by Jed Barański

Before You Start

5-minute setup (one time only)

Before building your first app, you need a few free accounts. This guide walks you through each one. Total time: about 5 minutes.

✅ What You Need

💻 Computer with internet You have this
🌐 Web browser You have this
✨ Google account Free
🐙 GitHub account Free
▲ Vercel account Free
1

Google Account (for Gemini AI)

Gemini is Google's AI that helps write your app plan. You need a Google account to use it.

If you already have Gmail:

You already have a Google account. Skip to Step 2.

If you need to create one:

  1. 1. Go to accounts.google.com/signup
  2. 2. Fill in your name and choose a username
  3. 3. Create a password (write it down somewhere safe)
  4. 4. Add a phone number for account recovery
  5. 5. Click "Next" and accept the terms

Test it: Go to gemini.google.com and sign in. If you see the chat interface, you are ready.

2

GitHub Account (saves your code)

GitHub is like Google Drive for code. It keeps your app safe in the cloud.

  1. 1. Go to github.com/signup
  2. 2. Enter your email address
  3. 3. Create a password
  4. 4. Choose a username (this will be in your app's URL)
  5. 5. Complete the puzzle to prove you are human
  6. 6. Check your email and enter the verification code

Username tip: Choose something simple like your name. Your app URL will be: github.com/yourname/my-app

Test it: After signing up, you should see your GitHub dashboard. Look for your profile picture in the top-right corner.

3

Vercel Account (puts your app online)

Vercel turns your code into a live website. It reads from GitHub and creates a URL anyone can visit.

  1. 1. Go to vercel.com/signup
  2. 2. Click "Continue with GitHub"
  3. 3. Click "Authorize Vercel" (this lets Vercel read your GitHub projects)
  4. 4. Choose "Hobby" plan (it is free)
  5. 5. Enter your name and click "Continue"

Why "Continue with GitHub"? This connects your accounts. When you save code to GitHub, Vercel can automatically find it and put it online.

Test it: After signing up, you should see the Vercel dashboard with "Add New Project" button.

Part of the Past the Prompt workshop series — free tools for non-technical builders. More at pasttheprompt.dev ↗
🎉

You're Ready!

You now have everything you need to build and ship your first app.

Start Building →

🔧 Common Issues

"I can't access GitHub/Vercel in my country"

Some countries block these sites. Try using a VPN service, or ask someone in another country to help you set up.

"I forgot my password"

Click "Forgot password" on the sign-in page. Check your email for a reset link. If you do not see it, check your spam folder.

"Verification email never arrived"

Wait 5 minutes. Check your spam folder. If still missing, click "Resend email" on the signup page.