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Feb 20, 2026
I Miss Old School Reading, So I’m Building This App
A 5-week build in public, something that you can actually do
Are you thinking about building an App, but don’t know how to begin?
Let’s do it together then.
App development is the process of designing, creating, testing, and deploying software. You’ve seen it everywhere; there are people on the internet telling you to just “start”, but when I started almost 3 years ago, I had no idea how to even put the simple HTML syntax together.
Now I’ll tell you about these steps, which help me build small projects and challenge myself daily.
You can see more about me here: https://fabblogs.laravel.cloud/
From my experiences, I like Oracle’s approach to application development just on a smaller scale. I am combining steps 1-3 (Gather and analyze requirements, Project planning, and Design and architecture) out of 8 into 1 discovery phase for smaller teams or one person, like myself.
There are plenty of things that we can build, and there is no right or wrong. So to kick off this Discovery Process, we will lean into
Step 1 - The Ideation Phase
The easiest way to think of potential ideas is to think of what will remove blockers for you or others.
For myself, I love to read, but I have a huge bookshelf full in my office that I have not finished yet. I find myself hopping from one book to another, but at this pace, I won’t hit my reading goal this year of 12 Titles. I’d like an app that can log the pages I read and estimate finish dates.
So Boom, we just sourced an idea! Most would start building immediately, and while it’s a start, it’s not all we need.
This is where the Discovery Stage thickens.
Step 1.2 - Target Audience
If we were to focus on the user experience, it would be best to look into other applications that have the same ideation. Not to copy, but to conduct market Research.
Here’s what I found, and my thoughts.
The Story Graph - Lovely if you appreciate your reading habits in graph form, a community feature, and Amazon-free
*Fable* - Newer, has habit streaks, community feature, and a monthly recap of your reads.
*Goodreads* - Amazon-owned, older, and out-of-date UI, but also has a community feature
*Bookmory* - Mobile app, has ads but quieter, journal-like, timer, and statistics built in.
I made a mental note about Amazon because there are multiple Reddits, websites, YouTube videos, and a site called socialjusticebooks.com that has literally stated
Amazon is a destructive force in the world of bookselling. Their business practices undermine the ability of independent bookstores — and therefore access to independent, progressive, and multicultural literature — to survive. Additionally, Amazon is harmful to local economies, labor, and the publishing world.
Well, I am not Amazon; that won’t be an ethical issue of ours.
So, the common themes I am seeing are:
Book Logging
Community Features
Book Summaries
That’s what our “competitors” are doing. I think features are where most developers start to get excited, though not me. The more features, the more headaches. It is important to me to focus on the major features and functionality first, and then over time dial in.
So, why wouldn’t I use one of the apps I mentioned above?
I actually have, and every single time I have been distracted from actually reading or never complete my reading goals through the app itself.
In 2026, there are so many distractions made by others that can throw us off. I kind of want the back-in-the-day book tracker feel without the clutter of other people, and ads!
Do you remember Library Cards? You’d go to your local library to check in and out books, and carry your book log in your binder. The Librarians themselves had logs on paper on their front desk.
There was no such thing as “you missed a day of reading” or groups that you are struggling to keep up with; that can feel intense to me. Bring back the quiet, snuggly, and warm spaces that make you romanticize reading again!
So let’s make one for people like me.
Next week, we will dive into 1.3 (Project Plan, Design, and Technical Factors). Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for showing up and being an innovator in this space. Because of you, I, too, welcome feedback and guidance.
Is there anything that you would like to note so far? What have your experiences been like in this stage? (If you are on my blog site ( https://fabblogs.laravel.cloud/ ), feel free to email me if you want to chat)
And of course, if you are interested in seeing where this will go in real time, follow along.
Let’s Build it Beautifully!
Fab
Additional Refrences + Resources:
“Step-by-Step Guide to Build Web Application Development.” Digital Aptech, https://digitalaptech.com/blogs/step-by-step-guide-to-build-web-application-development/.
“How to Develop an Application.” Kissflow, https://kissflow.com/application-development/how-to-develop-an-application/.
“What Is Application Development?” Oracle, https://www.oracle.com/application-development/what-is-application-development/.
“Why Do People Not Like Amazon When It Comes To…” Reddit, r/MangaCollectors, 2022, https://www.reddit.com/r/MangaCollectors/comments/surfss/why_do_people_not_like_amazon_when_it_comes_to/.
