After 6m web apps, Bubble's ready to dominate the mobile landscape 📲
Featured: Exclusive interview with Emmanuel (CEO of Bubble) on the 10-year journey and why he's excited about the public beta launch of native mobile app builder
Hey everyone 👋
Today, I wanted to publish a special featured interview on my newsletter that highlights the story and lessons from one of the startup founders I admire: Emmanuеl Straschnοv from Bubble.
If you’ve been active in the no-code low-code space, you’ll know that Bubble is a behemonth in that segmet. More than 5m+ builders use Bubble, 6m+ web apps were built in the last few years with over 8k plugins available to get you going. Even I built many tools in the past using Bubble. Anyone here remember my platform Cuppa from 2020? :)
Today, they’re having their highly anticipated launch of the year: Bubble for native mobile apps (beta) which allows users to build mobile apps for iOS and Android without code.
After 10+ years of dominating web app development, they're now tackling the mobile challenge and I am super excited for it.
Earlier today, I helped hunt Bubble’s latest launch on Product Hunt too. The link’s here if you’re keen to check it out and share your thoughts/ feedback. I was curious about how a platform that's powered thousands of businesses made the leap to mobile and what they've learned about the future of software development, so I sent over some questions that turned into this interview.
Here's the transcript of my interview with Emmanuel. Enjoy!
1. What was the catalyst behind Bubble for native mobile? Why did you feel now was the right time to launch this capability?
We’ve always known we wanted to build a native mobile app builder on Bubble — in fact, Josh and I debated whether we would start with web or mobile the first time we ever met. People start companies on Bubble, so mobile is critical, and our community has been asking for it for years.
But we wanted to do it right, so we spent time watching the mobile landscape evolve. And now that we’re also launching our AI capabilities, we knew it was the right time. The speed of AI combined with the power of building once and shipping native apps to all devices means that Bubble has the potential to be the primary platform for anyone to build software. We really believe in building a platform that is going to empower a new generation of builders to build anything they can imagine in an accessible way.
2. How does Bubble's approach to mobile app development differ from other no-code platforms like FlutterFlow, Glide, or AppGyver?
Basically, Bubble is trying to make it easy to build a business, not just an app. Other no-code platforms:
Aren’t full-stack, they don’t include every element you need for a fully-functional app
Aren’t cross-platform; you can’t build apps fully optimized for web and mobile in one place
Aren’t built to support scalable businesses
At Bubble, we’re not just thinking about prototypes and MVPs. We’re built from the ground up to support real, thriving businesses with everything you need for mobile and web development in one place.
3. Having built a successful no-code platform for the web, what non-obvious learnings did you apply when developing the mobile solution?
Building mobile really forced us to think about our foundational product principles. We weren’t starting from scratch, so we could be really deliberate about what we wanted to carry forward and what needed to be new and uniquely for mobile.
For example, one of Bubble’s strengths is that you’re not locked into a limited set of pre-built blocks or functionality. We wanted to keep that customizability for native mobile. But at the same time, mobile apps do have more specific design guidelines. So the question becomes, how do we give users the same level of flexibility and control while also adapting to a more structured mobile ecosystem? I think we landed on the perfect blend of user control and pre-built components that make it very easy to ship truly native apps.
Wrestling with those kinds of questions was really fun, but it also helped us make a stronger mobile solution by being really thoughtful about what to lean into based on what we’ve learned from 10+ years of building Bubble.
4. Can you share an example of an early beta user who has already built and launched a native mobile app with Bubble? What kinds of apps are people creating?
ChurchSpace is a great example of a team already having a lot of success with Bubble’s native mobile features. Essentially, they had a web app that connected churches with community members who need event spaces, kind of like Airbnb for churches. But they were experiencing a lot of drop off with the communication process and bookings through the web app.
When they pivoted to mobile and gave users a device-native experience, they saw a 100% uptick in responses on the app and they’ve since expanded nationally. It’s been validating to see small teams like theirs be able to really serve user needs.
