Insight

The secret behind our AI-driven app development success

The secret behind our AI-driven app development success

Courtney Smith

Photo of Courtney Smith

Courtney Smith

digital marketing assistant

4 minutes

time to read

September 2, 2025

published

If you’ve ever wondered how some digital products seem to appear in the market faster, run more smoothly, and stand up to years of user growth without a hitch, the answer is almost never luck. It’s about what’s happening behind the scenes. At The Distance, we’ve spent years fine-tuning that “behind the scenes” part of the equation. Resulting in our own in-house digital product framework, The Core, designed to give our team a head start on every single project.

We don’t hand The Core out to anyone. It’s not something you can download from GitHub or license for your own use. This is the technology backbone we’ve carefully engineered for our in-house app development team, giving them a 20–30% head start before a single line of bespoke code is written. And when you pair that with AI-powered development tools, that’s when the magic really happens.

 

Why AI thrives on the right foundations

AI is a lot like a new hire: give it a messy desk and no instructions, and it’ll slow everyone down. Give it a clean, well-organised workspace with clear processes, and it will deliver results you didn’t think were possible.

Our curated tech stack is designed for exactly that kind of environment. Built around widely used, well-documented technologies like React Native, JavaScript, and TypeScript, The Core gives AI assistants a deep pool of recognised patterns and best practices to work with.

Because these languages and frameworks dominate modern development, JavaScript alone is used by over 98% of all websites and remains the most popular programming language globally. AI tools have been heavily trained on their syntax, structure, and problem-solving approaches. That means our developers get smarter, more accurate AI assistance right out of the gate.

 

The Core + AI = More than just speed

Yes, AI helps us work faster, but speed without stability is just a fast way to fail. The Core is built to keep quality and security at the forefront. We’ve embedded multiple security measures from the ground up, informed by years of working with leading penetration testing partners. That means even when AI is suggesting code, it’s working within a framework that’s already engineered to protect your users and your business.

And because The Core is designed for multi-platform deployment, AI-generated components can be seamlessly integrated into iOS, Android, and web builds without time-consuming rework. This means less duplication, more consistency, and a smoother journey from idea to launch.

 

Consistency: AI’s best friend

One of the most overlooked advantages of The Core is the level of consistency it brings to our projects. Our in-house team works from the same set of proven components and architecture every time, which means AI tools don’t have to “guess” what kind of code will fit; they already know.

Think of it like giving a chef a well-stocked kitchen where they know exactly where every ingredient and utensil is. They don’t waste time hunting; they just cook. For us, that means AI can instantly plug into our way of working, helping our developers solve complex problems, integrate third-party services, and build new features with a level of precision you just don’t get in a less structured environment.

The Core
 

Scalability built in

We design apps to last. Whether a project needs to handle a few thousand users or scale to millions, The Core is built on a serverless architecture that grows with demand. AI helps us make that scalability smarter, from optimising backend processes to suggesting more efficient ways to handle data.

That’s a win for our partners, because it means they’re not just getting an app that works today, they’re getting one that’s ready for tomorrow’s growth.

 

Why this matters for our partners

For our clients, this isn’t about the technical details of The Core, it’s about outcomes:

  • Faster development without compromising quality.
  • Smarter use of AI that’s trained on technologies perfectly suited to assist.
  • Built-in security and scalability so you’re ready for growth from day one.

When you work with us, you’re not just hiring app developers, you’re partnering with a team whose tools, processes, and expertise have been refined over the years to work in perfect harmony with the latest advancements in AI.

 

Looking ahead

AI in app development is only going to get more sophisticated. But without the right framework, its potential is wasted. The Core ensures we’re not just keeping pace with technology, we’re ahead of it. And for our partners, that means your digital product is too.

If you want to see what that looks like in practice, we’d be happy to show you. Just know this, behind every app we build is The Core, and behind The Core is a team that knows exactly how to make AI work harder, faster, and smarter for you.

 
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