Bharat in BetaChatGPT becomes the AI app store
Source
- a16z Big Ideas 2026 (opens in a new tab)AppsPublished: 10 Dec 2025
The idea
Build consumer mini-apps and services distributed inside major AI assistants as conversational platforms become a native channel with large built-in audiences.
Why this is interesting
- A new distribution surface can be tested by task completion and repeat use from qualified visitors. Access to a large platform is different from discoverability, sustainable acquisition or a paying customer.
- The article’s platform forecast is dated. Treat the channel as a dependency to investigate and verify current platform rules separately before choosing a production integration.
Possible starting points
One-task conversational prototype
Prototype a single consumer task with an explicit handoff to the service, then compare completion and confusion with a direct web journey.
Portable service contract
Keep a test service’s inputs and outputs independent of the distribution interface so a second client can complete the same task.
Questions to answer
- Do people who arrive from the proposed channel complete the intended task and choose to return?
- Can the business retain a useful customer relationship if the platform changes its discovery or integration rules?