Chapter 6: AI Agents as Your Junior Developer

"AI is the new electricity." - Andrew Ng

So far, you've created a clear product vision and technical specs (see Chapter 5). Now it's time to turn ideas into working code—and the best part? You don't need to write every line yourself.

Instead, think of AI Agents like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Cursor, or Bolt as your junior developers, ready to help with:

• ✅ Generating code for your tech stack
• ✅ Debugging and performance optimization
• ✅ Adding integrations (like payments, and analytics)
• ✅ Iterating through multiple product phases

Let's break down exactly how to work with AI Agents effectively.

1️⃣ Using AI Agents to Generate Code (Your Junior Developer on Call) 🚀

"Vibe coding with AI isn't just about writing code—it's about having a conversation with your tools, exploring possibilities, and letting creativity flow naturally. It's like pair programming with a tireless partner who's always ready to help." - Andrej Karpathy

Once your product & technical specs are ready, the first step is to translate those into an initial working codebase. AI can do this efficiently if prompted correctly.

📌 How to Prompt AI Agents to Write Code for You

⚙️ Prompt Structure to Generate the First Version of Your App:

Imagine you are a [Framework] and [Backend] developer. Build me a [describe your app] that [core functionality]. Below are the product and technical specifications:

📎 Attach the Product & Technical Spec (from Chapter 5).

Once AI generates the code:

• Test the initial setup
• Ask for adjustments if necessary
• Iterate step by step

2️⃣ AI-Powered Debugging & Troubleshooting 🔍

AI is incredibly useful for real-time debugging, especially for new developers. But how you ask AI for help is crucial.

🔍 How to Ask AI to Debug Effectively

Instead of vague questions, give context, share code snippets, and explain the issue clearly.

🚀 Example 1 – Fixing Firebase Authentication Issues

❌ Bad Prompt: My Firebase login isn't working. Help!

✅ Good Prompt:

I'm using Firebase authentication with Next.js, and the sign-in function is not redirecting users after login. Here's my code snippet: [Paste code]. What's the issue, and how can I fix it?

🚀 Example 2 – Optimizing API Performance

❌ Bad Prompt: My API is slow. What do I do?

✅ Good Prompt:

I'm fetching user data from Supabase in my Next.js app, but the response time is slow. Here's my current query: [Paste query]. How can I optimize it for better performance?

👉 Key: Always share code context + clear explanations to get actionable answers.

3️⃣ Integrations: Adding Analytics, Payments, and Access Control with AI 🧩

As you add features like Google Analytics, Stripe, Firebase Auth, or RevenueCat, AI can guide you step-by-step, based on your stack.

🧩 3-Step Formula to Use AI for Integrations

1. ✅ Step 1: Ask ChatGPT to find the latest integration guide (e.g., "How to add Stripe to a Next.js app?")
2. ✅ Step 2: Ask how to implement this in your specific tech stack (e.g., Expo mobile app vs. Next.js)
3. ✅ Step 3: Use an AI agent like Cursor/Copilot to generate or adjust code following those steps

💡 Example Prompt for Google Analytics

Create product and technical requirements to add Google Analytics for this app: Frontend - React.js (v18.3.1), Vite (v5.4.2). About the app: {Add app description}.

AI will respond with:

• Code snippets
• Setup steps
• Configurations needed

💥 Pro Tip: You can use this same method for Stripe, Paddle, Firebase, Supabase, RevenueCat, Amplitude, and more!

4️⃣ Breaking Development into Phases (AI-Assisted Agile) ⚙️

Trying to build everything at once is a recipe for burnout. Instead, split development into phases, and let AI handle each part one phase at a time.

⚙️ Suggested Development Phases

Phase	Key Features	Purpose
Phase 1	The core functionality of your product	Ensure the main feature works. (e.g., Image sharing, AI resume generation)
Phase 2	Additional screens & UI/UX	Add supporting screens like Profile, Settings
Phase 3	Authentication & Access Control	Add login/signup with Firebase or Supabase
Phase 4	Payments & Subscriptions	Add Stripe/RevenueCat once the product validated
Phase 5	Performance Optimization	Speed up APIs, UI, and caching
Phase 6	Advanced integrations & AI enhancements	Add analytics, automation, AI improvements

💡 Why Phases Work:

• ✅ Reduces scope creep
• ✅ Helps in testing early and often
• ✅ Easier to iterate & pivot
• ✅ Focus on user feedback before scaling

5️⃣ Using GitHub for Version Control (Managed by You & AI) 📦

Once AI helps generate code, version control using GitHub is essential for managing your project professionally.

📌 Step-by-Step to Push Code to GitHub

1. Initialize Git

git init

2. Connect to Remote Repository

git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/your-repository.git

3. Commit Initial Code

git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit - AI-generated codebase"

4. Push Code to GitHub

git branch -M main
git push -u origin main

5. (Optional) Enable GitHub Actions for CI/CD pipelines, tests, and auto-deployment.

💡 Why Use GitHub?

• ✅ Tracks every change (AI-generated or manual)
• ✅ Enables collaboration (AI + Human)
• ✅ Essential for deployment (e.g., Vercel, Netlify)
• ✅ Lets you revert mistakes easily

6️⃣ 🚀 How AI + Phases Help You Ship Faster

• 🔹 Phase 1 alone = MVP – Test real users early
• 🔹 Each phase adds focused improvements – Avoid premature complexity
• 🔹 You can pivot early if user feedback is negative

⚙️ Example Real-Life AI Workflow Recap:

Task	Prompt to AI Agent	Outcome
Generate Resume Builder App	"Imagine you're a Next.js & Firebase developer..."	Full app codebase generated
Fix Firebase Auth Error	"Sign-in function not redirecting, here's code..."	Fixed code snippet & explanation
Add Stripe Subscriptions	"How to add Stripe to Next.js app with these specs..."	Stripe setup steps + code
Push Code to GitHub	"Show me commands to push code to GitHub..."	Full GitHub setup and commit guide