Hey friends 👋

Dennis here. I just dropped a new YouTube video where I build a feedback app from scratch.

🎥 Watch it here →

But this video isn't just about the app. It's about the process I use to build any app. Because a lot of developers get stuck before they even start. They have an idea but no clear picture of how to actually turn it into something real.

Let me walk you through how I do it.

Step 1: The Idea

Before anything else, you need to know what you're building. Not just "a feedback app" but what should it actually do?

I sit down and brainstorm. Write down everything that comes to mind. For the feedback app, that looked something like: users can submit ideas, users can vote on other ideas, maximum one vote per user per idea, users can post anonymously.

Take 20 minutes and just think. Write it all down. This step influences everything that comes after.

Step 2: The Data Structure

Once you know what the app should do, you need to figure out how to store the data.

For this I like to use AI. I give it the context of what I want to build and ask what lists and columns I need. For the feedback app, Claude told me I need two SharePoint lists: one for the suggestions with columns like title, description, status, vote count, and is anonymous. And one for tracking votes with the suggestion ID, voter email, and date. You won't need AI for every app, but it can be a help especially when things get a bit bigger and more crowded.

You don't need a fancy prompt. Just explain what you want to build and what questions you have. The more context you give, the better the answer.

Step 3: The Design

This is where a lot of people struggle, especially in the beginning of the building journey. They open Power Apps and just start clicking around without knowing what they're building towards.

I do it differently. I use AI tools like v0.dev to create a visual prototype first. I describe the layout I want: nav bar at the top, input form on the left, gallery of cards on the right. I even sketch it roughly and attach that to my prompt. It's not a perfect drawing. Just a sketch how I imagine the app could look like.

Within seconds, I have a working preview. Not in Power Apps, but it doesn't matter. Now I can see what I'm building. And from there, rebuilding it in Power Apps becomes much easier because I'm not guessing anymore.

Step 4: Build It

Now comes the actual building. And because I did the previous steps, I know exactly what to do:

1. Build the nav bar

2. Build the input form

3. Build the gallery

4. Connect the data

5. Add the logic

It really saves a lot of time.

Step 5: Add the Logic

The last step is making everything work. For the feedback app, that means the voting system needs to check if a user already voted, add or remove votes accordingly, and update the vote count.

This is where having the right data structure from Step 2 pays off. If you planned it well, the logic becomes straightforward. And since your AI knows what you are building, it can help with PowerFX too.

Want to build it yourself?

You can download the CSV templates for the SharePoint lists here: CSV Download

Or if you want to skip the building part, the finished app is already in PowerLibs. Copy, paste, done!

👉 PowerLibs.com

Talk soon,

Dennis