So You Tried Building Your First App with AI... And It Flopped? Here's Why.
AI development is the buzz right now. Everyone is telling you that coding with AI is the next big thing, and they're right. From prompt engineering to automated code generation, the tools are getting smarter every day. Naturally, you dive in, ready to build your first app entirely with AI.
And... it’s a complete disaster.
What went wrong?
Well, my friend, you didn’t handle AI properly. AI isn’t magic—it’s a powerful tool, but you are still the developer. The trick is knowing how to use AI to enhance your workflow instead of turning it into chaos.
Here are 4 golden rules to mastering AI development and dramatically speeding up your process:
1. Develop One Task at a Time
This sounds obvious, right? But how many times have you tried to fix a button typo while tweaking the differential vector of an algorithm?
Just me?
The point is: never ask AI to handle more than one task at a time unless you're ready to get messy results.
Start simple. Ask for one specific fix, feature, or change. Finish that task, test it, and then move on.
2. Commit Before Each Prompt & Review the Changes
Before you hit the AI with your next task, commit your code.
This simple habit will save you countless headaches. If something breaks (and it will), you’ll have a clean checkpoint to return to.
🔍 Review every single modification AI suggests. Don’t just copy-paste blindly—it’s your code, and you're responsible for understanding it.
3. Give Instructions, Not Desires
Bad prompt:
Make this button beautiful.
Good prompt:
Make this button bigger, with a diagonal linear gradient from red to blue, and add a hover effect.
Why does this work better? You're being specific and reducing AI guesswork. It's still aligned with your goal (a beautiful button), but you're steering the AI toward fewer errors.
4. Never Forget the Rules
Sounds simple, but it’s important: stick to the plan. AI only enhances your work when you stay disciplined.
The Big Picture: AI Makes You a Better Coder
AI doesn't replace you; it challenges you to think differently, improving your problem-solving skills. It speeds up repetitive tasks, gives you fresh perspectives, and forces you to be more mindful of how you write code.
The future is AI, and the developers who learn to use it properly will outpace the rest.
So, give it a try—just remember: You’re the dev, AI is the tool. Master it, and watch your projects thrive.