A Non-Developer's Checklist: Is Your Vibe-Coded App Ready for Users?
The Launch Readiness Checklist
You don't need to be a developer to know if your app is ready for users. You just need to ask the right questions.
Category 1: Does It Work?
✅ Can users complete all critical flows?
Test: Go through your app like a new user. Can you sign up, use core features, and achieve the main goal without errors?
✅ Does it work on mobile?
Test: Open your app on your phone. Does it look good? Can you tap all buttons? Is text readable?
✅ What happens when something goes wrong?
Test: Try to break your app. Enter invalid data. Disconnect your internet mid-action. Does it crash or show helpful errors?
Category 2: Is It Secure?
✅ Are passwords protected?
Look for: Users should never see their passwords after setting them. Password reset should work. Passwords should have minimum requirements.
✅ Is user data private?
Test: Create two accounts. Can one user see another user's data? They shouldn't be able to.
✅ Are API keys hidden?
Check: Look at your code. Do you see any long random strings that look like "sk_live_abc123"? Those should be in environment variables, not your code.
Category 3: Will It Scale?
✅ How fast does it load?
Test: Clear your browser cache. Load your app. Does it load in under 3 seconds? Longer than that, you're losing users.
✅ What happens with lots of data?
Test: Create 100 dummy records. Is your app still fast? Pagination or infinite scroll should kick in.
✅ Can it handle multiple users?
Reality check: If you're not sure, it probably can't. This is where expert review helps most.
Category 4: Can You Support It?
✅ Do you know when something breaks?
Setup: You should have error monitoring (like Sentry) that emails you when crashes happen.
✅ Can you track user behavior?
Setup: Basic analytics (Google Analytics or similar) tells you what users are doing and where they're stuck.
✅ Can you fix issues?
Ask yourself: If a user reports a bug, do you know how to identify and fix it? Or will you need to hire someone?
Category 5: Is It Legal?
✅ Do you have a privacy policy?
Required: If you collect any user data (even just emails), you need a privacy policy. GDPR is real.
✅ Do you have terms of service?
Recommended: Protects you if something goes wrong. Users should agree to these when signing up.
✅ Are you handling payments correctly?
Critical: If you're taking payments, use Stripe or similar. NEVER store credit card data yourself. Seriously. Never.
Category 6: Do You Understand What You Have?
✅ Can you explain your app's tech stack?
You should know: What's the frontend? (React, Vue, etc.) What's the backend? (Supabase, Firebase, etc.) Where is it hosted?
✅ Do you know your monthly costs?
Estimate: Hosting, database, third-party services. What will 100 users cost? 1,000 users?
✅ Do you have access to everything?
Check: Do you own the domain? Have admin access to hosting? Own the GitHub repository? You should control all of this.
The Honest Assessment
If you checked all boxes: You're in good shape for a soft launch. Start with a small group of beta users.
If you're missing 1-3 boxes: Fixable. Prioritize security and core functionality first.
If you're missing 4+ boxes: Consider getting an expert review before launching. You'll save time and money.
When to Get Help
Get expert help if:
- You're not confident in your security
- You plan to spend money on marketing
- You're raising investment
- You have paying users (or plan to soon)
A £500 review gives you confidence you're ready—or a clear roadmap of what needs fixing. Either way, you'll know where you stand.