Feb 23, 2026 Feb 23, 2026 2026-02-23

A couple of weeks ago I shared my blueprint for vibe coding iOS apps in coffee shops. The post was well received (and the Reddit snippet made over 250k views and 150+ comments).

If that was the actual schedule of my 3 hours work day, in this post I’m sharing something more practical: namely the lessons learned in the process. On top of that, I’m sharing what I call the “genesis prompt”. It’s the basis I use for any of my apps, and you can just copy and paste it.

Without further ado, let’s jump in, this post will be meaty, and the genesis prompt alone may take you 10+ minutes to read.

Lesson 1: Use Claude to write the prompt for Claude Code

You may choose a different reasoning model, but the core idea is that you need to have your reasoning separate from the specs. There is a mental space for thinking and another mental space for drafting actual tasks. I use my Assess Decide Do skills for this, meaning I do the research, the brainstorming and everything creative while the LLM is in Assess. Once I’m happy with how the app description looks, and I’m sure all the details are covered, I move to Decide, which means I tell the model: draft the prompt.md for Claude Code (or whatever code builder you use, Codex, Gemini, etc). From now on, I’m exclusively in Claude Code, unless I need to stop for something in lesson 2, below.

Lesson 2: Scaffold Aggressively

By scaffold I mean include in the initial prompt.md all the tiny things that you may usually overlook. That meant, in the beginning, I had to literally stop every time I encountered something time consuming, like the Manage encryption compliance setting in the TestFlight builds, and write it back to the genesis prompt, so the next app will have this integrated. Your specific development flow may have other tiny annoyances like this, just make sure you take the time to put them at the beginning of the workflow.

Lesson 3: Iterate Small and with Atomic Features

Any LLM, from a certain codebase size, will suffer from context squeeze. Meaning it will forget its recent history, or, most of the time, it will report incorrect progress (which I find really annoying). Example: it reports it finished the StoreKit integration, but then you ask about Restore Purchases, and it says: “you’re absolutely right, I didn’t implement this!”. The safest way around this annoyance is to keep track of what needs to be done, because that’s your job, for now, not the model’s job, and iterate with small, very well defined features / bug fixes, that you can then feed in lesson 4, below.

Lesson 4: Git Aggressively

Sometimes even the most advanced models are blundering, overwriting files or deleting them. It happened to me with a quite advanced model, Sonnet 4.6, just the other day. Because of a faulty reasoning path, it ended up deleting all my data files, by truncating them to an incorrect size. Had I not had a tight Git process, this would have been a little catastrophe (maybe not so small, actually). It takes discipline to keep committing (or not forgetting to tell the model to commit), but it pays big time.

Lesson 5: Treat your End Product like Disposable Inventory

If you did everything right, in about 6-7 days you will have an app ready for AppStore. That’s big. But not in the way you think it is. It may be big for you, because you get a significant chunk of validation, but market really doesn’t care. At the same time, all around the world, maybe 200,000 vibe coders are doing the exact same thing you did. The market is incredibly crowded right now, so please adjust your expectations. Think of your little app as being worth not more than one of your 50 items listed on the weekend garage sale. Of course, you may get lucky, and your app can get viral, but, again, given the current market conditions, this is more of an anomaly than the expected behavior.

The Genesis Mega Prompt

This is a 23 sections genesis prompt that covers all the basics in my workflow. The way I use this is to feed it as the “placeholder” to Claude after I’ve exhausted the Assess realm, meaning after I have a clear idea about the app I’m going to build, its design, monetization strategy, compliance requirements, etc. Then Claude does all the interpolation with the {{ }} blocks and gives me the complete prompt.md file which I feed to Claude Code.

If the description and content areas are well thought, Claude Code can easily one-shot your full app with this.

You can use this genesis prompt for free, just copy and paste.

# {{APP_NAME}} — iOS App Genesis Prompt

## 1. Project Overview

Build an iOS app called **"{{APP_NAME}}"** — {{APP_ONE_LINE_DESCRIPTION}}.

