I've been using Claude Code as my primary development tool for the past months on a React + Express SaaS (7 languages, Stripe billing, Supabase auth, multiple AI API integrations). Here's an honest breakdown of where it excels and where it still breaks down. What Claude Code handles remarkably well: - Full-stack feature implementation from a single prompt (routing, API, frontend, DB migration) - - Refactoring across multiple files while keeping everything consistent - - Writing complex backend services (API integrations, webhook handling, credit systems) - - Debugging — it reads error traces and fixes issues faster than I ever could manually - - Translation management across 7 language files simultaneously Where it consistently struggles: - Complex CSS/visual design — it writes functional Tailwind but has no real "eye" for spacing, hierarchy, or visual polish. You still need a human design sense. - - Large file context — once a component exceeds ~500 lines, it starts losing track of what's already in the file. You need to architect smaller modules proactively. - - Third-party API quirks — when an API behaves differently than its docs say (which happens constantly), Claude Code will keep trying the documented approach instead of adapting. - - State management across sessions — it doesn't remember what it decided 3 hours ago unless you maintain explicit documentation. The meta-lesson: Claude Code is an extraordinary implementation tool, but it doesn't replace architectural thinking. You still need to know WHAT to build and WHY. The "how" is where it saves you weeks. Curious about your experience — do you find Claude Code better at greenfield projects (building from scratch) or at adding features to an existing codebase?

New here. Built an AI product photography platform from scratch using Claude Code over the past 2 years — React + Express + 15 AI models integrated (Gemini, Kling, Veo, Flux, etc.). The biggest lesson: Claude Code is insanely good at building features fast, but the real bottleneck is always architecture decisions BEFORE you start coding. I wasted weeks letting Claude scaffold things that I later had to completely restructure because I hadn't thought through the data model. What worked: giving Claude extremely specific context about my existing codebase (CLAUDE.md files, strict rules) and treating it like a senior dev who needs a clear brief — not a magic wand. What didn't: asking Claude to "figure it out" on complex multi-service integrations. The more ambiguous the prompt, the more refactoring later. Curious about the builders here — do you find Claude Code works better for greenfield projects (building from zero) or for adding features to an existing codebase?