How to Use AI to Build Apps at 10× Speed

Building apps today isn’t what it used to be.

I remember when a “prototype in a week” felt fast. Now, with the right AI setup, I can get there in a day — if I use the tools together in the right way.

This isn’t a hype piece. It’s my own workflow, including the good, the bad, and the “why is this AI making things worse” moments.

1. The AI Stack I Use

I’ve tried a lot of AI tools. Most of them either shine at one thing or try to do everything and stumble.

Here’s the setup that works for me.

ChatGPT – Quick answers & brainstorming

I treat ChatGPT like that developer friend I can text at 1 AM with a “how does this library work again?” question.

I use it for writing text content, explaining code, or giving quick solutions for small problems.
It’s not my main coding buddy, but great for unblocking small stuff.

Example prompt:

1Help me define the brand persona and archetype and create a BRAND.md

I’ve used this to get a clear brand voice early in a project so everything — from copy to UI tone — feels consistent.

v0 – Lightning-fast UI bootstrapping

v0 is perfect for day one. I describe my app, it gives me a functioning UI skeleton.

But here’s the thing:

Beyond that first day, v0 starts to struggle with complexity. It can’t handle custom libraries well, or future-proof code structures.
I’ve ended up in “fixing circles” with it, where the AI keeps trying to solve its own mess… and fails.

So now I just take the initial layout for free, commit it, and move on.

Once, I spent an hour trying to convince v0 to use a certain library. It refused. I gave up, exported the layout, and finished the rest in Cursor in 20 minutes.

Claude Code – Architecture & co-programmer

I treat Claude like a senior engineer:

It helps me plan architectures, write technical docs, and create coding guidelines.
Instead of saying “build this feature now,” I ask it to suggest multiple approaches first, then pick one.
If I don’t have coding guidelines yet, Claude will happily create them for me (and even ask about my preferences).

Example prompt:

1Help me plan the architecture and folder structure, ask me questions and propose solutions

This works well because Claude starts by gathering context, then offers several approaches — which I can choose from before coding starts.

Cursor IDE – Where it all comes together

Cursor is where I actually write code — with AI chat integrated right into the editor.

I can save style rules, coding preferences, or even “never do this again” notes directly into Cursor’s memory.
It’s also the one paid tool I recommend if your budget is tight — you can access ChatGPT from inside Cursor without a separate subscription.

The “never do this again” rule in Cursor saved me from a React component naming disaster once. Worth every cent.

2. The Workflow That Makes It Work

Using AI without a process is like driving a sports car in first gear — still faster than walking, but nowhere near what it could be.

Here’s the loop I follow for every feature:

Plan – Ask Claude to suggest approaches. Decide which one to use.
Implement – Use Cursor + Claude Code to code it.
Test & Fix – Let Claude Code run the tests and fix the bugs.

I repeat this for every feature or change request.

Skipping the planning phase is the #1 cause of wasted time for me.

I used to skip planning and go straight into “AI, build it” mode. 3 hours later I’d have something that looked right but was completely wrong under the hood.

3. Bug Fixing: Lower Your Expectations

AI bug fixing is a mixed bag:

Sometimes it’s magic and solves it instantly.
Sometimes it makes random changes that do nothing.
Sometimes I have to ask again in slightly different words.

When that happens, I just Google the solution like in the old days, then paste it into AI to integrate.

That way I still save time, but avoid going in circles.

I once spent 40 minutes trying to get AI to fix a bug… then found the answer in a 7-year-old Stack Overflow post. The fix took 30 seconds.

4. Keeping AI on Track

One of the best things I’ve done is keep a project memory file:

In Cursor: add rules/memory so the AI remembers my style.
In Claude: keep a `CLAUDE.md` file with coding guidelines and decisions.
In Git: commit my guidelines so the whole team can use them.

This avoids the “why did you suddenly decide to use snake_case in a React project?” moments.

The first time I saw AI suddenly switch coding styles mid-project, I realized I needed to start writing things down for it. Treat AI like a forgetful intern.

5. Mini Case Study – A Feature in a Day

I recently built a dashboard widget for a client in under 24 hours:

UI Foundation – Generated with v0 in 10 minutes.
Architecture Plan – Claude suggested 3 approaches, I picked one.
Implementation – Cursor wrote 80% of the code, I handled edge cases manually.
Bug Fixes – One bug was solved by AI, another I found on Stack Overflow.

Total time: ~7 hours. Traditionally, this would have been 2–3 days.

The best part? The client thought I’d been working on it for a week.

6. Final Thoughts

AI won’t replace good developers anytime soon, but it will turn a good developer into a hyper-productive one.

The key is:

Use each tool for what it’s best at.
Work in short, planned iterations.
Document your preferences so AI doesn’t forget.

That’s how I get to 10× speed without burning out or drowning in AI mistakes.

If you try this workflow, let me know how it goes. I’m still refining mine, and the more battle stories, the better.