#255: ChatGPT and the future of app discovery with Dan Shabtay, Co-Founder of Z2A Digital

Jan 19, 2026

Dan Shabtay, Co-founder of Z2A Digital, dives into the revolutionary shift in app discovery driven by ChatGPT's emerging ecosystem. He explains how this LLM platform allows solo entrepreneurs to create and launch functional apps without traditional coding, democratizing development. The conversation also highlights immediate access to a massive user base, transforming user acquisition strategies. Plus, Shabtay discusses the coexistence of traditional and new LLM-based marketing channels, emphasizing adaptability as the key skill for success in this evolving landscape.

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INSIGHT

LLM App Ecosystem Lowers Barriers

ChatGPT's app ecosystem lets individuals build and publish apps to hundreds of millions of users without traditional engineering teams.
Dan Shabtay calls it an unprecedented, low-friction infrastructure for entrepreneurs to test ideas rapidly.

ANECDOTE

Describing The Opportunity As A Gold Rush

Dan describes the experience of creating and publishing apps inside ChatGPT as a 'gold rush' for entrepreneurs.
He recounts how anyone can dream, build, publish, and test ideas to millions of users rapidly.

ADVICE

Port Or Build For ChatGPT Now

Offer ChatGPT-native versions of existing mobile apps or build new LLM-first utilities to capture engaged users.
Dan recommends either helping current clients port to ChatGPT or running an app studio to publish directly into the ecosystem.

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The way app users discover, evaluate, and even build apps is starting to shift — and large language models are at the center of that change. As AI platforms evolve beyond chat and into full ecosystems, app growth teams are facing a new set of questions around discovery, distribution, and long-term strategy.

In this episode, we’re sharing an App Talks interview with Dan Shabtay, Co-Founder of Z2A Digital. Dan explores how the emerging app ecosystem inside ChatGPT is opening the door to a new wave of app creation — from no-code tools and solo entrepreneurs to entirely new user acquisition channels embedded directly within AI platforms.

Today’s topics include:

Dan explains how ChatGPT is evolving into a platform with its own internal app marketplace, giving developers access to hundreds of millions of users without relying on traditional app stores.
Entrepreneurs and creators can now build and publish functional apps without engineering teams, fundamentally changing who can participate in app development and how quickly new ideas can reach the market.
Unlike iOS or Google Play, apps built inside LLM ecosystems immediately tap into an existing, engaged user base, reducing friction around discovery and distribution.
Traditional user acquisition isn’t disappearing, but it is shifting. Classic channels will coexist with new LLM-based acquisition models, including potential in-chat placements and AI-native ad formats.
Beyond IQ and EQ, adaptability becomes the defining skill for app growth teams navigating rapid, AI-driven change.

Links and Resources:

Quotes from Dan Shabtay:

“It’s the most efficient infrastructure ever that has been created for entrepreneurs.”

“For me as a business owner and as an entrepreneur, it’s a gold rush.”

“AQ is adaptability… you have to be adaptable to the high-paced technology that’s going on right now.”

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Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012