{{APP_DETAILED_DESCRIPTION}}

---

## 2. Technical Requirements

- **iOS version:** iOS 17+
- **Framework:** SwiftUI
- **Architecture:** MVVM with Swift Concurrency (async/await, actors)
- **Device support:** iPhone and iPad compatible (responsive layout)
- **Orientation:** {{ORIENTATION}}
  <!-- e.g., "Portrait primary, iPad supports landscape" / "Landscape only" -->
- **StoreKit 2** for In-App Purchases
- **AVSpeechSynthesizer** for Text-to-Speech (if applicable)
- **UserDefaults + FileManager** for local persistence
- **No backend required** unless explicitly noted below

### Additional Frameworks (app-specific)

{{ADDITIONAL_FRAMEWORKS}}

*Examples:*
- *AVFoundation + AudioToolbox for real-time audio generation*
- *URLSession for external API calls (e.g., Claude API, weather API)*
- *Core Location for location services*
- *UserNotifications for local notifications*
- *WidgetKit for home screen widgets*
- *AppIntents for Siri Shortcuts*
- *AdMob / Google Mobile Ads SDK for ad monetization*

### Required Xcode Capabilities

- In-App Purchase
- {{ADDITIONAL_CAPABILITIES}}

*Examples: Push Notifications, Background Modes: Audio, Location Services.*

---

## 3. Design System

### Color Palette

```swift
{{COLOR_PALETTE}}
```

*Define both Light and Dark mode values if applicable. Example keys:
background, surface, textPrimary, textSecondary, accent, accentLight, divider.
Plus any app-specific colors (layer indicators, category tints, etc.)*

### Typography

```swift
{{TYPOGRAPHY}}
```

*Define font families, sizes, weights for:
Headlines/titles, Body text, UI labels/buttons,
Any special-purpose text (serif reading fonts, rounded child-friendly fonts, etc.)*

### Spacing & Touch Targets

- Horizontal padding: {{HORIZONTAL_PADDING}}pt
- Minimum touch target: {{MIN_TOUCH_TARGET}}pt (44pt default, 60pt+ for child apps)
- Card internal padding: 16pt, gaps: 12pt
- Paragraph spacing (if reading app): 20pt

### Animations

- Screen transitions: 0.3s ease-out fade
- Interactive elements: subtle scale (0.98) on press
- Loading states: gentle pulse animation
- {{ANIMATION_PHILOSOPHY}}
  *e.g., "No jarring animations—everything should feel mindful" / "Organic wave visualizations"*

### App Icon Concept

{{APP_ICON_DESCRIPTION}}

---

## 4. App Structure

```
{{APP_NAME}}/
├── {{APP_NAME}}App.swift
├── Models/
│   ├── {{MODEL_FILES}}
│   └── ...
├── Views/
│   ├── {{VIEW_FILES_AND_SUBFOLDERS}}
│   └── ...
├── Services/
│   ├── StoreKitManager.swift
│   ├── {{SERVICE_FILES}}
│   └── ...
├── Data/
│   └── {{DATA_FILES}}
└── Assets.xcassets/
```

*List all model, view, and service files relevant to your app.
Include subfolder organization (e.g., Views/Home/, Views/Settings/, Views/Paywall/).*

---

## 5. Data Models

{{DATA_MODELS}}

*Define all Swift structs, enums, and classes with their properties.
Include Identifiable, Codable conformances.
Include computed properties and helper methods.*

---

## 6. Screen Specifications

{{SCREEN_SPECIFICATIONS}}

*For each screen, specify:*
- *Layout description (scroll view, split view, tab view, etc.)*
- *Component breakdown with visual hierarchy*
- *User interaction flows*
- *State variations (free vs. premium, empty vs. populated, online vs. offline)*
- *ASCII mockups where helpful*

---

## 7. In-App Purchase Configuration

### Product IDs

```swift
// Bundle identifier base: {{BUNDLE_ID}}

{{IAP_PRODUCT_IDS}}
```

*Examples:*
- *Non-consumable: "com.domain.app.featurename" at $X.XX*
- *Auto-renewable subscription: "com.domain.app.premium.monthly" at $X.XX/month*
- *Bundle: "com.domain.app.bundle.all" at $X.XX*

### StoreKit 2 Implementation

Use the modern StoreKit 2 Swift API:
- `Product.products(for:)` to load products
- `product.purchase()` for transactions
- `Transaction.currentEntitlements` for checking active purchases
- Listen for `Transaction.updates` for real-time transaction handling
- `AppStore.sync()` for restore purchases

