Executive Summary

AnkiBuddy transforms the way medical students create study materials by using AI to generate high-quality Anki flashcards from PDF documents in minutes - eliminating hours of manual card creation. Built by Dr. David Topf and using Anvil, AnkiBuddy went from initial idea to working prototype in just 2 months, with Anvil enabling rapid iteration and continuous improvement ever since.

  • Built by a solo developer
  • Prototype ready in 2 months
  • Users: 18,000+
  • Customer lifetime value: €70
  • MoM user growth: 32%
  • 50,000+ PDFs parsed
Anvil has allowed me to do this as a solo entrepreneur. Any other solo entrepreneur that builds a software product needs to basically be a full stack developer who’s also had experience with DevOps and has the skills to build a business.

Dr. David Topf

Founder and CEO, AnkiBuddy

The Challenge: When Manual Study Card Creation Meets Medical School

Every medical student knows the struggle: You have tonnes of PDF study materials, and you know that spaced repetition with flashcards is one of the most effective ways to learn. But creating quality flashcards manually is incredibly time-consuming. Turning a single PDF into comprehensive Anki cards can take hours.

David’s sister Danielle, a medical student, experienced this firsthand. She asked David how she could use AI to transform her medical study summaries into flashcards. As David recalls, “When she showed me how long it takes her to manually generate Anki cards, I wanted to try to help”.

What If We Let AI Do the Heavy Lifting?

David saw an opportunity - what if AI could handle the tedious process of reading through study materials and creating well-structured flashcards? This wasn’t just about automation, it was about creating scientifically-sound study materials that would actually improve learning outcomes.

The idea became AnkiBuddy: an AI-powered platform that transforms PDF study materials into customizable, high-quality Anki flashcards optimized for medical education.

The Solution: AI-Powered Flashcard Generation

AnkiBuddy is a web-based platform that lets medical students upload their study materials and receive well-structured Anki flashcards within minutes. The platform:

  • Analyzes PDF content using AI
  • Generates professionally-structured flashcards
  • Allows easy customization and personalization of cards
  • Integrates with existing Anki workflows

No more spending hours manually creating cards. No more inconsistent formats. Just high-quality study materials, ready when you need them.

Building AnkiBuddy: Rapid Development with Anvil

David had already worked hard building an AI-powered PDF parser using Python - the next challenge was building a UI and getting it all deployed online. That’s where Anvil came in.

He’d already learned Python for the AI part of the app, so he reached for Anvil to simplify the web development process and handle his DevOps and hosting. Within two months of working with Anvil, David had a working prototype of AnkiBuddy which he could give to users.

It basically simplified it to a place where, if I learn Python and I learn the rules of Anvil, I can do pretty much what I want.

Dr. David Topf

Founder and CEO, AnkiBuddy

More than just accelerating development, Anvil allowed David to offload database management, DevOps, and hosting. It saved him the headaches of navigating complex cloud platforms like AWS - letting him focus entirely on building his product and business.

He also took advantage of the support package offered by Anvil to help maximise his development speed and get answers to questions fast.

I completely underestimated how valuable the support plan would be. I’ve been able to work directly with the Anvil development team. They’re not just responsive; they’re some of the most skilled engineers I’ve ever encountered.

Dr. David Topf

Founder and CEO, AnkiBuddy

The Results: From Idea to Impact

Since its launch, AnkiBuddy has helped 18,000 medical students transform their study workflows. It has proven that there’s real demand for AI-powered study tools that are tuned to specific needs.

Anvil has enabled fast iteration ever since the prototype was launched. When users reported bugs or suggested improvements, David could implement changes in no time.

AnkiBuddy is a perfect example of how modern AI can solve real educational challenges and how the right development platform can help solo entrepreneurs move from idea to impact in record time.

More Information

AnkiBuddy creates high-quality Anki flashcards from your PDF study materials in minutes.

Visit ankibuddy.com

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