Three years ago, if I were going to build out a side project, I would almost always start with the UI. I wanted to get an MVP out fast to see if the idea was worth pursuing, so I would grab data however I could, wire it into a React app, and spend most of my time making the interface usable. That approach worked well enough then, but it does not work nearly as well when LLMs are part of the development process. ...
Every developer has opinions. Tools, patterns, architecture, naming, state libraries, folder structures, testing strategies. If you’ve been building software long enough, you’ve probably collected dozens of things you feel strongly about. But here is the truth: If you try to push all of them, you dilute your influence. If you try to defend everything, you end up defending nothing. The most effective developers I’ve worked with can usually articulate one core principle they will fight for. One idea they will apply pressure on. One thing they believe improves systems long term. Everything else remains flexible. ...