### Purchase Flow

1. User taps locked feature / content
2. {{PARENTAL_GATE_STEP}}
   *("Show parental gate (math challenge) — required for Kids apps" or "N/A")*
3. Present purchase sheet with feature preview, price, and "Buy" button
4. {{BUNDLE_UPSELL}}
   *("Also show 'Get All Packs — $X.XX' option" or "N/A")*
5. Process purchase via StoreKit 2
6. On success, unlock content and persist state
7. Include "Restore Purchases" button in Settings and Paywall

### Premium State Management

- Store purchase status with receipt validation
- Check entitlements on app launch
- Update UI reactively via `@Published` / `@Observable`

### Paywall Design

{{PAYWALL_DESCRIPTION}}

*Describe the paywall screen: what triggers it, layout, feature comparison,
pricing display, CTA button styling, restore purchases link, terms & privacy links.*

---

## 8. Ad Monetization (if applicable)

{{AD_CONFIGURATION}}

*If using ads, specify:*
- *Ad SDK (e.g., Google AdMob)*
- *Ad types and placements (banner, interstitial, app open, rewarded)*
- *Frequency caps*
- *Ad unit IDs (test + production placeholders)*
- *Premium vs free ad visibility matrix*
- *Revenue model estimates*
- *SDK setup instructions (CocoaPods/SPM, Info.plist keys, initialization)*

*If no ads: "No ads. Revenue is IAP-only."*
*If Kids App: "No behavioral advertising permitted (Kids App compliance)."*

---

## 9. App-Specific Core Features

{{CORE_FEATURES}}

*This is where the unique functionality of your app goes. Examples:*
- *Audio engine with signal generation layers*
- *AI API integration with system prompts*
- *Text-to-speech with multi-language support*
- *Content browsing with reading progress*
- *Real-time visualizations*
- *Offline caching strategies*
- *Timer/scheduler functionality*
- *Widget and Siri Shortcuts integration*
- *Location-based features*

---

## 10. Content / Data Specification

{{CONTENT_SPECIFICATION}}

*Define all bundled content:*
- *Stories, vocabulary items, audio presets, etc.*
- *Content categories and distribution*
- *Content format (fields per item)*
- *Source attribution and licensing*
- *Placeholder vs. final content strategy*

---

## 11. Settings Screen

**Sections:**

{{SETTINGS_SECTIONS}}

*Common sections:*
- *App-specific preferences (voice, speed, theme, etc.)*
- *Notification preferences (if applicable)*
- *Account: Restore Purchases, Subscription status*
- *About: App version, Acknowledgments, Privacy Policy link, Rate App link*

### Cross-Promotion Banner (Settings footer)

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [App Icon]  {{PROMO_TEXT}}                      │
│                                           →     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

- Full width, tappable
- Opens App Store via `SKStoreProductViewController` or `UIApplication.shared.open(url)`
- {{PROMO_PARENTAL_GATE}}
  *("Behind parental gate (Kids apps)" or "Direct link")*
- Cross-promoted app URL: {{PROMO_APP_URL}}
- Subtle styling, does not dominate the settings screen

---

## 12. Persistence

### UserDefaults Keys

```swift
enum StorageKeys {
    static let isPremium = "isPremium"
    {{ADDITIONAL_STORAGE_KEYS}}
}
```

### File Storage (if needed)

{{FILE_STORAGE_STRATEGY}}

*Examples: Documents directory for progress JSON files,
Cached API responses for offline access,
Keychain for sensitive data (reward tracking, etc.)*

---

## 13. Offline Behavior

### Works Offline
{{OFFLINE_AVAILABLE}}

*Examples: All bundled content, TTS, reading progress, cached API responses.*

### Requires Internet
{{ONLINE_REQUIRED}}

*Examples: AI API calls, purchases/restore, weather data, initial content fetch.*

### Offline Indicators
- Subtle banner when offline: "You're offline. Some features limited."
- Disable network-dependent features gracefully with user-friendly messages

