A developer who can’t write a single line of code launched an app that hit No.1 on Apple’s paid chart. That story found its way onto CCTV’s flagship investigative program, Focus Interview. The protagonist, known online as "Watson," reflects on the surreal experience with a mix of humility and clarity.
The product in question is "Kitten Flashlight," a simple utility that turns a phone screen into a bright, adjustable light source. It earned the developer several hundred thousand yuan in revenue. While that sum might not register as extraordinary in the tech world, the context made it a landmark. Watson has no formal coding background. He built the entire app using AI-powered coding tools during a burst of generative capability at the end of 2024. The app climbed to the top of the App Store’s paid list, a feat that a team of professional developers might envy. "If it wasn’t Kitten Flashlight, it would have been Puppy Flashlight or Lion Flashlight," Watson says. "The era needed a symbolic moment. I just happened to be the person who built something at that moment and got chosen."
This narrative sits at the intersection of two powerful trends: the democratization of software creation and the appetite for overnight success stories. In 2024, AI coding assistants—GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Replit Agent, and v0.dev—reached a tipping point where they could translate simple English prompts into functional apps. For non-technical creators, this opened a door previously locked by years of learning syntax and frameworks. Watson’s experience aligns with broader data: a 2024 Stack Overflow survey found that 44% of professional developers reported using AI tools regularly, while a growing cohort of "citizen developers" created apps without writing code themselves. The cost of making a simple app dropped from weeks of work and thousands of dollars to a weekend and minimal investment.
Yet the story is not without nuance. Critics point out that AI-generated code can introduce security vulnerabilities and licensing issues, and that app store algorithms favor simplistic tools with high retention. Kitten Flashlight’s success also relied on timing—a Christmas holiday release that caught the attention of media. Watson acknowledges the role of luck but emphasizes the underlying capability. "The era’s story demanded to be told, and I just happened to tell a sexy, interesting one," he notes in reference to his reappearance on CCTV a year later.
Watson did not rest on his laurels. Following the success, he pivoted to creating "colored notebooks" and a series of open-source projects. One of them, "Nuwa.skill," a tool for extracting and applying thinking models from famous individuals, recently surpassed 20,000 stars on GitHub. He estimates total installations exceed 200,000. "It’s become a starting point for many people to distill their own thinking patterns and those of experts," he says. The project reflects a shift from building consumer apps to creating infrastructure for others to leverage AI.
Independent developers like Watson face a unique challenge: sustaining momentum in a landscape where AI tools level the playing field but also amplify competition. A single viral hit does not guarantee continued attention. Platforms change their algorithms, user tastes evolve, and new AI capabilities disrupt existing products. Watson’s strategy of continuous learning—producing content, building new tools, and open-sourcing his work—mirrors the survival tactics of many solo entrepreneurs in the AI age.
The broader implication is profound. AI coding is not merely a productivity booster; it is a mechanism for redistributing creative power. People who previously consumed technology now have the tools to create it. They bring domain expertise, empathy for user needs, and the courage to fail quickly. "Being an individual who can ride the wave of the era and make a slight impact—that’s deeply satisfying," Watson reflects. "Before, in a big tech company, I was after that. Now, as an independent, I’m still after that."
His story has also sparked a necessary conversation about the role of traditional media in covering tech disruptors. CCTV’s Focus Interview typically investigates serious social issues, not app store rankings. The decision to feature a non-coding developer signals mainstream recognition that AI is changing the very definition of who can be a builder. It also raises questions about whether such coverage glamorizes outlier success without addressing the median experience—many experiments fail, and the market can be a lottery.
For now, Watson remains grounded. He insists that all achievements are merely waypoints. "I can’t keep resting on the laurels of luck," he says. "You’ve seen me keep learning, creating content, and making new products. That’s the process." His trajectory offers a pragmatic roadmap for others: embrace new capabilities, stay humble, and ship quickly. The age of AI coding is not just about tools—it’s about whose ideas get built. As Watson demonstrates, the answer is increasingly: anyone.