For years, app discovery and user acquisition have been dominated by app stores, search rankings, and paid media. That model is now being challenged. As large language models become daily interfaces for hundreds of millions of users, a new distribution layer is emerging — one where apps are discovered, used, and even built entirely inside AI ecosystems.
In the latest editions of App Talks, David Murphy spoke with Dan Shabtay, Co-Founder at Z2A Digital, about how the rise of ChatGPT as an operating system is reshaping app creation, discovery, and growth strategy. The conversation explored what this shift means for developers, marketers, and growth teams heading into 2025 and beyond.
From app stores to AI ecosystems
Dan describes the current moment as a structural break from the past. Instead of building solely for Apple’s App Store or Google Play, developers can now create applications directly on top of ChatGPT.
This new environment removes many of the traditional barriers to entry. There is no app review queue, no complex compliance process, and, crucially, no requirement to write code. Anyone with an idea and a well-structured prompt can create and publish an app to an audience that already numbers in the hundreds of millions.
For Dan, that changes the competitive landscape entirely. Solo founders and large enterprises now start from the same baseline, with access to the same infrastructure and distribution.
The rise of the ChatGPT App Store
At the centre of this shift is the growing app ecosystem inside ChatGPT itself. Dan highlights the scale of the opportunity: with more than 800 million active users, ChatGPT has effectively become a global platform where utility apps, productivity tools, and even games can be launched instantly.
Dan points to research from Goldman Sachs, estimating that the ChatGPT app ecosystem could generate between $15 billion and $25 billion annually by 2026-2027.
For entrepreneurs and growth teams, the implication is clear. Even capturing a fraction of that audience can support a meaningful business.
ChatGPT and the future of app discovery
Source: Business of Apps via YouTube
No-code creation and instant scale
One of the most disruptive elements of this new ecosystem is no-code app creation. Dan explains that tasks which previously required engineering, product, and project management teams can now be handled by individuals using AI-assisted workflows.
The result is speed. Ideas can be tested, launched, and iterated in days rather than months. Distribution is built in, because users never have to leave ChatGPT to discover or use these apps.
Dan calls the current moment a veritable gold rush. Low regulation, low friction, and massive demand are converging at the same time.
User acquisition in an LLM-first world
Despite the disruption, Dan does not believe traditional user acquisition will disappear overnight. Paid media, programmatic buying, and App Store Optimisation still matter. However, he expects a parallel acquisition channel to emerge directly inside large language models.
As LLMs evolve, Dan anticipates new forms of in-context promotion, recommendation, and possibly ad exchanges embedded within chat interfaces. Payments are already being integrated, turning ChatGPT into something closer to a super app.
Why major platforms are moving early
Large platforms are not waiting on the sidelines. Dan points to examples such as Booking.com, Canva, and Figma, all of which are beginning to establish a presence inside ChatGPT’s app layer.
By integrating functionality and payments — often through providers like Stripe — these companies can reach both existing customers and entirely new audiences without forcing users to switch contexts.
For Dan, this reinforces a key idea: the future battle is not going to be about acquiring new users, but about keeping them engaged inside your ecosystem rather than losing them to competing AI platforms.
Adaptability as the new growth skill
When asked how growth teams should respond, Dan framed the challenge in human terms. In the past, success favoured intelligence and expertise. Today, it favours adaptability.
Growth teams need to move quickly, experiment aggressively, and combine their existing skill sets with AI-native tools. The teams that win will be those that embrace LLM platforms early, test distribution inside them, and learn how discovery works when search results are replaced by conversational answers.
In Dan’s view, the risk is not moving too fast. The real risk is standing still while the ecosystem forms around you.
Looking ahead
As ChatGPT and competing LLMs evolve into full operating systems, app creation, discovery, and monetisation are being fundamentally redefined. For developers, marketers, and founders, the opportunity is vast but time-sensitive.
The takeaway for 2026 and beyond is simple: app growth will no longer live in a single store or channel. It will live wherever users spend their time. Increasingly, that place is inside AI chatbots.
Watch the full video to discover all of Dan’s insights. You can also watch all episodes of App Talks here.
