Quick Start

Learning Objectives

By the end of this step, you'll:

Understand what we're building (a decentralized app)
Know the two paths available (AI-assisted or manual)
Have checked your prerequisites

Content

What We're Building

In the next hour, you'll deploy a simple micro-app that uses Arkiv, a decentralized database. Your app will:

Read data from Arkiv
Write data to Arkiv
Work independently (no central database needed)

This is your "hello world" for decentralized apps!

Architecture Comparison

The most fundamental difference between traditional apps and serverless dapps is where and who owns the data. In traditional apps, data lives in company databases. With Arkiv, data lives on-chain, owned by users, and persists independently of any service.

Two Paths Available

🤖 AI-Assisted Path: Use AI coding assistants (Cursor, Copilot, Claude, etc.) to help you build. Just copy-paste the prompts we provide.

✋ Manual Path: Follow step-by-step instructions. No AI needed.

You can switch between paths at any time!

Stack Comparison

If you've taken the Vibes to App workshop, you're already familiar with building apps using React, Next.js, and a database. The good news? Most of your stack stays the same. We're just replacing the database layer with Arkiv.

If you're using an AI coding assistant, use this prompt:

I'm following a tutorial to build my first Arkiv app. I'm at step 1: Quick Start.

Help me:
1. Check if I have Node.js, Git, and a code editor installed
2. Understand what we're building (a decentralized app using Arkiv)
3. Get ready to fork a starter template

Keep it brief and actionable.

Create an internal refs/ document with a plan, success criteria, and take notes on your implementation as you go.

✓ Checkpoint

Troubleshooting

Q: I don't have Node.js/Git installed. Can I still participate? A: Yes! Install them now (links above). It takes 5 minutes. Or use GitHub Codespaces for a cloud-based environment.

Q: Do I need to understand blockchain? A: Not at all! We'll explain what you need as we go. Focus on building first.