Build a WhatsApp LLM Bot: a Guide for Lazy Solo Programmers | by Ian Xiao | Sep, 2024

How I built it in 12 hours with Python, AWS, and OpenAI, and lessons learned

TLDR: I built and deployed a WhatsApp LLM bot in 12 hours to learn English better and faster. I am exploring how to make LLM useful in our everyday lives. I share my design choices, what I built, tools I used, lessons learned, and a product roadmap.

I am building the app in phases. Stay tuned for updates. See a questionnaire at the end where I need some design guidance from the community and hope you can participate in beta 🙏🫶

This is not a code walkthrough. I will put all the resources I used at the end so you can take a look if you are interested.

The Problem

I love reading and writing.

But, as a non-native English speaker, I often come across new words I don’t know or think I know but need help understanding. New words fly by as I go about my busy day or enjoy the flow of reading. I want them to stick; I want to be more eloquent.

How about looking them up and writing them down? Digital solutions (e.g., dictionary or vocabulary apps) and pen & paper don’t work.

• ❌ they take me away from the moment (e.g., reading a good book)