---

## 14. Kids App Compliance (if applicable)

{{KIDS_COMPLIANCE}}

*If this is a Kids App, include:*
- [ ] *No third-party analytics*
- [ ] *No behavioral advertising*
- [ ] *No external links without parental gate*
- [ ] *Parental gate before IAP*
- [ ] *Privacy policy URL ready*
- [ ] *Age rating set (e.g., "Made for Kids, Ages 5 and Under")*
- [ ] *"Made for Kids" flag enabled in App Store Connect*

*If not a Kids App: "Not applicable — standard App Store guidelines apply."*

---

## 15. Build Configuration & Compliance

### Encryption Export Compliance

Add to `Info.plist`:

```xml
<key>ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption</key>
<false/>
```

This prevents the manual encryption compliance questionnaire from blocking
**every single TestFlight build** in App Store Connect. Set to `false` if the app:
- Does NOT use custom encryption
- Only uses standard HTTPS (URLSession) for network calls
- Only uses Apple-provided encryption (StoreKit, etc.)

If your app uses custom encryption beyond standard HTTPS, set to `true`
and prepare export compliance documentation.

### App Transport Security

Standard ATS is fine for most apps. If you need non-HTTPS endpoints (rare):

```xml
<key>NSAppTransportSecurity</key>
<dict>
    <key>NSExceptionDomains</key>
    <dict>
        <!-- Add specific domains only if needed -->
    </dict>
</dict>
```

### Background Modes (if applicable)

```xml
<key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
<array>
    {{BACKGROUND_MODES}}
    <!-- Examples: <string>audio</string>, <string>location</string> -->
</array>
```

### Orientation Lock (if applicable)

```xml
<key>UISupportedInterfaceOrientations</key>
<array>
    {{SUPPORTED_ORIENTATIONS}}
    <!-- Portrait: UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait -->
    <!-- Landscape: UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeLeft, UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeRight -->
</array>
```

### Privacy Usage Descriptions

Add all required `NS...UsageDescription` keys to `Info.plist`:

```xml
{{PRIVACY_USAGE_DESCRIPTIONS}}
```

*Examples: NSSpeechRecognitionUsageDescription,
NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription, NSMicrophoneUsageDescription.*

---

## 16. App Store Metadata

### App Identity

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **App Name** | {{APP_NAME}} |
| **Bundle ID** | {{BUNDLE_ID}} |
| **Subtitle** | {{APP_SUBTITLE}} (max 30 characters) |
| **Primary Category** | {{PRIMARY_CATEGORY}} |
| **Secondary Category** | {{SECONDARY_CATEGORY}} |
| **Age Rating** | {{AGE_RATING}} |

### Description

```
{{APP_STORE_DESCRIPTION}}
```

*Write a compelling App Store description:*
- *Lead with the value proposition (first 3 lines visible before "more")*
- *Feature highlights*
- *Free vs. premium comparison*
- *Honest disclaimers if applicable*
- *4000 character max*

### Promotional Text

```
{{PROMOTIONAL_TEXT}}
```

*170 characters max. Can be updated without a new app version.*

### Keywords

```
{{KEYWORDS}}
```

*100 characters max, comma-separated. No spaces after commas.
Focus on discoverability. Avoid repeating words from app name.*

### What's New (for updates)

```
{{WHATS_NEW}}
```

### App Review Notes

```
{{APP_REVIEW_NOTES}}
```

*Include anything the review team needs to know:*
- *How to test IAP (sandbox account if needed)*
- *Explanation of non-obvious features*
- *Disclaimers (e.g., health/science claims)*
- *Background audio justification*
- *Demo credentials if login required*

### Screenshots Specification

| Device | Size | Orientation | Count |
|--------|------|-------------|-------|
| iPhone 6.9" | 1320 × 2868 | {{ORIENTATION}} | 6-10 |
| iPhone 6.7" | 1290 × 2796 | {{ORIENTATION}} | 6-10 |
| iPad 13" | 2064 × 2752 | {{ORIENTATION}} | 6-10 |

*Plan screenshot content:*
1. *Hero shot (main feature)*
2. *Key feature #1*
3. *Key feature #2*
4. *Premium/paywall value prop*
5. *Settings/customization*
*(Continue as needed, up to 10 per device)*

### Privacy Nutrition Label

```
{{PRIVACY_NUTRITION_LABEL}}
```

*Options:*
- *"Data Not Collected: We do not collect any data from this app."*
- *Or specify: Data Used to Track You / Data Linked to You / Data Not Linked to You*

