kotlin app in Android Studio with AI assistance

Overcoming Key Technical Challenges

Two major hurdles slowed down the development:

Integrating Stripe Payments

Setting up Stripe payments was the toughest part. Claude struggled to generate working code for payment processing and secure transactions. I spent many hours testing and tweaking the code snippets it produced. Eventually, I got a basic payment flow working, but it needs refinement.

Connecting Firebase Properly

Firebase powers the app’s backend, handling user authentication, data storage, and real-time updates. Claude’s code for Firebase integration was inconsistent. Sometimes it worked perfectly, other times it caused crashes or failed to sync data. I patched these issues by trial and error, but a professional developer’s help is needed to polish this.

Development Timeline and Current Status

Building the MVP took about a month of part-time work to write the Android Studio code. Another month went into connecting Firebase and Stripe, mostly through trial, error, and AI-generated code fixes.

The app now supports real-time traveler assistance at all major US airports. It’s ready for testing with actual users, and soon it will be available on Google Play and Apple App Store.

Why I Need a Web Developer Now

Despite the progress, the app is not production-ready. The AI tools helped me get most of the code done, but the integration points—especially payments and backend—need polishing. I’m looking for a web developer to:

• Refine the Stripe payment system for security and reliability

  
  

• Stabilize Firebase connections and data handling

  
  

• Improve overall app performance and user experience

  
  

This work would take about a month of part-time effort.

Travel-tech app interface showing airport navigation and flight updates

Lessons Learned from Using AI for Coding

Using AI tools to build an app without prior coding knowledge taught me several lessons:

• AI can accelerate development but requires careful review and testing.

  
  

• Different AI tools excel at different tasks; no single tool is perfect.

  
  

• Daily prompt limits and AI errors can slow progress and cause frustration.

  
  

• Complex integrations like payments and backend services still need expert input.

  
  

Next Steps and Opportunities

The MVP is functional and ready for real-world testing. I’m currently seeking:

• Investors interested in travel technology and AI-driven development

  
  

• Technical co-founder to help take the app from MVP to full launch

  
  

• Connections through platforms like Y-Combinator to grow the project

  
  

If you are interested in supporting or joining this journey, please reach out.

Building this app has been a steep learning curve but also a rewarding experience. AI tools made coding accessible, but human expertise remains essential to deliver a polished product. The future of travel-tech looks promising with AI as a partner in development.

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