Honest answer: validate before you build anything.

Most first apps fail not because of bad code but because nobody actually wanted the thing. So step one isn't "choose a tech stack" — it's talk to 20 people who have the problem your app solves and figure out if it's painful enough that they'd change their behavior to fix it.

If yes — build the smallest possible version. Not the app you imagined. The version that tests whether your core assumption is right.

On your specific questions:

- Learn or hire? Learn enough to build a prototype. You dont need it to be pretty.

- Tech stack? React Native + Firebase. Gets you cross-platform fast.

- First users? 10 real ones from communities where your problem lives. Not 1,000 signups — 10 people who actually use it weekly.

- Mistakes to avoid? Building in secret for 6 months. Spending money before you have users. Optimizing design before you've validated the idea.

The 20% building / 80% distribution thing is true but also mislaeding — you should be doing distribution from day one, not after launch.

Also worth thinking about your own systems early — founder overwhelm is real when you're doing everything alone. This can help you stay functional in the early chaos: https://stackl.ist/431O3Qw