🎯 Vibecoding Learnings

Comprehensive guide to AI-assisted development based on real HomeGrif project experience — 8 days, 99 releases, from zero to production.

8
Days of dev
99
Releases
4:1
Claude:Human
5.5M
Tokens

Document Contents

Executive Summary

This document captures all learnings from building the HomeGrif platform using Claude Code. Single human + AI achieved 4x productivity and built a full fintech platform in 8 days.

  • Human time: ~950 minutes (~16 man-days)
  • Claude time: ~4,000 minutes (~67 man-days)
  • Total tokens: ~5.5 million
  • Est. cost: ~7,600-8,000 EUR (including human opportunity cost)

T-Shirt Size Distribution

Every release is categorized by effort:

Size Count Human Claude Tokens Scope
XS 12 0-2m 3-5m 5-10k Typo, config
S 20 3-5m 8-20m 15-25k Bug fix, small feature
M 31 5-10m 25-45m 40-80k Feature, integration
L 23 15-20m 25-40m 50-100k Major feature
XL 13 30-40m 60-120m 100-200k Platform feature

10 Key Lessons Learned

1. Start with DB-Driven Config

Don't use env vars for business settings. Database enables changes via admin UI without redeploy.

2. Implement Task System Early

Automation pays off immediately — smoke tests, security scans, daily reports.

3. Use PostgreSQL Sessions from Day One

MemoryStore doesn't scale and causes memory leaks. PostgreSQL sessions from start.

4. Add Audit Trails from Start

Every important action must be traceable — email_logs, activity_logs, created_at/updated_at.

5. Build Admin Dashboard Alongside Features

Every new feature needs admin view for data visualization and management.

6. Rate Limit Before Going Public

Security is foundational — rate limiting, input validation, CAPTCHA, honeypot.

7. Two-Branch Deployment Strategy

main → TEST, production → PROD. Never let TEST drift from PROD.

8. Track Effort on Every Commit

Cost data enables accurate project pricing and AI tooling justification.

9. Customer Quotes = Requirements

Real customer voice shapes better products. Collect and use quotes.

10. Transparency Builds Trust

"Publish as much as possible." Roadmap, backlog, architecture — all public except security details.

Claude Code Setup

HomeGrif uses Claude Code with custom slash commands for efficient development. Here are the available commands:

Command Purpose
/init Session initialization — shows project status, version, environment health
/status Comprehensive project overview without initialization
/deploy Deployment workflow: main → TEST → verify → PROD
/bug [ID] Systematic workflow for fixing bugs from backlog
/feature [ID] Feature implementation from backlog with full tracking
/db [cmd] Database operations: stats, tables, queries
/backlog Backlog management: list, add, next task

6 Mandatory Rules

  1. Read files before editing — NEVER modify code you haven't seen
  2. Clean up obsolete code — remove unused functions/imports
  3. Update tracking — backlog.md + changelog.json + version
  4. Verify after changes — check the feature works
  5. Small commits — one feature/fix per commit
  6. Follow patterns — match existing code style

Complete documentation including MCP servers and database connections is in specs/claude-code-guide.md

Vibecoding Philosophy

"The human provides direction and judgment; the AI provides execution and knowledge." — Core vibecoding principle

Human responsibilities:

  • Define requirements and acceptance criteria
  • Review and approve changes
  • Make architectural decisions
  • Test critical paths

AI responsibilities:

  • Write code that matches requirements
  • Follow established patterns
  • Update documentation
  • Track effort and changes

Complete Document (~1100 lines)

Full version includes code snippets, prompting patterns, security implementations, database schemas and more.

View on GitHub → Product Manifesto

Living document • Last updated: December 2024 • v2.3.0