๐ ๏ธ Two modes of shipping AI automations in 2024:
1๏ธโฃ Classic Coding
โข You own every line โ predictable, auditable, testable
โข 2ร longer upfront, 0.5ร iteration speed
โข Best for: HIPAA / SOC-2 stacks, 10k+ MAU, infra the CFO can depreciate
2๏ธโฃ Vibe-Coding (Cursor Composer, Copilot Workspace, Replit Agent)
โข Prompt โ working branch in minutes
โข 3ร faster MVP, 1.5ร tech-debt
โข Best for: validating a new chatbot flow, weekend hack, or when the spec will change three times before Monday stand-up
3๏ธโฃ My 15-second filter
Ask: โWill the C-suite lose sleep if this prompt hallucinates?โ
โข If YES โ classic.
โข If NO โ vibe-code, lock the winning prompt behind a typed interface later.
4๏ธโฃ Real numbers from last month
โข Client A: vibe-coded an FAQ bot in 4 hrs, 2 k convos/day, zero infra bill โ validated demand before hiring a backend team
โข Client B: classic-coded the same feature, 3-week sprint, but passed bank security review on first pass โ saved a $50 k audit re-run
5๏ธโฃ Hybrid playbook I give every founder
Day 0-1: vibe-code the happy path
Day 2-3: auto-generate unit tests with AI, freeze the prompt behind a single TypeScript function
Day 4+: replace the weakest link with hand-rolled code only when metrics or compliance demand it
๐ Comment โ๐ชโ and Iโll DM you the exact Cursor rule-file + test scaffold I use to switch lanes without a rewrite.