From Idea to Deployment: Build an App in 24 Hours with Vibecoding

Five years ago, creating a web application took months and cost tens of thousands of dollars. Today, with vibecoding, you can go from idea to deployed app in 24 hours.

It's not magic — it's a method. This guide shows you exactly how to do it, hour by hour.

The 24-Hour Challenge

The goal: Start with a vague idea and end up with a functional, deployed application that you can show to the world.

What you'll have at the end:

• ✅ A responsive web app
• ✅ User authentication
• ✅ Working database
• ✅ Deployed to a public URL
• ✅ Ready to receive users

Tools used:

• Lovable or Bolt — App generation
• Cursor — Modifications and debugging
• Claude — Brainstorming and architecture
• Supabase — Backend (included with Lovable)
• Vercel/Netlify — Deployment

Ready? Let's go.

Hours 0-2: Validation and Planning

Hour 0: Choosing the Right Idea

Not all ideas are equal for a 24-hour sprint. Choose something that's:

✅ Achievable in 24h:

• List/todo app with specific features
• Dashboard to track something
• Internal tool for a specific workflow
• Landing page with waitlist
• Specialized calculator/converter

❌ Too ambitious:

• Complete social network
• Marketplace with payments
• App with custom-trained AI
• Real-time multiplayer game

Quick validation template:

My app allows [WHO] to [DO WHAT] for [BENEFIT].

Example: My app allows freelancers to track their time
by project to bill more accurately.

Hour 1: Architecture with Claude

Open Claude and describe your idea. Ask it to help define:

Prompt to use:

I want to create [APP DESCRIPTION] in 24 hours.

Help me define:
1. The 3-5 CORE features (no more)
2. The main user flow (max 5 steps)
3. The necessary screens (max 4-5)
4. The simplified data schema
5. What we can CUT for v1

Be brutal on prioritization - I only have 24h.

Expected result:

• Clear list of v1 features
• Mental wireframe of screens
• Simple database schema
• List of what we're NOT doing

Hour 2: Tool Setup

Create your accounts (if not already done):

1. Lovable — Free or Pro account
2. Supabase — Free
3. Vercel — Free
4. GitHub — For the code

Prepare your environment:

• Close distractions (notifications, emails)
• Prepare food (you won't be cooking)
• Put on a focus playlist

Hours 2-8: Building the MVP

Hours 2-4: Initial Generation with Lovable

This is the magic moment. Open Lovable and use a structured prompt.

Initial prompt template:

Create a [TYPE] application with the following specifications:

USERS:
[Who uses the app and why]

V1 FEATURES (5 max):
1. [Feature 1]
2. [Feature 2]
3. [Feature 3]
4. [Feature 4]
5. [Feature 5]

SCREENS:
1. Landing page with [elements]
2. Dashboard with [elements]
3. [Screen 3] with [elements]
4. Settings page

DESIGN:
- Style: modern, minimalist
- Primary color: [hex]
- Dark mode: yes/no

TECH:
- React + TypeScript + Tailwind + shadcn/ui
- Supabase for auth and database

Start with the landing page and authentication.

Tip: Don't be too specific at first. Let Lovable generate a first version, then iterate.

Hours 4-6: Rapid Iteration

The first generation won't be perfect. That's normal. Iterate with short prompts:

- The "Sign up" button should be more visible
- Add a loading state to the form
- Change the header color to #1a1a2e
- The dashboard should display [metric] first

80/20 rule: Spend 80% of the time on the 20% of features that really matter.

Hours 6-8: Core Features

Now that the structure is there, add the features that create your app's value:

Prompt for each feature:

Add the [NAME] feature:

BEHAVIOR:
- When the user [action], then [result]
- Data is stored in [table]
- Display [feedback] on success/error

UI:
- [Interface description]

Connect to the existing Supabase database.

Hour 8 checkpoint:

• Functional landing page
• Working authentication
• Main feature usable
• Data saved to database

Hours 8-14: Refinement and Secondary Features

Hours 8-10: UI Polish

The app works, but it's not beautiful yet. Time to polish:

UI checklist:

• Mobile responsive (test on your phone)
• Loading states on all buttons
• Clear error messages
• Empty states (when there's no data)
• Favicon and page title

Polish prompt:

Improve the application's UI/UX:

1. Add subtle animations (hover, transitions)
2. Improve empty states with illustrations
3. Add toasts for user feedback
4. Check everything is mobile responsive
5. Add loading skeletons

Hours 10-12: Secondary Features

If your main feature is solid, add 1-2 secondary features:

Examples of quick features to add:

• CSV export of data
• Filters and search
• Dark mode
• User profile page
• Notifications (toast, not push)

⚠️ Warning: Don't fall into the trap of adding too many features. A simple app that works is better than a complex buggy app.

