DEV Community: Ben

How I'm Building my First Full Stack Project

Ben — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:36:27 +0000

Is AI just hype, or can it actually be safely and effectively integrated into modern business systems?

I'm currently undertaking my first full stack project.

It's called BFshop and on the surface you'd be forgiven for thinking it's just another E-commerce project but there's two things that will set BFshop apart:

There will be a customer storefront (currently live and under construction in the projects section of my website) where orders can be placed. There will also be a merchant interface tracking these same orders which will pass between received, sent and delivered status
It will be a fully business system including work flows made with n8n

But it's still missing something...

What could it be missing?

What is the one essential ingredient in 2026?

We all know what it is.

AI.

How am I going to implement AI without it being AI for the sake of AI?

Think of BFshop as a two lane structure.

Lane 1: traditional interactivity connects frontend to backend; you click submit order, shipment ready, etc
Lane 2: the same connections are made, but by an AI at your request

The AI assistants for the customer and merchant side will differ to reflect the needs of the user on each side;

the customer end AI will be for querying order details, product suggestions; typical things a shopper wants to know when browsing
the merchant end AI will be for querying stock and triggering workflows where suitable

Why does this matter?

AI is not going anywhere any time soon. We all hear about how it will make developers redundant. My answer is to embrace and utilize AI.

I don't want to be drowned beneath the tide, I want to surf on its peak.

The two lane system allows for

Regular user control
AI control as directed by the user
Both paths to travel through the same gateway, but with the right rules and restrictions applied to each.

But that's not all.

We're still in AI's honeymoon phase. Its workplace implementation is still yet to be fully cemented as more than novelty. Its true place in the business world has yet to be found.

Do I know what that will be?

No.

But what I do know is that control and oversight of AI systems will need to have their place.

That's why I'm going to build AI Overwatch into BFshop.

AI Overwatch

AI Overwatch will be a control center for everything AI in the merchant app.

Concerned your AI assistant changed something it shouldn't have? Check the activity logs.

Want to make sure the AI doesn't have the ability to delete data? Check the Capability registry.

And so on.

BFshop will fully enhance the incredible power of the modern day, without sacrificing safety, responsibility, or human control.

Project Structure & Specifications

The customer end of BFshop (BFcustomer) is part of my main website folder structure, as it started as a simple project. As the project grew, I decided to build the rest (BFmerchant) in a separate folder for better organization. BFshop will live on a subdomain, so it remains accessible from the main site.

Dependencies

Tailwind CSS for styling (my preferred tool)
Prisma for database connection
Neon as the database (after issues with Supabase)

Setting up Neon was challenging, but I learned the basics of attaching a database to a project by doing and asking for help when needed. Even if I don’t know every command, I now understand the process better.

Styling Consistency

If I could rebuild my site, I’d set clear styling rules from the start. For this project, I’ve created lists for spacing and typography per screen size. I’ll keep fonts and colors simple and professional.

For example:

Heading to body spacing

h1 to next text: mb-4 md:mb-6
h2 to next text: mb-3 md:mb-4
h3 to next text: mb-2 md:mb-3

Grid/card gaps

Mobile: gap-4
Tablet: md:gap-6
Desktop: lg:gap-8

This enforcement will keep things orderly and clean, giivng it that professional look my website currently lacks.

API

Both BFCustomer and BFmerchant will communicate with the database via the API in BFmerchant. This may not be perfect, but it’s a workable structure for now.

The APIs will enforce rules that govern communication between front and backend, and will be particularly relevant when it comes to oversight of AI activity

AI Disclaimer

I use AI as a mentor and assistant, especially for learning new concepts, repeated structures, and complex tasks. My goal is to learn and understand, not just copy-paste. I’ll also use AI to audit the project as I go.

Next Steps

Practice writing APIs
Deploy BFmerchant on a subdomain of benfosterdev.com
Wire up APIs to BFCustomer

Planning the project like this is a big step for me. For my main website, I always rushed into building because I was excited to get going. The extent of my preparation was mapping out the intended structure of each page and how the divs would look, with minimal planning on what styling options would be used to produce a cleaner and scalable design. I also gave no thought to the overall structure of the site and how each element would work together. This is partly because it was planned as a purely frontend project, so data was always an afterthought. Now, going into BFshop, the structure is clear in my head, meaning I can accurately map out each section's basic layout enough to give me 'wall sockets' where the API 'cables' will plug into.

Take a look at my website at benfosterdev.com to see as the project progresses!

How to Use AI to Enhance Your Skills

Ben — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 19:19:30 +0000

I went from zero IT knowledge to IT manager in 12 months. What made that possible?

