How to Create AI UGC Ads With ElevenLabs and fal.ai
Create AI UGC-style app ads with ElevenLabs voiceovers, fal.ai lip sync, real product screenshots, and reusable hooks. My Heirloom workflow, with a video example.
McAllen, Texas · Building in public
Building technology, wealth, and a meaningful family life.
By day I’m a principal engineer in Architecture, supporting the AI and Payments teams. Nights and weekends I ship apps, manage rentals in South Texas, and build systems that help my family enjoy the journey while creating more freedom for the future.
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Glora: My Upkeep -
Rise & Capy -
While We're Here -
Heirloom -
Fillbook -
FamilyStop -
Gulp -
Rally -
Bean Hunt -
Vault Runner -
Square Sweep -
Color Flood Conquest -
Catalyst Chain Reaction -
Fillin -
Real Estate Manager
Latest entry
Fresh from the log
Building Since January, Starting to See Traction
Small wins, real downloads, and lessons in value, paywalls, and showing up consistently. Grateful for the progress, and all glory to God.
How I Market Heirloom With UGC, and readheirloom.com Is Now Live
The short-video workflow I use to market Heirloom, the rules that keep it honest, and the new readheirloom.com website that is now online.
One App Demo, Three Feeds: A Lightweight Short-Video Workflow for Indie Developers
A repeatable way for indie developers to turn one real app demonstration into distinct, useful short-form videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
If you build apps
Start with these
The App Store Data Problems Indie Developers Learn the Hard Way
App Store Connect shows a download but RevenueCat shows no customer? A pending report isn't a zero. The data mix-ups that make indie app analytics look broken.
What 47,000 App Store Impressions Taught Me About Conversion
Seven months of daily App Store data across 12 apps shows a 46x gap between my best- and worst-converting listing — and it is not the app people assume.
Using GPT-6 Astra in Codex to Build and Ship Apps
How GPT-6 Astra carries an app from idea to a verified result in Codex: one working session across SwiftUI, App Store metadata, websites and releases.
The work behind the work
Three threads, one life
Every entry pulls on at least one of these.
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Leverage
AI that does real work
I use AI to investigate systems, build products, automate decisions, and turn one engineer’s effort into more useful output.
Read the AI entries → -
Freedom
Apps, rentals, and better bets
I’m building income beyond a paycheck through software, real estate, and careful decisions that protect the family foundation.
Read the app entries → -
The reason
Family, faith, and staying present
Ambition only matters if it helps me show up better for Dora, the kids, and the life we are actually living now.
Read the family entries →
The app shelf
16 apps, built nights and weekends
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HypeLap Live race tracking and cheers for runners Coming soon -
Glora: My Upkeep Track beauty and self-care routines -
Rise & Capy Capybara alarm clock with wake-up missions -
While We're Here Conversation cards for real tables -
Heirloom Read and preserve old letters -
Fillbook Trading journal and review -
FamilyStop Family restrooms and stops -
Gulp Drink water, stop scrolling -
Rally Pickleball live scoreboard & match stats -
Bean Hunt Coffee journal & cafe finder -
Vault Runner Treasure escape roguelite -
Square Sweep Minesweeper-style puzzle -
Color Flood Conquest Color fill brain puzzle -
Catalyst Chain Reaction Fast chain reaction puzzle -
Fillin Daily fill-in-the-blank word game -
Real Estate Manager Property management for small landlords
Playbooks
The parts of shipping that aren’t the code
Written from my own apps — the guides I reach for every time I start something new.
- Step 01 $39
Solo iOS App Launch System
Turn one clear problem into a smaller v1, a verified release, and a sensible next decision.
Start here if you are still deciding what to build. Get it on Gumroad ↗ - Step 02 $79
Ship the Backend
One real iOS feature taken across the boundary to a tested, deployed .NET API.
For a working local app that now needs an API and a database. Get it on Gumroad ↗ - Step 03 $59
The Short Video Factory
Turn real app footage into short video you can actually publish on a schedule.
For an app that works but needs a repeatable way to show it. Get it on Gumroad ↗
Follow along
A new entry most weeks, written as it happens.
Wins, misses, numbers, and the family moments in between. No algorithm required.