Follow screenshot-rich walkthroughs from setup to deployment.
Primary CTA: Start Building → (jump to the tutorial index)
Table of Contents
- Why Do Guided Builds Matter?
- Our Tutorial Framework
- Quick-Pick Project Matrix
- Tutorial Summaries & Deep-Links
- Getting Ready: Tools, Time & Budget
- Common Roadblocks (and Fixes)
- Monetise Your Build: 3 Fast Paths
- Beginner FAQ
- Start Building → Index & Filters
- Next Steps & Community Support
1 Why Do Guided Builds Matter?
Tool reviews tell you what’s possible; guided builds prove it by shipping a working MVP in a single sitting. Every step is:
- Beginner-safe – no CLI unless clearly flagged
- Time-boxed – most projects finish in ≤ 60 minutes
- Outcome-driven – each build ends with something you can demo, deploy or sell
These tutorials double as live case studies: we measure every click, latency spike and pricing quirk so you don’t learn the hard way.
2 Our Tutorial Framework
| Stage | What We Cover | Why It’s Helpful |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Tool sign-up, free-tier quirks, API keys | eliminates hours of googling |
| Build | Screenshot-by-screenshot workflow | keeps beginners unblocked |
| Test | Edge-case inputs, latency checks | ensures real-world reliability |
| Deploy | Hosting, share links, embed options | turns a sandbox toy into a live asset |
| Scale | Automation hooks, analytics, next upgrades | future-proofs your project |
Each tutorial includes copy-paste prompts, Notion checklists, and a Rollback Point so you can undo mistakes fast.
3 Quick-Pick Project Matrix
| Project | Skill Level | Build Time | Core Tools | Monetisation Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blog Headline Generator | 🟢 Beginner | ~30 min | ChatGPT Free, Notion AI | Lead magnet for content writers |
| Customer-Support Chatbot | 🟡 Adv. beginner | ~60 min | Botpress Cloud, Zapier | Reduce support costs, upsell premium |
| Idea-Validation Survey Bot | 🟢 Beginner | ~40 min | Google Forms, GPT-4o | Validate product ideas, collect emails |
| Deploy on a Budget (Outer) | 🟡 Adv. beginner | ~25 min | Vercel, Cloudflare Pages | Cut hosting costs for any side-project |
| Version Control Without Code (Outer) | 🟢 Beginner | ~30 min | GitHub Desktop, Notion | Safe backups, team collaboration |
Badge legend — 🟢 Plug-and-Play 🟡 Mild Curve
4 Tutorial Summaries & Deep-Links
4.1 Build a Blog Headline Generator
/tutorials/blog-headline-generator/
Create a Notion template that calls ChatGPT via Zapier, spits out 10 SEO-optimised titles, and stores them in a database—perfect lead-gen magnet for agencies.
4.2 Customer-Support Chatbot
/tutorials/customer-support-chatbot/
Drag-and-drop Botpress flows, upload your FAQ PDF, hook Zapier for ticket escalation. Free tier handles 2 000 messages/month; deploy to your site in under an hour.
4.3 Idea-Validation Survey Bot
/tutorials/idea-validation-bot/
Google Forms collects responses ➜ GPT-4o clusters feedback ➜ Sheets dashboard auto-scores demand. No coding, no paid add-ons.
4.4 Deploy on a Budget (Outer)
/tutorials/deploy-on-a-budget/
Choose between Vercel, Cloudflare Pages or Netlify. We benchmark cold-start times, free-tier limits, and show how to set up custom domains for <$2/year.
4.5 Version Control Without Code (Outer)
/tutorials/version-control-no-code/
GitHub Desktop + Notion change-log template = instant rollback safety net. Ideal for creators who fear Git CLI but need version history.
5 Getting Ready: Tools, Time & Budget
- Hardware: Any laptop with Chrome; optional mic for voice demos
- Accounts: Gmail or Microsoft ID, plus free plans of each tool above
- Budget: $0 to start; optional $20–$49 upgrades when you scale
- Time Blocks: Split builds into 25-minute focus sprints with 5-minute breaks—Pomodoro style
6 Common Roadblocks (and Fixes)
| Issue | Fast Fix | Tutorial Reference |
|---|---|---|
| API key not recognised | Double-check whitespace when pasting | Step 2 of every build |
| Exceeded free quota | Temporarily switch to GPT-3.5 or Bing | Blog Headline Gen, step 6 |
| CORS error on deploy | Add site URL to allowed origins in dashboard | Deploy on a Budget, step 4 |
| Git push fails | Use GitHub Desktop “publish” button instead of CLI | Version Control tutorial |
7 Monetise Your Build: 3 Fast Paths
- Freemium Lead Magnet – Give away the Headline Generator template, upsell premium Notion dashboard.
- Embedded SaaS Widget – Put your Chatbot behind a pricing tier after 200 monthly messages.
- Affiliate Automations – Share your Zapier scenario as a public template with affiliate link.
8 Beginner FAQ
Q: Do I need coding knowledge?
A: No. Copy-paste snippets and visual builders cover 90 % of steps. Optional JS hooks are clearly labelled.
Q: How do I keep costs near zero?
A: Stick to free tiers until your project hits usage limits. Section 4 of each tutorial outlines exact thresholds.
Q: Can I use these builds commercially?
A: Yes. All prompts, templates, and code snippets are MIT-licensed unless stated otherwise.
(More FAQs appear at the bottom of each individual tutorial.)
9 Start Building → Tutorial Index & Filters
- Filter by Skill: Beginner • Adv. Beginner • Intermediate
- Filter by Time: Under 30 min • 30-60 min • 60-90 min
- Filter by Tool: ChatGPT • Notion • Zapier • Botpress • Google Forms
Click any row to open the full step-by-step guide with screenshots, copy-paste prompts, and rollback checkpoints.
10 Next Steps & Community Support
- Grab the AI Side-Project Starter Playbook – cheat-sheets for every tool used here.
- Join our Discord – daily build-along sessions and peer code reviews.
- Share Your Launch – tag @mysideprojectworks on X; we retweet student projects weekly.
- Upgrade When Ready – need deeper automation? Jump to the AI Tool Reviews pillar.
Screenshot-rich builds. Zero-code stress. Real projects by Sunday night.
Start Building →