Artificial intelligence.

Some think it’s going to take over the world. Others think it’s for lazy people who can’t be bothered to do their own work.

They’re both wrong — AI is a free, personalised tutor. An expert on any subject, available 24/7.

Why Traditional Self Learning Fails

Self-learning has never been easier. YouTube tutorials, online courses, endless articles — it's all there.

But there's a problem.

Traditional learning is passive. You watch a video, read an article, move on. When you don't understand something, you're stuck. The video can't answer your specific question. The book doesn't know where you're confused.

Even online forums and comments sections don’t solve this fully — context-specific guidance, formed in a way that works for your learning style, is ideal.

That's where tutors come in. They provide feedback. They answer your questions, clarify confusion, adapt to how you learn.

But tutors are expensive. AI isn’t.

Tutors go to bed at night. AI doesn’t.

You get tutors for a slot of their time — that’s the only time you can bounce ideas off them. Had a realisation in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep? AI is happy to talk.

As if that’s not enough, AI has access to an enormous amount of human knowledge.

Want to understand ancient civilisations? Marine biology? Aerodynamics?

Ask.

How I Actually Use AI to Learn

Countless times I’ve watched a YouTube video and understood maybe 30% of the concepts.

With AI, I’ll repeat the words, explain the context, and have it break things down step by step. I probably won’t get it first time — but between back-and-forth messages, it eventually clicks.

Here’s a real conversation I had while learning DNS.

Me:

It’s all well and good knowing that “DNS is the phonebook of the internet” but how does it actually work? How does the process of domain name resolution occur during internet searches and communications?

AI:

When you type 'google.com' into your browser:

Your computer checks its local cache — have I looked this up recently?

If not, it asks your DNS resolver (usually your ISP).

The resolver asks the root server: who handles .com?

The root server points to the .com TLD server.

The resolver asks the TLD server: who is authoritative for google.com?

The TLD server points to Google’s nameserver.

The resolver asks Google’s nameserver for the IP.

The IP is returned.

Your browser connects.

All in milliseconds.

The “phonebook” metaphor is the what.

This is the how — a chain of servers passing your request up the hierarchy until someone knows the answer.

I could watch a YouTube video on this. Or read a web guide. The information would be the same.

But what if I don’t know what the resolver is?

What if I don’t understand authoritative nameservers?

What if I want this explained in the wider context of networking?

You can’t ask a YouTube video to clarify.

You can’t quiz a website.

But you can ask AI.

Generating Practice

Another way I use AI is generating exercises slightly above my level.

Me:

Give me a practice question on subnetting.

AI:

You have the network 192.168.10.0/24 and need 4 subnets.

What subnet mask do you need?

What are the 4 subnet addresses?

What is the usable range of the first subnet?

How many usable hosts per subnet?

When I didn’t understand the concept, I asked it to break it down.

It explained:

/24 means 8 host bits
8 bits = 256 addresses
Borrow 2 bits → /26
2^2 = 4 subnets
Each subnet has 64 addresses

It reframed it using analogies. It explained it in binary. It simplified it.

We went back and forth for 10 minutes until I could solve subnet problems independently.

That’s iterative learning.

Working Above Your Experience Level

AI doesn’t just help you learn theory.

It helps you learn by doing.

My first IT role involved managing a company’s entire IT infrastructure:

Intune
Entra ID
DNS
Domain hosting
Device management

A lot for a beginner.

For example:

Our website showed “Not Secure”. I knew it needed HTTPS, but didn’t understand SSL certificates.

So I asked:

What is a certificate?
Why does it encrypt traffic?
What is a certificate authority?

Once I understood the why, I asked how to implement it.

AI walked me through DNS migration, certificate generation, and installation.

When I hit errors, I pasted them in and asked what went wrong.

Three hours later, the site was secure.

And I understood the SSL/TLS process — not just which buttons to click.

That’s the difference.

The Framework

If you want to use AI like this:

Start with the basics — watch a tutorial, read an overview.
Ask AI to clarify confusion.
Request practice exercises.
Learn by troubleshooting.
Iterate until it clicks.

If it’s practical, let AI guide you through the process.

If it’s theoretical, get it to generate exercises.

If you don’t understand something, ask it to reframe it.

Nothing is too complex if you’re willing to keep asking.

And AI is infinitely patient.

Conclusion

We are in the AI gold rush.

Access to high-level education is free, instant, and in your pocket.

I used it to break into a new industry.

Now I’m using it to become a web developer.

Start today.

Pick something you want to learn.

Open your AI tool of choice.

Start asking questions.

Ben Foster — IT Manager transitioning into web development and AI-powered systems.