Quick rule
A good prompt names screens, the data shape, the core user loop, and the visual tone. Skip any one and you get a generic template.
The anatomy of a winning prompt
Four parts, in order:
- One-sentence app definition. “A fitness tracker for people recovering from surgery.” Clarifies audience and wedge in 10 words.
- Screens list with their job. 3–6 screens is the right shape for v1. Each line names a screen, its primary content, and its primary action.
- Data shape. “Supabase tables: users, posts, comments. RLS scoped to user_id.” This prevents generic mock data.
- Visual tone. “Dark theme, orange accent, tab navigation, playful emoji icons.” Narrower than a brand brief, but enough to decide.
10 copy-paste starter prompts
Paste any of these into ShipNative or a similar AI builder. Swap the bracketed parts for your niche.
1. Habit tracker
Habit tracker for [niche]. Screens: - Home: list of habits with streaks + check-in button - Add habit: name, emoji, reminder time, days - Stats: 30-day heatmap per habit - Settings: theme, paywall entry Store locally via AsyncStorage. Use expo-notifications for daily reminders. Dark theme, orange accent, tab navigation.
2. Fitness logger
Fitness logger for [niche: strength training / running / yoga]. Screens: - Home: today's plan + streak - Log session: exercise picker, sets/reps - History: calendar view, tap day for detail - Progress: line chart of weekly sessions - Paywall: after 7 days, $5/mo or $40/yr Supabase backend, tables: sessions, exercises. Dark theme, orange accent.
3. Social network (niche)
Social network for [niche]. Screens: - Feed: posts from followed accounts - Discover: global chronological feed - Post: text + optional image - Profile: avatar, handle, bio, post grid - Notifications: likes, comments, follows Supabase tables: users, posts, follows, likes. Use Supabase Realtime for notifications. Dark theme, orange accent, tab navigation.
4. Marketplace (two-sided)
Marketplace for [niche]. Two roles: BUYER flow: - Browse listings with filters - Listing detail with buy button - Orders with status SELLER flow: - Create listing (title, price, photos) - My listings with edit / delete - Incoming orders Payments via Stripe Connect. Supabase + RLS by user_id. Dark theme, orange accent.
5. B2B SaaS mobile
B2B SaaS mobile app for [niche]. Multi-tenant: workspaces + members. - Onboarding: Clerk sign in, then create or join workspace via invite code - Main tabs: Tasks, Team, Inbox, Profile - Tasks: list with filters (todo/doing/done) - Team: members with roles - Inbox: workspace-scoped notifications Supabase with RLS by workspace_id. Billing via web Stripe (link in profile).
6. Food / delivery
Food delivery app for [neighborhood]. Roles: CUSTOMER: restaurant list, menu, cart, checkout via Stripe, order status. RESTAURANT: incoming orders list, accept/reject/ready, menu toggle. DRIVER: available orders, accept, map, earnings. Supabase + RLS by role + workspace. Map tiles via react-native-maps.
7. Journal / mental health
Journal app for [audience]. Screens: - Home: today's entry with mood picker (5 emojis) and text area - History: list of past entries, search by word - Insights: mood trend over 30 days, word cloud Store locally with encryption (expo-secure-store). Biometric lock on app open. Dark theme, calm palette, tab navigation.
8. Learning / courses
Learning app for [topic]. Screens: - Home: enrolled courses with progress bars - Course detail: list of lessons, tap to open - Lesson: video player + notes + next button - Quiz: multiple choice, scored at end - Profile: certificates, paywall for premium Supabase for courses/lessons/progress. Mux or Cloudflare Stream for video.
9. AI chat product
AI chat app for [persona]. Screens: - Conversations list: recent chats, new chat button - Chat: streaming messages, tap-to-copy, system prompt hidden - Settings: model picker, paywall, API key Use Anthropic API or OpenAI SDK. Message history stored in Supabase. Dark theme, monospace for code blocks.
10. Local discovery / directory
Local discovery app for [niche: coffee shops / gyms / parks]. Screens: - Map: pins for nearby places - List: sortable by distance, rating - Detail: photos, hours, reviews, directions - Saved: user's favorites - Submit: user submits a new place Use Google Places for data, react-native-maps for map tiles. Supabase for user-submitted entries + reviews.
How to iterate a prompt in chat
Once the initial scaffold is live, refinement patterns that work:
- Name the screen + the change. “On Home, replace the list with a card grid.”
- One change per message. Batched changes introduce more regressions.
- Reference visible elements. “The orange button at the top” is clearer than “the main action.”
- Ask for constraints to be preserved. “Keep the rest unchanged” reduces drift.
Common prompt mistakes
- “Make it look premium” — too vague. Specify a tone (calm, energetic, playful) and a reference.
- Listing every feature your product will ever have. v1 ≠ vision deck.
- No data shape. AI builders fall back to generic mock data without guidance.
- Mixing platforms (“iOS + Android + web + watchOS”) in one prompt. Start iOS-first.
- Omitting the tech stack. “Supabase,” “Expo Router,” and “RevenueCat” steer output meaningfully.