🏴‍☠️ Read Me - If You Want To Throw Your $aa$ Subscriptions Overboard

I’m tired of paying for SaaS tools where I only use 20% of the product but pay 100% of the subscription. I got fed up with Replit’s creeping costs for agents and databases, and last spring I was done with surprise charges and being nickeled-and-dimed to death.

So I set my own course. I learned as I went — 10,000 hours and all that — and I haven’t looked back.

Who this is for (and how to read this)

This space is for people who already use AI and want to move beyond prompts into building — without becoming a traditional developer and without paying for a stack of SaaS tools.

If you:

use ChatGPT or Claude regularly
are curious about Claude Code or vibe coding
are tired of subscriptions and want to own what you build

you’re in the right place.

You’re not expected to understand everything here. This isn’t sequential, and it’s not a curriculum. Read posts as examples of how AI turns into tools. Look for patterns. Steal ideas. Adapt what works. Skip what doesn’t.

If you’re waiting for a “start here” lesson, this isn’t that.If you want to see what building with AI actually looks like, it is.

Why Claude Code Pirates?

I pay for Claude. I don’t want to pay for micro-SaaS tools or hosted platforms for things I can build myself. I want to build on free and freemium platforms, own what I make, and show others how to do the same.

This Skool isn’t a course or a bootcamp. It’s a building and learning lab. I’ll host public builds, experiments, and breakdowns. If people show up, great. If not, also fine.

If you already use AI (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) but haven’t used Claude Code yet, this is what it looks like when prompts turn into tools. You don’t need to understand every post. Read them as examples of what’s possible. Copy what’s useful. Ignore the rest.

I’m not a dev. I have a history degree. I started using Claude / Claude Code about a year ago to build apps, websites, automations, and AI systems. Some worked. Some broke. All taught me something.

I code in English.

I use Claude Code as a co-builder, not a magician. Sometimes it’s incredibly stupid. That’s part of the process.

I build with local LLMs, open tools, and trial and error. I’d rather ship something rough than pay subscriptions for features I don’t own. I use free and freemium platforms, GitHub Actions, and Netlify.

What you’ll see here

real build logs
experiments that work and experiments that don’t
Claude Code workflows
integrations with local models, n8n, Electron, web apps, MCPs, Claude Skills, and sub-agents
iteration. Iteration. Iteration.

If you’re looking for: