What’s the best way to start building my app idea?

There are a lot of aspects to think about! If it absolutely has to be an app, you can share code between iOS and Android to an extent, but be ready to tweak for each platform. Alternatively, a Progressive Web App (PWA) might work if you're flexible. You'll also want to think about backend services for data storage and user logins. Tools like AWS or Azure can help, but they can be complex. You definitely need to be prepared for a whole lot of learning ahead!

If you're looking to develop for iOS, you'll need to learn Swift and its frameworks like SwiftUI or UIKit, plus use Xcode as your IDE. For Android, you'll want to pick up Kotlin and learn to use Android Studio. If you want to cover both platforms, you might consider React Native or Flutter, both of which allow cross-platform development. Learning some JavaScript with React Native can also set you up for web development later on, which is a nice bonus! It's a challenging journey, but really rewarding.

For non-coders, platforms like Lovable or Bubble can be a good start to bring your idea to life without diving deep into coding. They offer intuitive interfaces for building apps visually!

First off, coming up with an app idea is just the tip of the iceberg! There’s a lot to learn about app development. Yes, iOS and Android require different approaches, so you might want to consider learning Flutter, which lets you create apps for both platforms with one codebase. A website could be a good starting point if you just want to get your idea out quickly, but if you're aiming for a more refined version, be prepared for a hefty learning curve as you dive into the coding.

Hey there! I’m from Ireland too! For a smooth experience, I recommend Flutter for the frontend and Node for the backend. There are tons of YouTube tutorials and great documentation that can help you out. Plus, one codebase will work for both iOS and Android, which is super efficient!