The web version of BriefAI works. People can run it locally, it connects to Gmail and Google Calendar, it does the thing. But “run it locally” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. Most people aren’t going to clone a repo, set up a virtual environment, and configure OAuth credentials before a sales call. They’re going to open their phone.
So: mobile app.
The Stack Problem
BriefAI is Python and Flask on the backend, with a pretty straightforward HTML/CSS frontend. That works fine for a local web tool. It doesn’t translate directly to a mobile application though, which I knew going in and chose not to think about too hard until now.
I’m building the mobile version in React Native with Expo. If you’re not familiar — React Native lets you write JavaScript that compiles to native iOS and Android code, and Expo is a layer on top of that makes the whole setup a lot less painful. I’ve done web development. I’ve done Python. I hadn’t done mobile development, and it turns out it has its own way of doing basically everything.
The learning curve is real but it’s not stopping me. The part that’s tripped me up the most is the mental shift from “browser page” thinking to “component tree” thinking — layouts, navigation, and state all work differently than what I was used to. I’ve got code written and it’s coming together, so I’ll take that as a good sign.
The Compliance Problem
Here’s the part I didn’t see coming: getting an app onto the App Store and Google Play isn’t just a technical problem.
Both Apple and Google have review processes. Apple’s is famously thorough. An app that touches Gmail and Google Calendar data is going to get looked at carefully, and honestly, fair enough — it’s reading people’s email. I’ve been going through their guidelines, the OAuth scope requirements, and what they actually want to see in terms of privacy documentation. There’s more paperwork than I expected, which is probably appropriate.
Google has its own OAuth verification process for apps that request sensitive scopes like Gmail access. That involves a security assessment and a privacy policy that isn’t just boilerplate. None of it’s impossible, it just has to be done right.
The LLC
Related to all of that: I’m forming an LLC.
Two reasons. First, if BriefAI is going to live on real app stores, it should be published under a business entity rather than just my name. Second, and more importantly, an app that handles email and calendar data has real liability exposure. If something goes wrong with data handling, I’d rather that land on the LLC than on me personally.
It’s Arizona-based. The process is more straightforward than I thought — file with the Arizona Corporation Commission, get an EIN, open a business bank account — but it’s still a list of steps that have to happen in order, like most things.
Where Things Stand
I’m in the “building and researching at the same time” phase, which is just a polite way of saying I’ve got code open in one window and about seventeen browser tabs about App Store review requirements in the other. Progress is happening. It’s just not a straight line.
More updates as things develop. If it goes quiet around here, I’m either deep in React Native docs or waiting on the Arizona Corporation Commission.