I’m Not an Engineer — I Built a Simple App with AI to Fix My Time Problem
I’m not an engineer.
I’m a contract worker in Japan.
Every few months, I have to decide whether to continue my job or walk away.
At some point, I started thinking:
“Is this really how I want to live?”
That’s when I began exploring ways to make money on the side.
My first step was using AI.
At the time, my job involved working with CSV data in Excel—calculating values, building databases, and creating dashboards for internal reports.
The work was repetitive. Copying formulas over and over again.
So I asked AI:
“Is there a better way to do this?”
The answer was VBA.
With that, a task that used to take over an hour was reduced to just 15 minutes—including printing.
I suddenly had more free time.
So I started learning more about AI.
Eventually, I created a set of VBA prompts designed to avoid errors and decided to sell them on note.
I thought: “This might actually work.”
But at the same time, AI itself was rapidly improving.
Soon, anyone could generate working code just by having a few back-and-forth conversations.
My prompts were no longer necessary.
That project ended.
Next, I tried YouTube Shorts.
I created videos about historical figures using psychology-based storytelling.
Using AI, I generated:
Images
Voice narration
Scripts
The videos reached around 1,500 views.
Not bad for a first attempt.
But as a side business, it was too demanding.
I stopped.
Then I tried LINE stickers.
That didn’t work either.
It requires a “quantity over quality” mindset, and that’s just not who I am.
I made one set—and that was it.
Eventually, I arrived at app development.
The idea came from a simple realization.
I saw a video about tracking your daily actions—writing down what you did each day to reflect and improve how you spend your time.
I thought it made sense.
So I decided to try it.
But then I noticed something.
“When I want to write something down immediately… do I even have a notebook nearby?”
No.
But I always have my phone.
So I thought:
“Why not just make an app?”
That’s how this project started.
With almost no prior research.
And yes—I was worried.
I’m not an engineer.
But I knew about AI agents.
So I used Google’s Antigravity to build it.
The first version was called “Zen Journal.”
It had a Japanese-inspired design—minimal, calm, and simple.
I was satisfied with it.
Until I tried to publish it.
There was already an app with the same name.
A complete lack of research on my part.
So I started over.
Not just the name—but the entire concept.
And that’s how I built:
ZERO LOG
The idea is simple:
No unnecessary features
No ads (one-time purchase)
No cloud (100% local storage)
No photos (this is not a diary)
One-tap logging with presets
It’s designed for people who can’t keep habits.
I made mistakes.
I took detours.
But everything led to this.
If you’ve ever struggled to keep track of your time…
Maybe this app is for you.
