I figured out how to do this in a semi-standard complaint fashion.
I used the eval syntax in shell scripting to lambda evaluate the $PATH at runtime. So in my /etc/.zshrc
$REALPATH = $PATH
$PATH = $REALPATH:`find_paths`
where find_paths is a function that recursively searches the $PATH directories for folders (pseudocode below)
(foreach path in $PATH => ls -d -- */)
So we go from this:
seo@macbook $ echo $PATH
/bin/:/usr/bin/
To this, automagically:
seo@macbook $ echo $PATH
/bin/:/usr/bin/:/bin/foo_master/
Now I just rename main to "foo_master" and voilà! Self contained executable, dare I say "app".