I Thought Doing It All Myself Was the Goal — Then I Let AI Help

My Initial Mindset

I used to think using AI tools was cheating—until I shipped a two-week feature in two days. As a self-taught developer, I’d poured countless hours into tutorials and building projects by hand. I worried that using AI would devalue all the effort I’d put in. But it didn’t—it multiplied it.

I first dipped my toes in by using ChatGPT to talk through logic, system architecture, and occasionally debug. Then I started using GitHub Copilot to finish code snippets. Now I’m using WindSurf in my daily workflow—and I’ve seen a major jump in productivity and clarity.

Thoughts In Depth

Imposter syndrome is my arch nemesis. I often feel like I don’t know enough, so I spend a lot of time deep in documentation. It’s both a blessing and a curse—I develop a strong understanding of my tools, but it slows me down.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve listened to podcasts like Y Combinator’s Lightcone, read countless articles, and watched videos on AI in development. I’m convinced: AI is a tool that makes building faster and more thoughtful. Why wouldn’t we use it?

My Background

I won’t bore you with every twist and turn of my developer journey, but here’s the short version.

I started as a self-taught iOS developer, learning Swift through books, YouTube tutorials, and Udemy courses. That led to a fundamentals bootcamp at the University of Redlands, followed by a full-stack bootcamp at Flatiron School. That’s where I developed the foundation I rely on today.

From there, I transitioned into web development using React (via Next.js), added TypeScript (which felt natural thanks to Swift’s type safety), and occasionally worked with Ruby on Rails. Eventually, I picked up React Native to build cross-platform apps. That opened doors to contract and startup work—most notably with a small team at a social app called iDreamers.

Now I work solo at Reality Capture Network, where I handle both web and mobile development. Flying solo pushes me to be more efficient—and that’s what led me to AI.

The Shift

AI has become rocket fuel for my productivity. Surprisingly, it’s also helped me learn more—by freeing up mental space to focus on system architecture, rather than just syntax and structure.

I use WindSurf every day to fix bugs, generate boilerplate, write Git commits, and even improve documentation. It also helps ensure that types are implemented correctly—something that really matters in TypeScript-heavy projects. These might seem like small tasks, but they add up quickly. AI helps me move faster without cutting corners.

Let’s Connect

AI isn’t going anywhere. As developers, we can either resist it or use it to push our skills and impact further. There’s no shame in using the best tools available—especially when they help us learn and build faster.

Are you using AI in your workflow? What’s helped—or hurt—your productivity the most? I’d love to hear.