### Privacy Policy URL

{{PRIVACY_POLICY_URL}}

### Support URL

{{SUPPORT_URL}}

### Marketing URL (optional)

{{MARKETING_URL}}

---

## 17. Data & Privacy Compliance

- {{DATA_COLLECTION_POLICY}}
  *e.g., "No personal data collected" / "Location used on-device only"*
- {{ANALYTICS_POLICY}}
  *e.g., "No analytics SDK" / "Firebase Analytics with anonymized data"*
- App Tracking Transparency: {{ATT_REQUIRED}}
  *"NOT required (no tracking)" / "Required — implement ATT prompt"*
- GDPR/CCPA: {{GDPR_NOTES}}

---

## 18. Implementation Priority

### Phase 1: Core Experience
{{PHASE_1_TASKS}}

### Phase 2: Polish & Secondary Features
{{PHASE_2_TASKS}}

### Phase 3: Monetization
{{PHASE_3_TASKS}}

### Phase 4: Final Polish & Submission
- Dark mode support (if not already implemented)
- iPad layout optimization
- Accessibility (VoiceOver, Dynamic Type)
- Error handling and edge cases
- App Store assets (screenshots, preview video)
- TestFlight beta testing

---

## 19. Build & Release Checklist

### Pre-Submission
- [ ] All core features functional and tested
- [ ] StoreKit 2 purchases work in sandbox
- [ ] Restore purchases works
- [ ] `ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption` set to `false` in Info.plist
- [ ] Privacy nutrition labels accurate in App Store Connect
- [ ] Privacy policy URL is live and accessible
- [ ] App Review notes written
- [ ] All placeholder values replaced (API keys, product IDs, URLs)
- [ ] No test/debug code in release build
- [ ] Performance profiled with Instruments
- {{ADDITIONAL_CHECKLIST_ITEMS}}

### App Store Connect Setup
- [ ] App record created with correct Bundle ID
- [ ] In-App Purchase products created and approved
- [ ] Screenshots uploaded for all required device sizes
- [ ] Description, keywords, and promotional text finalized
- [ ] Age rating questionnaire completed
- [ ] Pricing and availability set
- [ ] App Review information filled in (contact, notes, demo account)
- [ ] Build uploaded and selected
- [ ] Submit for review

---

## 20. App Entry Point

```swift
// Note: the struct name must be valid Swift — PascalCase, no spaces or hyphens.
// e.g., "Zen Tales" becomes ZenTalesApp, "MosquiGo" becomes MosquiGoApp.
@main
struct {{APP_NAME}}App: App {
    @StateObject private var storeManager = StoreKitManager()
    {{ADDITIONAL_STATE_OBJECTS}}

    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            {{ROOT_VIEW}}()
                .environmentObject(storeManager)
                {{ADDITIONAL_ENVIRONMENT_OBJECTS}}
                .onAppear {
                    Task {
                        await storeManager.checkEntitlement()
                    }
                }
        }
    }
}
```

---

## 21. Deliverable

A complete, buildable Xcode project with:
- All core functionality implemented
- Full UI matching design spec
- StoreKit 2 IAP setup (with placeholder product IDs)
- {{ADDITIONAL_DELIVERABLES}}
- Light and dark mode support
- Placeholder content where final content is pending
- All `{{PLACEHOLDER}}` values documented for easy replacement before release

---

## 22. Placeholder Reference

Before submission, search the project for `{{` and replace all placeholders:

| Placeholder | Description | Example |
|-------------|-------------|---------|
| `YOUR_API_KEY` | External API key | Obfuscated in production |
| `com.domain.app.*` | Product IDs | Match App Store Connect |
| `PROMO_APP_ID` | Cross-promoted app's App Store ID | `id6504167889` |
| `PRIVACY_POLICY_URL` | Live privacy policy page | `https://yourdomain.com/privacy` |
| {{ADDITIONAL_PLACEHOLDERS}} | | |

---

## 23. Notes

{{ADDITIONAL_NOTES}}

*Any final notes, known limitations, future roadmap ideas, scientific references,
third-party attribution, or other context the builder needs.*

Later edit: there’s a repo for the genesis mega prompt.