AI-Assisted Software Engineering Guide

A methodology for building production-ready apps with AI — systematically, not randomly.

What This Is

A structured approach to AI-assisted development that prevents the common failure pattern: spending thousands on tokens and ending up with broken code.

The process:

1. Brainstorm with Claude Opus in a Project — real multi-turn conversation about scope, tech stack, architecture
2. Generate foundation documents — README, Architecture (with real schemas), iron-clad rules, sprint plans, task specs
3. Execute in focused tasks — one task per conversation, plan mode first, test after, confidence score
4. Know when to start fresh — side tasks, circular debugging, long conversations → write a task doc, new conversation
5. Audit between phases — fresh AI reviews code, fixes before continuing

Quick Start

Just Want Templates?

Copy project-templates/ into your repo. It includes:

• README, ARCHITECTURE, LEARNINGS templates
• .clinerules and CLAUDE.md with strict quality rules
• Task template, sprint plan template, sprint rules
• Prompt templates for every phase (brainstorming, doc generation, debugging, audits)

Want to Learn the Methodology?

1. Read the Introduction
2. Understand the philosophy
3. Choose your tools
4. Have the brainstorming session
5. Set up your documentation
6. Start executing with the workflow

Project Structure

project-templates/           # Drop-in files for any project
├── README.md               # Project README template
├── ARCHITECTURE.md         # System design template
├── LEARNINGS.md            # Gotchas log template
├── .clinerules             # Cline quality rules template
├── CLAUDE.md               # Claude Code quality rules template
├── TASK_TEMPLATE.md        # Task specification format
├── SPRINT_PLAN_TEMPLATE.md # Sprint planning format
├── SPRINT_RULES.md         # Sprint sizing and task rules
└── prompts/                # Copy-paste prompts for each phase
    ├── 01-initial-brainstorm.md
    ├── 02-generate-foundation-docs.md
    ├── 03-generate-task-docs.md
    ├── 04-new-feature-brainstorm.md
    ├── 05-fix-and-debug.md
    ├── 06-context-rescue.md
    └── 07-phase-audit.md

docs/                       # The methodology guide (VitePress)
├── introduction.md
├── part-1/                 # Foundation
├── part-2/                 # Pre-Development
├── part-3/                 # Execution
├── part-4/                 # Quality
├── part-5/                 # Advanced
├── part-6/                 # Resources & templates
└── .vitepress/             # Site config

Real Example

The VH Conference Toolkit was built using this methodology. Browse its repo to see thorough architecture docs, strict development rules, sprint-based task specs, and ADRs in action.

Proof It Works

This methodology built RISE — an Electron desktop app — in 4 weeks for ~$400 in tokens. Production-ready, documented, maintainable.

Status

Major update complete. Core methodology revised to reflect current best practices. Project templates and prompt library added.