My AI Toolkit: From Idea to Product

The Old Way vs The AI Way

Old way: Idea → Spec → Design → Development → Testing → Launch (3-6 months)

AI way: Idea → Claude session → Working prototype (2-3 days)

This isn’t hype. This is my actual workflow now.

My Core AI Tools

1. Claude (Sonnet 4.5)

What I use it for:

• Architecture decisions
• Complex business logic
• Debugging weird issues
• Code reviews (yes, AI reviews my code)

Why it’s powerful:

• Understands context deeply
• Can think through trade-offs
• Explains things clearly
• Doesn’t just give me code, gives me understanding

Real example: I needed to build a data processing pipeline. Instead of Googling for hours, I had a 20-minute conversation with Claude. It suggested an architecture, wrote the core logic, and explained the gotchas.

2. Cursor

What I use it for:

• Actually writing the code
• Refactoring
• Boilerplate generation
• Quick fixes

Why it’s different:

• It’s in my editor
• It sees my entire codebase
• It suggests as I type
• It’s fast

The combo: Claude for thinking, Cursor for typing.

3. GitHub Copilot

What I use it for:

• Repetitive code
• Test cases
• Documentation
• When I’m too lazy to think

Honest take: I use it less now that I have Claude and Cursor. But it’s still useful for the boring stuff.

My Building Workflow

Phase 1: Idea Validation (1-2 hours)

1. Open Claude
2. Describe the problem
3. Ask: “Is this worth building? What’s the simplest version?”
4. Discuss trade-offs
5. Get a clear plan

Key: Don’t start coding until the idea is clear.

Phase 2: Prototype (1-3 days)

1. Use Claude to design the architecture
2. Use Cursor to write the code
3. Use Claude when stuck
4. Use myself as the tester

Key: Ship ugly but working. Perfect is the enemy of done.

Phase 3: Real Usage (1-2 weeks)

1. Use the product myself every day
2. Fix what’s broken
3. Remove what’s unnecessary
4. Add what’s missing

Key: If I don’t use it daily, I kill it.

Phase 4: Share (optional)

1. If it’s working for me, share it
2. Get feedback
3. Decide: improve, maintain, or sunset

Key: Not every project needs users. Some are just for me.

The Tools I Don’t Use

No-code tools: Too limiting once you know how to code with AI

Design tools: AI generates initial designs, I refine in code

Project management: Todo list in Markdown is enough

Multiple frameworks: Stick to what works (Next.js + Tailwind)

My Tech Stack

Frontend:

• Next.js (React)
• TypeScript
• Tailwind CSS

Backend:

• API routes in Next.js
• Or simple FastAPI if needed

Database:

• Start with SQLite
• Upgrade to PostgreSQL if needed
• Redis for caching

Deployment:

• Vercel for everything web
• Railway for backend if needed

Why this stack:

• I know it well
• AI knows it well
• It’s fast to build with
• It scales when needed

The Real Superpower

It’s not the tools. It’s the mindset shift.

Before AI: I need a team to build this.

After AI: I can build this myself.

That shift changes everything. It means:

• I don’t wait for approval
• I don’t compromise on vision
• I don’t split equity
• I own 100% of the outcome

What About Quality?

People ask: “Is AI-generated code good?”

Wrong question. Better question: “Does it work?”

My AI-assisted code:

• Works ✅
• Has bugs 🐛 (just like human code)
• Needs refactoring sometimes 🔧
• Ships fast 🚀

Perfect code that never ships is worthless. Working code that solves my problem is priceless.

The Learning Curve

Week 1: This is magic!

Week 2: Wait, this is wrong sometimes.

Week 3: Okay, I need to verify everything.

Week 4: I know when to trust it and when to question it.

Month 2: This is just how I work now.

My Advice

If you want to build with AI:

1. Pick one AI tool and master it (I recommend Claude)
2. Start with your own problems (don’t build for imaginary users)
3. Ship ugly first versions (perfection kills momentum)
4. Use it yourself daily (dogfood everything)
5. Document the journey (it’s valuable content)

What’s Next?

I’m constantly experimenting with new AI tools and workflows. When I find something that works, I’ll share it here.

The goal isn’t to have the perfect toolkit. The goal is to keep building.

Want to see what I build with these tools? Follow along. I’m sharing everything.