From Idea to Database

My Journey with iPhone Shortcuts & AI

Author

Mandy Alhorn
January 17, 2025

A personal story of automating creativity and finding flow in the digital age

Have you ever had that moment when an brilliant idea strikes – maybe during a walk, in the shower, or just as you're drifting off to sleep – but by the time you get to your computer, it's gone? I've been there, countless times. As someone juggling interests in AI, crypto, and content creation, losing those spontaneous ideas felt like watching potential opportunities slip through my fingers.

The Breaking Point

It happened during one of my morning walks. I had what felt like a breakthrough idea about developing AI agents for crypto analysis, but by the time I got home and opened my laptop, the specifics had become fuzzy. Just recently, I wrote a blog post about AI Crypto Agents and thought how useful this shortcut system would have been back then! That was when I knew: I needed a better way to capture these fleeting moments of inspiration.

The Solution Journey

My breakthrough came when I joined the AI Foundations community on Skool. If you're serious about learning and growing in the AI space, I can't recommend this community enough. The wealth of knowledge shared there, combined with the incredibly supportive members, has been transformative for my journey. It was there that I discovered this exact workflow - a brilliant system shared by fellow community members. I implemented it almost exactly as taught because it was already so well thought out, and it has been a game-changer for my creative process.

Full disclosure: I didn't develop this system myself - I learned it from the amazing folks at AI Foundations. But that's exactly what makes the community so valuable: we learn from each other, implement what works, and share our experiences. What would have taken me months to figure out on my own, I could implement in an afternoon thanks to their guidance. I wanted a system that wouldn't just capture ideas but would organize them, enhance them with AI, and store them in a way that made them actionable. After some experimentation (and yes, a few frustrated moments with API documentation), I created a workflow that changed how I handle inspiration.

Here's my complete guide to building this system for yourself.

The Setup: Your Creative Capture System

What You'll Need

  1.  An iPhone with the latest iOS version

  2. Shortcuts App (pre-installed on your iPhone)

  3. Airtable Account Sign up here

  4. Airtable Personal Access Token Generate your token here

  5. ChatGPT API Key Create an OpenAI API key here

Setup Time: ~30-45 minutes (trust me, it's worth it!)

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Setting Up Your Idea Database in Airtable

First, create a new base in Airtable called “Content Generation System” or "Input Database" with these fields:

  • Idea (Text)

  • Raw Text (Text)

  • Input Type (Single Select: "Siri", "Manual")

  • Date (Date)

  • Creation Type (Single Select: "Manual", "Automatic")

  • Idea ID (Number)

💡 Pro Tip: I learned the hard way that field names are case-sensitive. Double-check your spelling to avoid debugging headaches later!

2. Creating Your OpenAI Connection

The AI component is what makes this system special. It helps generate titles and summaries from your raw ideas. Here's how to set it up:

  1. Sign in to OpenAI

  2. Navigate to API Keys

  3. Generate a new key (store it safely!)

⚠️ Important: Never share your API key or commit it to public repositories. I made this mistake once and had to scramble to regenerate my keys!

3. Building the Shortcut

This is where the magic happens. Here's the complete workflow setup...

Click here on your iPhone first, to Create the Shortcut

  1. Open the Shortcuts App and create a new shortcut named New Idea or New thought.

Add Actions:

  • 1. Dictate Text:

    • Action: Dictate Text.

    • Language: English (or your preferred language. I’m using German).

    • Automatically stop after a pause.

  • 2. Use ChatGPT:

    • Action: Get Contents of URL (HTTP Request).

      • Method: POST.

      • URL: https://api.openai.com/v1/chat/completions.

      • Headers:

        • Authorization: Bearer [your OpenAI API Key].

        • Content-Type: application/json.

      • Body (JSON): 

        {
  "model": "gpt-3.5-turbo",
  "messages": [
    {
      "role": "user",
      "content": "Generate a title for the following idea: {{Dictated Text}}"
    }
  ],
  "max_tokens": 20
}

      • Save the response as a variable named Title.

  • 3. Send Data to Airtable:

    • Action: Get Contents of URL (HTTP Request).

      • Method: POST.

      • URL: Your Airtable API URL (found in the Airtable API documentation).

      • Headers:

        • Authorization: Bearer [your Airtable Token].

        • Content-Type: application/json.

      • Body (JSON): 

        {
  "records": [
    {
      "fields": {
        "Idea": "{{Title}}",
        "Raw Text": "{{Dictated Text}}",
        "Input Type": "Siri",
        "Date": "{{Current Date}}",
        "Creation Type": "Automatic",
        "Idea ID": {{Random Number}}
      }
    }
  ]
}

  • 4. Generate Timestamp:

    • Action: Get Current Date and save it as a variable named Date.

  • 5. Generate Random ID:

    • Action: Generate Random Number (e.g., between 1 and 10,000) and save it as a variable named Idea ID.

Assign Shortcut to a Gesture

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.

  2. Assign the New Idea shortcut to a gesture (Double Tap or Triple Tap).

💡 Pro Tip: Troubleshooting Tips (From My Own Face-Palm Moments)

1. "Why isn't my shortcut triggering?"

  •   Check if Back Tap is enabled in Accessibility settings

  •   Ensure your phone case isn't too thick (learned this after a frustrating week!)

2. "The API calls aren't working!"

  • Double-check your API keys

  • Verify your JSON formatting

  • Make sure you're connected to the internet (yes, I've forgotten to check this...)

3. "My ideas aren't showing up in Airtable"

  • Confirm your base ID and table name are correct

  • Check field names match exactly

  • Verify your Airtable token hasn't expired

Real-World Applications

Since implementing this system, I've captured over 100 ideas that would have otherwise been lost. Some highlights:

  • A breakthrough concept for an AI-driven crypto analysis tool

  • Several blog post ideas that turned into successful articles

  • Random creative inspirations that later connected into bigger projects

Example Workflow

  1. Double-tap the back of your iPhone.

  2. Dictate an idea (e.g., "An app that provides AI-powered recommendations for healthy eating").

  3. The shortcut will:

    • Automatically generate a title using ChatGPT.

    • Send the idea to Airtable.

    • Save the timestamp, input type, and a unique ID.

  4. Open Airtable to view the captured idea.

Making It Your Own

The beauty of this setup is its flexibility. You could:

  • Modify the ChatGPT prompt for different types of analysis

  • Add categories or tags to your Airtable base

  • Create different shortcuts for different types of ideas

Final Thoughts

This system has become an essential part of my creative workflow. It's not just about capturing ideas – it's about removing the friction between inspiration and action. The combination of voice commands, AI processing, and automated organization means I can stay in the flow state longer and focus on what matters: creating and building.

Remember, the goal isn't perfection; it's progress. Start with this basic setup and adapt it to your needs. Your future self will thank you for every idea you capture today.

Have questions about the setup? Running into issues? Feel free to reach out, and I'll help you troubleshoot. We're all learning together! And if you're looking to dive deeper into AI and automation, consider joining the AI Foundations community on Skool - it's where I learned this and so much more. The premium membership is absolutely worth it for the quality of content and community support you get. 🚀