The Story of How I, a Programming Novice, Built a Coffee Tracking App with ChatGPT (Part 1)

~Purchasing the Dolce Gusto~

Recently, the cost of convenience store coffee has started to bother me. That thought is where this story begins.

It had become a habit for me to stop by a convenience store and buy coffee before work on days I had to go in.
One cup in the morning. On busy days, another one for a change of pace. The cost per cup is only a few hundred yen, but it adds up to a surprisingly large amount every day.

"Couldn't I make this a bit cheaper...?"
I had started thinking about that. However, I'm not exactly a coffee expert.
I'm not the "hardcore" type who grinds beans, measures temperatures, and blooms the grounds... if anything, I'm the "I want to drink something delicious easily" type.

One holiday, while walking through a shopping mall, I came across a tasting event for the Nescafe Dolce Gusto.
Honestly, until that moment, I had only thought, "What's the deal with capsule coffee?" It seemed convenient, but I had this image that the taste was just so-so.
But when I tried it, it was surprisingly good.
"Huh? This is better than I thought..."
Plus, it was easy to use. Just insert a capsule and press a button. It seemed like a perfect match for a lazy person like me.

After getting home, I started researching the Dolce Gusto. While comparing it with other capsule coffee machines, I kept reading reviews endlessly, worrying about things like,
"Will I really use it?"
"Won't I just get bored of it eventually?"
And a few days later, the Dolce Gusto unit arrived at my door.

By the way, the model I bought was the Genio S Plus.

The operation was simple, and it was very easy for even a lazy person like me to use. In particular, the ease of "being able to drink it with one button" fit into my life more than I had expected.
And so, my "capsule coffee life" began. I'd brew it into a tumbler when going to work, and use a mug when drinking at home...
Once I actually started using it, the Dolce Gusto was a lot of fun.
There are just so many types of capsules. Something strong today. A latte today. A Starbucks collaboration today.
It became a bit of a hobby, including the time I spent thinking, "Which one should I try next?"
……However, problems started to emerge little by little around that time.
"Wait, which number capsule is this?"
"How many are left?"
"How much am I actually spending on coffee?"
Before I knew it, the number of capsule boxes had increased, and my memory had become fuzzy. Even though I started this for the purpose of saving money, I couldn't really tell if I was managing it well.

First, I looked for an app that could handle this kind of management.
"Inventory management app," "coffee log," "household account book," and so on. I searched for everything I could think of.
But I just couldn't find anything that was "just right."
There were plenty of inventory management apps. However, most of them were for companies or stores. They were all based on business use, such as tracking incoming and outgoing stock or barcode management.
Of course, if I put in the effort, I could probably use them for the Dolce Gusto. But that wasn't the kind of stiff, formal thing I wanted.
"What did I drink today?"
"How much did I spend this month?"
"How many cups are left?"
I wanted an app to manage that kind of "little personal pleasure."
On the other hand, there were also several "coffee log apps." However, these were too hardcore.
Bean origin. Roast level. Grind size. Extraction temperature. Blooming time. Many of them allowed for detailed recording, almost like a research notebook. But the Dolce Gusto is a bit different from that kind of enjoyment.
Insert a capsule, press a button, and enjoy it easily. That "ease" is its charm, so I felt it didn't quite mesh with the worldview of hardcore coffee apps.

"Something feels off... If that's the case, wouldn't it be faster to just make it myself?"
Thinking back on it now, that was an incredibly reckless idea. Zero programming experience. Zero knowledge. And yet, I jumped at the idea of a "self-made app."
But strangely, at that time, the feeling of "this sounds kind of fun" outweighed the thought that "it's probably impossible."
Around the same time, I had heard that "you can do programming with ChatGPT." If you ask a generative AI, it can write text or draw images. I knew that much.
But apparently, you could even build apps. Honestly, at first, I was skeptical.
"Can you really do that?"
But at the same time, I was also a little excited. If it were really possible, I wanted to try making it myself.
That's when I came up with the idea for a
"Dolce Gusto capsule management app".
A record of what I drank. Purchase history. Inventory. Monthly coffee costs.
It might be interesting if there were an app where I could manage those things myself. That said, at this point, I had almost no knowledge of app development.

So, I decided to ask ChatGPT first.
"Can you teach me how to make an app?"
The answer that came back was simple.
"I can."
Honestly, I thought,
"You're saying that so casually?"
But for now, I opened PowerPoint. I lined up some rectangles and thought,
"Calendar here"
"Record button here"
"Purchase history here"
And just like that, I roughly created an image of the app.

Looking back at it now, it's not something you could call a "blueprint" at all.
When I showed that image to ChatGPT, it replied,
"Let's get started right away."
Wait, start what? What should I do first? That was the state I was in.
Then, instructions started flying in to download various pieces of software.
"First, please install VS Code."
"Next, we'll install the Flutter SDK."
"You'll also need Android Studio."
……No, I barely understood what it was talking about.
I thought "making an app" meant starting to write code right away.
However, in reality, it started with setting up a development environment before that.
Honestly, at this point, I was in a state of "what is this?" But strangely, I didn't hate it.
"Maybe I really can make it."
With just that expectation, I clung to the instructions for the time being.

At this time, I was still under a misconception.
I thought that if I told ChatGPT, "Make an app like this," the AI would do all the programming for me. That's what I thought it was.
……In reality, that was just standing at the starting line.

This work is being submitted to the [Creative Awards 2026 Business Category].
I have compiled the serialized posts into a magazine.
Please continue reading, and I would appreciate your support through follows and comments.

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