The Bootstrapped Founder 420: AI for the Code-Writing Purist: How to Use AI Without Surrendering Your Keyboard
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Oct 24, 2025 Discover how to use AI as a helpful coding companion while maintaining control over your keyboard. Learn techniques for prompting AI to identify bugs and enhance code quality rather than generating it outright. Explore the importance of automated security reviews and how to leverage AI for documentation, improving the sellability of your codebase. Experience insights on using AI to complement developer craftsmanship without compromising your coding integrity.
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Use AI As A Noncoding Pair Programmer
- Use AI as a coding companion that investigates and explains issues without writing production code.
- Configure prompts to forbid code generation and ask for guided solutions and analysis instead.
LLMs Build A Theory Of Your Codebase
- LLMs can build an internal theory of a codebase by reading it and tracing logic without executing it.
- This allows them to suggest where bugs may come from based on code paths and structure.
Force AI To Be Skeptical When Debugging
- Avoid accepting flattering AI answers; prompt models to be professional, skeptical, and antagonistic when hunting bugs.
- Use a strict system prompt to prevent sycophantic exuberance and get realistic diagnostics.