My AI Wrapper Tech Stack
In early October, I challenged myself to spend two weeks building and launching mini-AI wrapper apps. It feels like cheating, but I created a simple AI code generation script that slots into my workflow and helps me ship super fast!
Projects
I managed to complete 3 MVPs in 16 days:
💡Lean Canvas AI
🤖 Office Hours AI
📊 Get Feedback AI
Stack
My stack is not super sexy, but it works for me. I decided on this stack given my prior experience and minimizing time from idea to launch. I am not a pure programmer and rely on a stack that is clean and structured to make sense of it all:
- Django (Python)
- Heroku for hosting
- PostgreSQL for database
- Redis + Celery for tasks
- Cloudflare for domain/SSL
- OpenAI for AI
- AWS SES for emails
- AWS S3 for static files
- HTML, Javascript, and CSS (Bootstrap) for frontend
- Asyncio for asynchronous functions
Pros
- It is possible to host everything on Heroku's free tier initially
- Django built-in admin portal is a plus
- Python is a more accessible/cleaner programming language [opinion/preference]
- MVC framework is relatively easy to grasp [opinion/preference]
Cons
- Asynchronous functions aren't built-in
- Web-focused
- Multiple programming languages required
- Not cutting-edge
Alternative
An alternative stack I have considered is Next.js + React + Vercel, but it is a bit harder to read than Python. If any projects show strong potential, I will be tempted to switch to Next.js + React + Vercel.
Interesting insight
Using AI to do some coding changes how I think about my stack. For example, for some frontend Javascript, I don't mind using raw Javascript, given that AI writes a lot of the code.
What would you suggest for payment support?
Yes, if you are using Django, there are a couple of open-source Django apps for handling Stripe integrations.
I suggest paypal or stripe for processing payments
I've started using htmx recently and I can get quite a lot of reactivity out of it without needing JavaScript to render it. htmx gives you "inline" ajax functionality in html. With htmx you send back rendered html back to the frontend and htmx inserts it at the appropriate div.
As a backend dev with functionality in mind, my stack of choice has been PHP / Symfony in the backend and using Twig in the frontend (Symfony's default templating language).
I've used a bit of Vue here and there, but I hated having to work in 1-2 extra contexts (JavaScript + Vue.js) AND create fitting API interfaces in the backend and frontend and keep them synced and having an extra layer to debug, when I can just input data right into Twig and the error is like "Parameter 'menuItems' missing".
You should be able to do the same with Django, I think it has a similar framework "level" as Symfony. Symfony has some functions inspired from Django I think. Even Twig was inspired by the Django templating language (when I first tried Django, many of the functions were super-familiar already).
The innovative use of AI in your code generation script, seamlessly integrating it into your workflow, reflects not only your technical prowess but also your ability to leverage technology for efficiency and speed. The projects you've completed – Lean Canvas AI, Office Hours AI, and Get Feedback AI – showcase your versatility and creativity.
Your choice of technology stack, while not "super sexy" as you put it, is well thought out and speaks to your practical approach. Using Django, Heroku, PostgreSQL, and other tools demonstrates a keen understanding of the balance between familiarity, efficiency, and functionality.
Moreover, your insightful reflection on the pros and cons of your chosen stack, as well as the consideration of alternative technologies, highlights your commitment to continuous improvement and adaptability. The fact that you're exploring the potential of Next.js + React + Vercel shows your forward-thinking mindset.
Most notably, your use of AI to handle coding changes has not only streamlined your development process but has also provided you with a fresh perspective on your stack. Embracing raw JavaScript for frontend work, with AI taking care of code generation, is a fascinating and forward-looking approach.
Congratulations on your achievements, and thank you for sharing your journey and insights. Your dedication to pushing boundaries and optimizing your workflow is truly inspiring.
Best regards,
I guess this is an AI reply. Hehe.
Django is also my go-to framework for new projects. Django makes building webapps a fast and enjoyable endeavor.
For anyone reading the comments not familiar with Django:
It favors convention over configuration - in plain english this means that many decisions are taken care of and as a Django user you'll be able to ship your project much faster because of that.
Exactly, I find the speed to be a significant benefit.
I also developed an ai website on my own, but I don't know how to promote it. Do you have any suggestions
This is starting to become the most challenging part of it all.
Having something cool to show does not seem to stand out much anymore. I don't think we have figured it out, but these four strategies have worked the best so far:
Newsletter - I find this helps in two ways. a.) You can do a thought dump of an idea before building. Sometimes, I get one or two comments or DMs that help me get some feedback. b.) I started the AI Super Founder newsletter on 23 Aug. After eight posts, I have gained just under 200 subscribers. Sharing the post on social media helps attract traffic to your profile, generating leads.
Mini apps - I have built these mini apps to launch something in my network frequently. Each app has a link to my main project, LampBuilder. It helps establish the mini apps on ProductHunt, which creates spikes in LampBuilder each time.
Direct Messages - I have sent about 200 DMs to friends since launching LampBuilder. DMs vary between questions, posts, demos, updates, etc. I find friends are pretty supportive in sharing or testing the apps.
Social media engagement - It does help to stay active on social media and engaged.
All in all, I do think it is pretty hard work to promote it.
A creative method for coding with AI power! Your effective application of a well-known stack highlights the potential of integrating AI with proven technologies to enable quick development.
Thanks!
Nice work shipping all of that in 2 weeks. I use the nextjs + vercel stack and it's my favourite, I can show you around and build something together if you want.
I'm on twitter with the same @stevifi
Thanks for the offer! I'll consider to take you up on it when I get around to it.
Hey! This is really cool, given that your startups are AI built, was the majority of your time spent in building the AI component or the rest of it. Also did you do anything special for your AI, or just purely Openai API?
Building the tool itself, I spend about 2 hours doing that. Creating the apps took about 4 hours of active development time per project.
Thanks for sharing mate
Nice one
What led you to consider switching to a Next.js + React + Vercel stack?
I like the idea that the backend and frontend are the same language. It does seem like a more trendy option for getting others involved later on. I like the ecosystem around Vercel. Sadly, Heroku is not what it used to be.
For now, the stack is definitely good enough to focus on building something people want, but I think longer term I'll consider switching.
More interested in the promo strategies for these types of simple projects
The marketing benefit is working better than expected, yes.
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