“Best Book Tracking Apps.” Snug Bookworm, https://snugbookworm.com/best-book-tracking-apps/.
Let’s do it together then.
App development is the process of designing, creating, testing, and deploying software. You’ve seen it everywhere; there are people on the internet telling you to just “start”, but when I started almost 3 years ago, I had no idea how to even put the simple HTML syntax together.
Now I’ll tell you about these steps, which help me build small projects and challenge myself daily.
You can see more about me here: https://fabblogs.laravel.cloud/
From my experiences, I like Oracle’s approach to application development just on a smaller scale. I am combining steps 1-3 (Gather and analyze requirements, Project planning, and Design and architecture) out of 8 into 1 discovery phase for smaller teams or one person, like myself.
There are plenty of things that we can build, and there is no right or wrong. So to kick off this Discovery Process, we will lean into
Step 1 - The Ideation Phase
The easiest way to think of potential ideas is to think of what will remove blockers for you or others.
For myself, I love to read, but I have a huge bookshelf full in my office that I have not finished yet. I find myself hopping from one book to another, but at this pace, I won’t hit my reading goal this year of 12 Titles. I’d like an app that can log the pages I read and estimate finish dates.
So Boom, we just sourced an idea! Most would start building immediately, and while it’s a start, it’s not all we need.
This is where the Discovery Stage thickens.
Step 1.2 - Target Audience
If we were to focus on the user experience, it would be best to look into other applications that have the same ideation. Not to copy, but to conduct market Research.
Here’s what I found, and my thoughts.
The Story Graph - Lovely if you appreciate your reading habits in graph form, a community feature, and Amazon-free
*Fable* - Newer, has habit streaks, community feature, and a monthly recap of your reads.
*Goodreads* - Amazon-owned, older, and out-of-date UI, but also has a community feature
*Bookmory* - Mobile app, has ads but quieter, journal-like, timer, and statistics built in.
I made a mental note about Amazon because there are multiple Reddits, websites, YouTube videos, and a site called socialjusticebooks.com that has literally stated
Amazon is a destructive force in the world of bookselling. Their business practices undermine the ability of independent bookstores — and therefore access to independent, progressive, and multicultural literature — to survive. Additionally, Amazon is harmful to local economies, labor, and the publishing world.
Well, I am not Amazon; that won’t be an ethical issue of ours.
So, the common themes I am seeing are:
Book Logging
Community Features
Book Summaries
That’s what our “competitors” are doing. I think features are where most developers start to get excited, though not me. The more features, the more headaches. It is important to me to focus on the major features and functionality first, and then over time dial in.
So, why wouldn’t I use one of the apps I mentioned above?
I actually have, and every single time I have been distracted from actually reading or never complete my reading goals through the app itself.
In 2026, there are so many distractions made by others that can throw us off. I kind of want the back-in-the-day book tracker feel without the clutter of other people, and ads!
Do you remember Library Cards? You’d go to your local library to check in and out books, and carry your book log in your binder. The Librarians themselves had logs on paper on their front desk.
There was no such thing as “you missed a day of reading” or groups that you are struggling to keep up with; that can feel intense to me. Bring back the quiet, snuggly, and warm spaces that make you romanticize reading again!
So let’s make one for people like me.
Next week, we will dive into 1.3 (Project Plan, Design, and Technical Factors). Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for showing up and being an innovator in this space. Because of you, I, too, welcome feedback and guidance.
Is there anything that you would like to note so far? What have your experiences been like in this stage? (If you are on my blog site ( https://fabblogs.laravel.cloud/ ), feel free to email me if you want to chat)
And of course, if you are interested in seeing where this will go in real time, follow along.
Let’s Build it Beautifully!
Fab
Additional Refrences + Resources:
“Step-by-Step Guide to Build Web Application Development.” Digital Aptech, https://digitalaptech.com/blogs/step-by-step-guide-to-build-web-application-development/.
“How to Develop an Application.” Kissflow, https://kissflow.com/application-development/how-to-develop-an-application/.
“What Is Application Development?” Oracle, https://www.oracle.com/application-development/what-is-application-development/.
“Why Do People Not Like Amazon When It Comes To…” Reddit, r/MangaCollectors, 2022, https://www.reddit.com/r/MangaCollectors/comments/surfss/why_do_people_not_like_amazon_when_it_comes_to/.
“Best Book Tracking Apps.” Snug Bookworm, https://snugbookworm.com/best-book-tracking-apps/.