Build a 100-day painting challenge tracker app with Claude Code

WorkedEvidence: Described by posterPosted Mar 11, 2026Last checked Nov 3, 2026

Non-coder CEO Amar Ghose had Claude Code ask questions, write docs and build a 100-day painting tracker in about 7–8 hours.

Source checked Nov 3, 2026
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I can't code, and I want to build a small web app for my wife's 100-day painting challenge. Before writing any code, interview me with every question you need about how the challenge works and how the app should feel. Then write a product doc, a technical doc and a design doc, and build it step by step in Rails and React so my wife can log each day, see progress toward Day 100 and share a public link.

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Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Build a simple web app that tracks a personal 100-day challenge and lets friends follow along.

Questions to ask me first:
- What is the challenge, and what gets logged each day?
- Who will use the app, and on which devices?
- Should progress be public, private or shareable by link?

Inputs (fill in or confirm):
- The challenge and daily entry: [CHALLENGE AND WHAT TO LOG]
- Who uses it: [USERS]
- Preferred tech stack, if any: [STACK OR 'YOUR CHOICE']
- Where it will be hosted: [HOSTING]
- Look and feel: [STYLE NOTES]

Rules:
- Interview me first and don't write code until I approve the plan.
- Write short product, technical and design docs before building.
- Explain each step in plain English, since I'm not a developer.
- Keep the first version small; list extra ideas separately.

Checkpoint: Show me the three docs and wait for my OK before you start building.

If you get stuck: If a setup or deploy step fails twice, stop, explain the error in plain words and give me two options.

Verify before you finish: Run the app, add a test entry, check the progress view and the share link, and tell me what you tested.

Output: The working app, the three docs, setup and hosting steps, and a short list of next features.

Done when: The person doing the challenge can log a day and see progress, and a shared link works.

AI tool

Claude Code

Outcome

Amar Ghose, the CEO of the software company ZenMaid, can't code. Ghose's wife Fran was doing a 100-day painting challenge, painting every day, posting it publicly and keeping count of the streak by hand. Ghose had Claude Code run an interview first, about 20 questions on how the challenge worked and how the app should feel, and then write product, technical and design documents before building anything. Working in Rails and React, the same stack ZenMaid uses, Ghose built Fran's Peak in about 7–8 hours: Fran logs each session, watches progress climb a visual mountain toward Day 100 and can share a link with followers. The app went live and Fran uses it every day. The AI picked the app's name, which neither of them likes. Ghose compares Claude Code to a talented but slightly overeager junior dev team and plans to rebuild the app from scratch with the lessons learned.

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Source

Posted: Mar 11, 2026 by Amar Ghose (The Amarican Dream)
Last checked: Nov 3, 2026
Method:: How we verify

https://theamaricandream.com/i-built-my-wife-an-app-i-still-cant-code/

Context: The exact prompt isn't quoted, so the prompt here is recreated. Ghose runs a software company and writes about building with AI. The app was built for one user; Ghose plans to rebuild it.