Read the original at Lenny’s Newsletter ↗lennysnewsletter.com · subscriber post
By Lenny Rachitsky · lennysnewsletter.com · @lennysan on X · YouTube · LinkedIn
Colin Matthews explains that ChatGPT apps let third-party tools surface interactive widgets inside conversations, creating a potentially major distribution channel. The post covers how users discover apps contextually, the three display modes, the tool-based architecture built on MCP, and step-by-step ways to build a first app on Replit or Chippy.
Subscriber post — summary only01Key takeaways
- ChatGPT apps surface contextually from conversation intent, making them a potentially large new growth channel for products.
- Apps display inline, fullscreen, or picture-in-picture, and only one widget can appear per message.
- Each app exposes tools that ChatGPT calls by reading their names and descriptions, so precise descriptions drive discoverability.
- MCP is the protocol connecting apps to ChatGPT; a simple first app can be built in roughly 30 minutes using starter projects.
- Early movers may build habits and associations that competitors find hard to displace, similar to early SEO or app store dynamics.
02Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.