𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗠𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵
I tried to automate my SaaS migration using AI. I failed three times.
I wanted to move my app, CourseShelf, from React to Phoenix LiveView. I thought I could just give an AI a prompt and walk away. I was wrong.
Here is how my four attempts went:
Attempt 1: The Lazy Test
- Effort: 0/10
- Result: Total failure.
- I gave a tiny prompt. The AI hallucinated components and left "coming soon" badges everywhere. It was a mess.
Attempt 2: The Batch Method
- Effort: 0/10
- Result: Better, but still flawed.
- I told the AI to break the task into smaller pieces. It worked better for a few pages, but it still left unfinished code and to-do comments.
Attempt 3: The Detailed Plan
- Effort: 4/10
- Result: Good code, bad UI.
- I wrote a long instruction file. The code quality improved, but the UI looked nothing like my original app.
Attempt 4: Manual Skill Implementation
- Effort: 9/10
- Result: Success.
- I turned my instructions into a "skill." I ran the AI page by page. I reviewed every single line.
The truth about AI coding: AI does not have a crystal ball. It cannot read your mind. If you want high-quality code, you cannot be lazy.
I spent 40 days driving the process. I did not automate the migration. I automated the playbook, but I did the actual work. I sat next to the AI, caught every mistake, and wrote new rules whenever it drifted.
The payoff:
- UI fidelity: 9/10
- Code quality: 10/10
I spent more time than a simple prompt would take. But now I have a clean codebase I am proud of. If you want professional results, you must stay in the driver's seat.
Source: https://dev.to/danielbergholz/how-i-used-ai-to-rebuild-my-saas-from-scratch-5f3m
Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi