Build an iOS Shortcut You and Your Friends Actually Use
Maps to: Automation Engineer · AI Application Builder · Operations Analyst · Productivity Designer · Knowledge Worker
You're going to build an iOS Shortcut that does one annoying repetitive task for you, with AI wired in, and get a few friends to actually install and run it. The skill is the instinct for what's worth automating: spotting a thing you do over and over and going 'I could make that disappear.' That's how automation engineers think, seeing workflows where other people see chores, and doing one tells you fast whether that instinct is yours.
How this shows up on a resume or college app
I built an iOS Shortcut used by [N] friends, wiring AI into a recurring task and cutting it to the one reliable action. I learned how thinking in workflows beats one-off tools: see a repetitive task, automate it away.
When you finish, BuildMe drafts your Common App activity description from what you actually built.
The plan
- 1
Step 1
Pick a recurring task + get a bare Shortcut running
Pick a task you do repeatedly, then build the bare-bones Shortcut that does the simple part and runs once, before wiring in any AI. Seeing it actually run is the hook; the smart part comes next.
- 2
Step 2
Wire in the AI step
Add the AI that does the smart part (summarize, rewrite, extract). The fiddly bit is the 'Get Contents of URL' block that calls the AI, which is where most people stall. Use a free, no-card AI key.
- 3
Step 3
Cut to one reliable action + share with friends
Name the friction it actually removes, and be honest about whether anyone else would run it. Cut it to the one reliable action, then share with 5 friends and get 3 to install and use it.
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