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Tl;DR

🚀 AI helps you code, but engineering makes it:

  • Maintainable ✅ (Easy to update and fix later)
  • Scalable 🚀 (Works as your project grows)
  • Secure 🔒 (Protects your data and users)

1️⃣ AI is a Tool, Not a Crutch​

🔹 AI guesses, you validate. AI can help write code, but you make sure it works.
🔹 Debugging is about understanding what went wrong, not just asking AI to try again.
🔹 Treat AI-generated code like work from a teammate: Review it.

2️⃣ Document Everything 📝​

🔹 Write down why you make decisions, not just how you did it.
🔹 Define expectations before coding—this saves time and effort later.
🔹 Good documentation helps everyone understand your work, preventing surprises.

3️⃣ Seamless Dev Setup ⚡​

🔹 Automate setup (scripts, Docker, Makefiles) so anyone can get started quickly.
🔹 Create an FAQ to save hours of answering the same questions.
🔹 Keep environments consistent so things work on any machine.

4️⃣ Writing Code That Lasts ⚙️​

🔹 Keep it clean and simple—less code is often better.
🔹 Plan for future changes—easy-to-update code saves time later.
🔹 Handle errors properly—don’t let mistakes break the system.
🔹 Minimize dependencies to make your code more flexible.
🔹 Focus on explaining why you wrote something, not just what it does.

5️⃣ Versioning & Shipping 🚀​

🔹 Commit often—small changes are easier to fix if something goes wrong. 🔹 Use simple branching models like Trunk-Based OR GitFlow. 🔹 Small, tested changes make deployments safer.

6️⃣ Test Now or Suffer Later 🧪​

🔹 AI-generated code is untested—you must test it.
🔹 Write Unit, Integration, and E2E tests.
🔹 Refactoring is painless when tests exist.

7️⃣ Merge = Deploy 🔄​

🔹 CI/CD eliminates release fear.
🔹 Automate testing & deployment.
🔹 Ship small, ship often.

8️⃣ Catch Bugs Early 🛠️​

🔹 Use static analysis & linters.
🔹 Format & automate everything.
🔹 Code reviews prevent technical debt.

9️⃣ Monitor & Log Everything 📊​

🔹 Logs without monitoring are useless.
🔹 Never log sensitive data.
🔹 Use tools like Prometheus, Sentry, and OpenTelemetry.

💡 TL;DR: AI can write code, but you make it robust, scalable, and secure. Stick to solid engineering practices, and your AI-assisted code won't turn into chaos. 🚀