Computer Science major.
I went in thinking I was going to be a programmer. Then I failed programming and, well, I couldn’t cut it.
status: humbledPROMPT
SHIP?
Current experiment · AI + tiny businesses
I failed
programming.
Now I’m building
software.
With AI. Without pretending I know what I’m doing. This is where I share the mini SaaS businesses, wrong turns, and tiny wins as they happen.
SEE WHAT I’MBUILDING↓
01 THE PLOT TWIST
This wasn’t the plan. But here we are.
I’ve been around computers for a long time. Just not like this.
Management instead.
I changed direction, got the degree, and started doing work that made a lot more sense to me: people, teams, organizations.
status: better fitNonprofits. Social services. Leadership.
I spent my career in the nonprofit space, eventually earning my MA in Organizational Leadership. Real work, with real people and real consequences.
status: learned a lotBack to building things.
Codex, Claude Code, and tools like them changed the question from “Can I code?” to “Can I make something useful?” I want to find out.
status: in progressFor once, not knowing how to code doesn’t feel like the end of the idea.
It feels like
the beginning.
02 ON THE WORKBENCH
What I’m
cooking up.
I’ve already started a few things. They’re early, messy, and changing fast—which is exactly why I want to share them now, not six months after I’ve made the story sound cleaner than it was.
01 LIVE + WORKING
LinesFly.com
A live queue for walk-in businesses. Customers scan a QR code, join the line, see where they stand, and get called when it’s their turn. Staff get one clear view of who’s next.
THE OLD WAYA clipboard, repeated questions, and a lot of guessing.
THE THING I BUILTA real-time waitlist that works on the phones people already have.
ROUGH ESTIMATE · CUSTOM BUILD WITHOUT AI$180,000–$350,000AI-generated comparison based on the current scope—not a contractor quote.
BUILT WITH AI
SHIPPED BY HECTOR
SHIPPED BY HECTOR
linesfly.com
02 LIVE + WORKING
HuddlePops.com
A simple way to make meetings interactive. Add a poll, word bank, feedback question, or icebreaker; share one QR code; and let everyone answer from their phone.
THE OLD WAYAsk the room a question and hear from the same two people—or nobody.
THE THING I BUILTOne interactive moment that gets every voice into the conversation.
ROUGH ESTIMATE · CUSTOM BUILD WITHOUT AI$200,000–$500,000AI-generated comparison based on the current scope—not a contractor quote.
NO APP
NO DECK REBUILD
NO DECK REBUILD
huddlepops.com
I’m technical. I’m just not a programmer.
I don’t know how to code. But AI leveled the playing field: I can describe the problem, test the work, and keep going until the product actually works.An idea, a couple hundred dollars, and enough persistence can become something real. Even a SaaS product.03 THE VERY UNOFFICIAL PROCESS
How I’m making
software so far.
No bootcamp. No secret system. Just a loop that gets a little less confusing every time around.
Have an idea
Usually half-baked. Definitely not a business plan.
Explain it to AI
Like I’m talking to a very capable intern who needs a lot of context.
Get something working
This part still feels a little like magic, if I’m honest.
Break it
Sometimes immediately. Sometimes in a brand-new and creative way.
Learn. Fix. Repeat.
Not coding, exactly. More like learning how to think with the tools.
Ship the small thing
Useful beats impressive. Done beats another month in my head.
+ START HERE
Want to build with AI but don’t know how to code?
Same. These are my honest notes on the tools, decisions, wrong turns, and small wins that turn a plain-English idea into working software.
01 · FIRSTHAND GUIDE
How I’m building SaaS with AI without knowing how to code
The practical loop I use to go from a problem worth solving to a small product that actually works.
READ THE GUIDE ↗02 · TOOL NOTESAI coding tools for beginners who want to build real apps
How I use Codex, Claude Code, and ChatGPT—and what I wish I understood before I started.
SEE THE TOOLS ↗04 MAYBE THIS IS FOR YOU
You don’t need to know where to start.
If you’re curious about AI, sitting on an idea, or wondering what someone who doesn’t know how to code can actually build with these tools—you’re in the right place.
I can’t promise a step-by-step blueprint. I’m still drawing the map while I walk it. But I can show you what I try, what works, and what I would do differently next time.
THE PROMISE
No hype.
No rented Lamborghini.
No “10x your life.”
Just the work, while it’s happening.
Hector Cuevas05 WHO’S DOING THIS?
Hey, I’m Hector.
I’m technical. I’m just not a programmer, and I don’t know how to code. Most of my life has been about people, not software: nonprofit leadership, social services, management, and helping organizations work better. I also spent some time in online marketing and content creation, and had a little success building and selling ebooks, courses, and other digital products.
But a SaaS business? Never. This is new territory. I’m not teaching from the finish line—I’m inviting you into the experiment.
20+ YEARS · NONPROFIT SPACEMA · ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP0 YEARS · SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
06 STAY IN THE LOOP(ISH)
Want to see what
I cook up next?Want to see
what I
cook up next?
Join the email list. I can’t guarantee a steady stream of content—but when I’m working on something cool, I’ll let you know.
OR
Follow the daily-ish version on Instagram@thisishec ↗