But people are building all kinds of apps. We’re seeing teams build internal CRMs, AI-powered bedtime storytelling apps, event live event conference apps. It can sound cheesy but it really is true: if you can dream it, you can build it on Bubble.
5. Many no-code platforms struggle with the "ceiling effect" where complex functionality eventually requires custom code. How have you addressed this limitation with Bubble for native mobile?
Unlike a lot of other no-code app builders, Bubble isn’t a set of templates. It’s a complete visual programming language, and thanks to our plugin library and API Connector, it’s also endlessly extensible.
So instead of being limited to a set of pre-built templates or custom code, with Bubble, you’re actually programming all of it — just visually instead of with code.
Native mobile runs on exactly the same platform and ecosystem (but with React Native written under the hood so that it plays nicely with app stores), so we don’t have that ceiling. Bubble is as unlimited as code is.
6. What's been the most surprising or unexpected feedback from early users of the mobile builder?
Something surprising, but delightful, has been just how much users have been able to accomplish during the beta. Our first user-built app made it into the App Store the same day we announced the private beta, which was a huge validation of our direction.
Something unexpected was how well users responded to the need for mobile design and UI. I thought that users might be frustrated about having to rebuild some UI elements for mobile, but we actually saw early builders encouraging newer users to rebuild intentionally to take advantage of new mobile features, rather than just trying to force existing UI patterns to fit.
7. Now, let’s zoom out a bit: In your pov, what's underrated and what's overrated in current AI development trends, especially as they relate to app building and no-code platforms?
What’s overrated is the hype around vibe coding and the idea that these tools can build a fully-functional, scalable app for a business.
Most AI development still suffers from the 80% problem — the app looks and feels 80% of the way there with AI, but that last 20% is what makes the app viable as a business, and what takes the most work. AI apps may look done, but users hit the limits of the platform and security vulnerabilities really quickly and then they’re left hanging for that last, crucial 20%. It can be really discouraging for new builders.
On the other hand, I feel like we’re not talking enough about how much AI is really democratizing access to software creation. It’s part of the conversation, but the scale at which AI is powering this makes me feel like it’s still underrated. People are experimenting with and learning no-code with AI and building software in days or weeks, even with no technical background. The combination of no-code + AI is going to make software development infinitely more accessible, really quickly.
8. How are you handling the app store submission process for users? Is there guidance or automation to help navigate Apple and Google's requirements?
It’s super streamlined, and we have step-by-step guidance for navigating both the App Store and Google Play Store. Once your accounts are set up with those, it’s literally as easy as clicking “Deploy” on Bubble. Bubble generates the build file, configures app settings, packages everything up, and submits it to the app store on your behalf. You don’t even have to have a Mac, which I know will shock most mobile developers.
9. Looking ahead 3-5 years, how do you see the relationship between traditional app development, no-code solutions like Bubble, and AI-generated apps evolving?
We believe that all of these solutions will merge into one and be the future of how software is created. That’s Bubble’s vision and what we’re building for: a future where you don’t have to choose between the power of traditional development or the speed and user-friendliness of AI. You get the benefits and flexibility of all of it in one place, working together seamlessly.
10. What advice would you give to entrepreneurs who are deciding between web-first or mobile-first approaches for their startup ideas?
As with many things, look to your users. I always used to advise people to start with web, because it was so much faster and more affordable than building for mobile. But now that Bubble’s changing that, you should just do what makes the most sense for your users and your product.
11. Where can people learn more about Bubble Mobile and its latest PH launch?
You can check out Bubble for native mobile directly by trying out the new public beta or watch our launch event replay for a full walkthrough.
We’re also launching on Product Hunt today and we’d love your support. If you have any questions/ideas, just reach out on X to the Bubble team or directly to me.
Well folks, that's a wrap on this edition’s featured founder interview. Go check out Bubble’s native mobile app builder & thanks for reading!
What can we learn from this story? The best platforms don't just solve today's problems — they anticipate where the market is heading. Bubble spent years watching the mobile landscape evolve before making their move, then combined it with AI at exactly the right moment. The lesson? Sometimes patience and timing matter more than being first. When you do move, make sure you're solving the whole problem, not just part of it.