I was initially hesitant to try building my own self-hosted applications because Docker felt daunting. Using containers, images, volumes, and Docker Compose all seemed a little advanced to the uninitiated. However, with an AI chatbot acting as a troubleshooter, I dove headfirst into using it to install apps I actually wanted, and in the space of a few days, projects like Navidrome, Audiobookshelf, Kavita, Sub/Wave, and Immich taught me all I needed to know.