How I Use AI Tools in Development

I've been coding professionally for over a decade, and like most developers, I've watched the so-called AI revolution unfold with a mix of excitement and skepticism. After experimenting with various tools, I've settled into a practical approach that helps me focus on what matters most: building solid systems and crafting thoughtful user experiences.

My Daily AI Stack

These days, I primarily use Cursor with its agent mode for most of my development work. It's become my go-to for handling boilerplate code and repetitive tasks. I've found it particularly useful for:

• Introspecting legacy projects & code I did not write
• Setting up new project structures
• Generating test cases (within reason)
• Writing documentation
• Refactoring existing code

For content creation and documentation, I occasionally turn to ChatGPT and Claude. They're helpful for scaffolding technical blog posts or creating social media content about development topics.

The Human Touch

Despite these tools becoming more sophisticated, I maintain a hands-on approach to the critical parts of development. I still:

• Review all generated code thoroughly
• Write complex business logic myself
• Design system architecture from scratch
• Make final decisions about code organization and patterns

Why This Works for Me

The biggest benefit I've found is that AI tools handle the repetitive parts of development, freeing me up to focus on:

• System design and architecture
• User experience considerations and visual design
• Performance optimization
• Team collaboration and knowledge sharing

It's like having a very capable assistant or intern who handles the groundwork while I focus on the strategic aspects of building software.