Why I Started Beads of Hope
I started with one giant prompt and a very personal reason. Then the AI built a shop faster than I could believe.
WinJuly 22, 2026
Beads of Hope T1D
A philanthropic ecommerce and community website for children living with Type 1 Diabetes.
The Prompt Was Too Big
I asked the AI to build the whole Beads of Hope site in one giant request. What came back was thrilling, and a little terrifying.
WinJuly 22, 2026
The First Wall
The storefront appeared fast. Then the images disappeared, the buttons doubled, and I realized I was in deeper than I thought.
WallJuly 22, 2026
When I Stopped Building Everything
I started by asking the AI for the whole store, the whole community, the whole dream. Then reality arrived in the details.
PivotJuly 22, 2026
When It Felt Too Real
The site looked like a real store before I felt ready to run one. That was thrilling, and honestly, a little terrifying.
DoubtJuly 22, 2026
When It Started Looking Real
The first storefront appeared in about 20 minutes. I was thrilled, confused, and suddenly aware this might become something real.
WinJuly 22, 2026
Almost Ready Feels Weird
The site is live-ready, but I’m learning that building the app and opening the business are not the same thing.
LessonJuly 22, 2026
What This Project Taught Me
Building Beads of Hope taught me that AI can move fast, but the courage part still has to come from me.
LessonJuly 22, 2026
The Invisible Product Pictures
The shop existed, but the product photos vanished. Then clicking the empty space bounced me back to the top.
WallJuly 22, 2026
The Quarter Inch Problem
I spent part of a Sunday nudging a blue ribbon and a tiny heart around. Almost nobody would notice. I noticed.
LessonJuly 22, 2026
The First Real Bill
Stripe was free to add, but putting in my bank details made the whole thing feel suddenly, uncomfortably real.
LessonJuly 22, 2026
The Scan I Barely Understood
A security scan found nine issues in my little shop, and I had to decide whether to trust fixes I only half understood.
WallJuly 22, 2026
The Email That Felt Real
A tiny order confirmation landed in my inbox, and somehow that little email made the whole project feel more real.
WinJuly 22, 2026
The Button I Keep Avoiding
The site is nearly ready. The code is wired. Now the scary part is letting real people touch it.
DoubtJuly 22, 2026
Start Smaller Than I Did
If you're 50+ and starting with AI, I’d tell you this first: don’t ask it to build the whole dream in one breath.
LessonJuly 22, 2026
Starting Smaller Next Time
If I rebuilt Beads of Hope T1D from scratch, I would still build it. I just wouldn’t ask the AI to build everything at once.
LessonJuly 22, 2026