Many students in Sri Lanka believe they need a high Z-score to enter a top university for a Software Engineering degree just to build a mobile or web application. However, technology has evolved. You no longer need to know coding to build functional software. This guide explains how to build a working mindfulness app using a free artificial intelligence tool called Z.ai, allowing you to bypass the monthly subscription fees of premium tools like ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro.

Feature	Traditional App Development	Z.ai (Agentic Mode)	Claude Pro (Paid Alternative)
Cost	High (Developer fees or time)	Free	$20/month subscription
Skill Requirement	Programming degrees and coding	Plain English instructions	Plain English instructions
Time to Build	Weeks to months	One session (Minutes)	One session (Minutes)
Hosting	Paid servers	Z.ai space (Free)	Cloudflare Workers (Free tier)
Role Required	Coder Mindset	Director Mindset	Director Mindset

Moving from a Coder Mindset to a Director Mindset

The traditional education system focuses heavily on learning coding syntax. While learning Information Technology is valuable, the modern tech landscape requires a “director mindset.” This means you need to know exactly what kind of app to build and what problems it solves. You do not need a coder to build the initial version. You can act as the director, providing clear instructions to an AI agent, and let the AI write the code. Later, you can team up with a software engineer to scale the product.

What is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?

When starting, you should not try to build a massive, complex application. Instead, focus on a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). An MVP is a small, basic version of your app that has just enough features to work and test the market. It can always be upgraded later.

To start building, you can create an account on Z.ai, access its agentic mode, and type a simple prompt:

“I want to create an MVP version of a mindfulness app similar to Headspace. Ask me clarifying questions before you begin.”

The AI will then ask you about your preferred core features, design style, and audio content. Once you provide the answers, it will process the data and generate the app.

Building the Same App Using Claude Pro and Cloudflare

While Z.ai is an excellent free option, I also built the exact same mindfulness application using Claude Pro, Anthropic’s paid AI model. Claude is highly capable of generating clean, structured code for web applications.

To make the Claude version publicly accessible without paying for expensive servers, I hosted it using Cloudflare’s free hosting tier (Cloudflare Workers). This is a highly efficient way to deploy lightweight web applications globally for free. Both the Z.ai version and the Claude Pro version function identically, proving that the “director mindset” works across different AI platforms.

Core Features of the AI-Generated Mindfulness App

The resulting application is fully workable and can be used immediately to practice meditation or maintain mindfulness for five to fifteen minutes a day.

• Visual Breathing Guides: The app includes a visual element for breathing. Instead of a basic circle, you can instruct the AI to design a lotus flower or a gold orb that expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. You can easily customize the colours to suit your preference.
• Targeted Sessions: The app features specific modules like “Find your focus” and a self-guided 3-minute breath timer.
• Sleep and Relaxation: It includes a “Drift into sleep” feature for bedtime use.
• Body Scan: Users can practice mindfulness through a gradual body scan feature that focuses attention from head to toe.

Try the Live App Demos

You can view and interact with the actual apps generated using this exact method through the links below:

• Z.ai Final App: https://a1wht86bzfj1-d.space-z.ai/
• Claude Alternative App (Hosted on Cloudflare): https://quiet-disk-49cb.studentlanka.workers.dev/Breathing%20Room

Join Our AI Skills Class

You can use these same methods to build fitness apps, stock market trackers, or any other digital tool by simply giving the AI an existing app as a reference. The next batch of our AI skills class begins in late October or November. Follow our updates and join the programme to learn how to build digital products using the latest AI tools.