Start Here — Build Safely With AI•Start Here — Build Safely With AI•9 min lesson

What You're Actually Doing When You Build With AI

A plain-English explanation of the job: AI writes fast, you still choose scope, inspect output, and own the result.

vibe-codingbeginnersmindsetAI

Copy-ready prompt

"I am completely new to vibe coding and I want to build one very small thing safely.
The problem is: [describe the problem]
The user is: [describe the user]
The smallest useful version would do only: [describe the tiny outcome]

Before writing any code:
1. tell me if this is a realistic first project
2. reduce the scope if it is still too big
3. explain the main risks and assumptions
4. tell me what I must review myself
5. stop before auth, payments, production data, or destructive changes unless I explicitly approve them"

Prompt FAQ

Questions to answer before you paste it

When should I use the What You're Actually Doing When You Build With AI prompt?

A plain-English explanation of the job: AI writes fast, you still choose scope, inspect output, and own the result. Use it when you need a safer starting point than a blank prompt and you want the agent to stay inside explicit constraints.

Should I paste this prompt exactly as written?

No. Treat it as a safe starter. Replace the task, files, constraints, and verification details with your actual context before you run it.

What should I do after the agent answers?

Read the diff, run the checks, and stop after one reviewable step. If you need deeper context, open the lesson that explains the reasoning behind the prompt.

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