DEV Community: Nguyen Quoc Tuan Tuan PK

How I Use Windsurf for Fast Prototyping and Codex for Multi-file Cleanup

Nguyen Quoc Tuan Tuan PK — Fri, 22 May 2026 14:36:14 +0000

At first AI coding felt magical.

Then my repo hit 40+ files.

Windsurf was still useful for:

rough structure
brainstorming
fast UI iteration But Codex became much stronger when:
files started connecting together
refactoring affected multiple modules
cleanup became more important than prototyping My workflow now is usually: Windsurf -> rough prototype Codex -> repo-wide cleanup/refactor Manual testing -> rollback if needed The larger the repo became, the more context management mattered. One thing I learned is that AI coding tools are not really competing only on code generation anymore. They compete on:
context handling
repo understanding
multi-file coordination
workflow speed I wrote a deeper comparison here: https://review.mssmileenglish.com/comparisons/cursor-vs-windsurf/ https://review.mssmileenglish.com/comparisons/cursor-vs-windsurf/

I Built 4 AI-Assisted Projects — Here’s What Actually Worked

Nguyen Quoc Tuan Tuan PK — Fri, 22 May 2026 05:25:57 +0000

Over the past few months, I’ve been experimenting with AI-assisted development workflows across real projects involving:

Firebase
automation systems
deployment/debugging
affiliate content infrastructure
AI-assisted web applications

One interesting observation:

Different AI coding tools become valuable at different stages.

For me:

Windsurf works well for rapid initial implementation
Codex becomes more effective during debugging and deeper project refactoring
Cursor is useful for quick edits and iteration

The biggest shift was realizing that AI tools are not simply “better” or “worse.”

They behave more like specialized collaborators.

The workflow design matters more than the tool itself.

I Built 4 AI-Assisted Projects — Here’s What Actually Worked

Nguyen Quoc Tuan Tuan PK — Fri, 22 May 2026 05:14:50 +0000

Most discussions around AI coding tools still focus on demos.

But after building multiple real projects using Windsurf, Codex, Firebase, Railway and automation workflows, I realized something important:

Different AI tools are good at completely different stages.

And using them the same way is usually where people waste time.

How I Built 4 AI-Assisted Projects Using Multiple AI Coding Tools

Nguyen Quoc Tuan Tuan PK — Thu, 21 May 2026 15:00:25 +0000

Most people ask:

“What’s the best AI coding tool?”

After building 4 AI-assisted projects, I realized the better question is:

“Which tool fits each stage of the workflow?”

My current workflow:

ChatGPT → ideas and prompts
Windsurf → rough project structure
Codex → fix and refactor logic
Cursor → production polish

Using this workflow, I built:

Parent-child emotional connection app
English learning platform
AI video project
Affiliate marketing system

Biggest lesson:

AI doesn’t magically replace developers.

It reduces friction between:
idea → prototype → working product.

That’s where the real leverage is.