Hours 12-14: Debugging with Cursor

Now it's time to switch to Cursor for fine corrections.

Why Cursor now?

• Lovable is perfect for generating, Cursor is perfect for fixing
• You have the code exported to GitHub
• You can debug line by line

Cursor workflow:

1. Clone the GitHub repo generated by Lovable
2. Open in Cursor
3. Use chat to identify bugs
4. Use Composer for multi-file fixes

Cursor debugging prompt:

I have a bug: [problem description]

Expected behavior: [what should happen]
Actual behavior: [what happens]

Here's the console error: [error]

Find and fix the problem.

Hours 14-20: Testing and Launch Preparation

Hours 14-16: Express User Testing

You don't have time for formal tests, but you can do quick tests:

Solo test (30 min):

1. Log out completely
2. Create a new account
3. Go through the entire user flow as a new user
4. Note every friction point

Friend test (1h):

1. Send the app to 2-3 friends
2. Ask them to use it WITHOUT explanation
3. Watch where they get stuck
4. Fix the 3 biggest problems

Hours 16-18: Critical Fixes

Based on tests, fix only what's blocking:

Blocking (fix):

• User can't sign up
• Main feature doesn't work
• Visible crash or error
• Data not saving

Non-blocking (note for later):

• It looks a bit ugly on some screens
• A secondary feature has a minor bug
• The wording isn't perfect

Hours 18-20: Deployment Preparation

Pre-deployment checklist:

## Technical
- [ ] Environment variables configured
- [ ] Supabase database in production
- [ ] No console.log or test data
- [ ] HTTPS configured

## Content
- [ ] Text proofread (no lorem ipsum)
- [ ] Images optimized
- [ ] Basic legal notices / ToS
- [ ] Custom 404 page

## Basic SEO
- [ ] Title and meta description on each page
- [ ] Open Graph for sharing
- [ ] Favicon

Hours 20-24: Deployment and Launch

Hours 20-21: Deployment on Vercel

Option 1: Direct deployment from Lovable Lovable offers one-click deployment. Simple but less control.

Option 2: Vercel deployment (recommended)

# 1. Clone your repo
git clone [your-repo]
cd [your-app]

# 2. Install Vercel CLI
npm i -g vercel

# 3. Deploy
vercel

# 4. Configure environment variables in Vercel dashboard

Environment variables to configure:

VITE_SUPABASE_URL=https://xxx.supabase.co
VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=eyJxxx...

Hours 21-22: Domain Configuration

Free option: Use the Vercel domain (your-app.vercel.app)

Custom option:

1. Buy a domain (~$10/year on Namecheap, Gandi)
2. Configure DNS in Vercel
3. Wait for propagation (few minutes to few hours)

Hours 22-23: Production Testing

Test EVERYTHING in production:

• Sign up works
• Login works
• Main feature works
• Data persists
• No console errors
• Works on mobile

Hours 23-24: Soft Launch

Share with a limited circle:

1. Post on Twitter/LinkedIn: "I just built APP in 24h, who wants to test?"
2. Send to your newsletter if you have one
3. Share in 2-3 relevant communities (Discord, Slack, Reddit)

Launch post template:

🚀 I built [APP] in 24h with vibecoding

[APP] allows [WHO] to [DO WHAT].

What I used:
- Lovable for generation
- Cursor for debugging
- Supabase for backend
- Vercel for deployment

Try it free: [LINK]

Feedback welcome! 🙏

After 24 Hours: What Now?

The First 48 Hours Post-Launch

1. Respond to ALL feedback — Early users are precious
2. Fix critical bugs — Quickly, no perfectionism
3. Note feature requests — For v2

The Following Week

1. Analyze metrics — Who uses what?
2. Prioritize roadmap — Based on data, not your intuitions
3. Communicate — Regular updates to early users

The Following Month

1. Iterate — v1.1, v1.2, etc.
2. Monetize? — If it makes sense
3. Scale — If traction is there

Recap: The Complete Timeline

Resources for Success

Vibecoding tools:

• Vibecoding Guide 2026 — Understand everything
• Lovable Free — For generation
• Bolt Free — Alternative to Lovable
• Cursor Free — For debugging
• Claude Free — For brainstorming

Practical guides:

• The 10 Best Prompts — Ready-to-use templates
• Vibecoding vs No-Code — Understand the differences
• Lovable vs Bolt — Which tool to choose?

Comparisons:

• Lovable vs v0 — For UI
• Cursor vs Copilot — For code

Final Words

24 hours is short. You'll have to make compromises, cut features, accept imperfection. That's normal.

The goal isn't to create the perfect app. It's to create something real, functional, and put it in front of users. The rest comes later.

The worst that can happen? You'll have learned a lot in 24 hours and you'll have something to show.

The best? You'll have launched the beginning of something big.

Now, close this article and start building. ⏱️