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// AI.CODING.WITH.JUDGMENT

troels.im

Notes from building Compound Coders, shipping products using AI, and turning agent output into verified software. The work lives where prompts meet repo memory, recovery habits, and production evidence.

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Prompting, repo memory, product judgment

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// OPERATING.SYSTEM

Modern AI work needs a repo-shaped system.

The training connects five levers: mindset, accurate prompting, context engineering, evaluation and recovery, and agent-oriented repository organization.

01Raise the turn success before chasing speed
Frame tasks with role, context, constraints, output shape, examples, and acceptance criteria.
02Build repo memory
Move product, workflow, engineering, and shipping memory out of chat so agents stop starting from zero.
03Ship through verified loops
Prototype when the shape is unclear, turn evidence into product direction, then build small checked issues.

// LATEST.NOTES

Fresh experiments, essays, and videos.

Short, practical pieces from the edge of AI-assisted software work.

Article

$5k Spent on AI Coding: What Actually Works (And What Doesn't)

After investing over $5,000 in AI-assisted development, I've learned what marketing doesn't tell you: the $20/month pricing is fiction for professional use. My $200 weekend with the Zed agent taught me that autonomous AI is powerful but expensive. Hand-optimized workflows can keep API costs around $75/month, but Claude Code's $200/month subscription delivers better productivity for serious development work. Key insights from real-world usage: - Budget $100-200/month minimum for professional AI coding (not $20) - Agents consume tokens 10x faster than manual workflows - Iteration speed matters more than prompt engineering - The 15-second feedback loop rule maximizes AI tool effectiveness - Context management beats raw model capabilities The investment is worth it. AI coding tools have genuinely transformed my productivity—not by replacing skills, but by handling mechanical work while I focus on architecture and problem-solving. But you need realistic expectations about costs and capabilities.

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Article

Why Rust Is the Perfect Language for AI-Assisted Development

Google's Android team has revealed compelling data showing that Rust achieves a 1000x reduction in memory safety vulnerabilities compared to C/C++, with 4x lower rollback rates and 25% faster code reviews—proving that safer code is also faster to ship. This data reveals why Rust is uniquely suited for AI-assisted development: its strict compiler acts as a safety net that catches AI-generated bugs at compile-time rather than in production, while its type system guides AI suggestions toward correct code. As AI coding tools accelerate development but often introduce subtle bugs and security flaws, Rust's compile-time guarantees transform the AI velocity paradox—where faster coding leads to slower shipping—into a genuine productivity multiplier that lets developers move fast while fixing things, not breaking them.

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Article

Why the Structure of AI's Output Matters

The order in which you structure an LLM's output fields can dramatically affect response quality—improving accuracy by 20-30% in some cases—because these models generate text autoregressively, one token at a time from left to right, meaning each token can only be influenced by what came before it, never what comes after. When you ask an LLM for structured output like JSON, putting the decision field before the reasoning field forces the model to commit to an answer prematurely and then generate justification for it, while putting reasoning first allows the model to work through the analysis and then draw a conclusion based on the reasoning it just generated. This isn't just a formatting preference—it's fundamental to how these models think, because the sequential generation process means early tokens shape the probability distribution for later tokens, and models that make premature decisions suffer from "exposure bias" where initial errors cascade through subsequent generation, making the output structure itself a critical part of the reasoning process rather than just a data formatting choice.

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Article

Cursor vs Claude Code: The Complete Developer's Guide for 2025

Cursor and Claude Code represent two fundamentally different approaches to AI-assisted coding in 2025, with Cursor offering a familiar IDE experience through its VS Code fork that excels at rapid prototyping and visual debugging, while Claude Code operates as a powerful terminal-based CLI tool that leverages superior reasoning capabilities and 200K token context windows for complex multi-file projects. While both tools cost around $20/month, Claude Code can be up to 4x more expensive for heavy usage due to its token-based consumption model, making Cursor more cost-effective for moderate developers, though experienced programmers often prefer Claude Code's autonomous capabilities and deep codebase understanding for large-scale architectural work. The choice ultimately depends on your workflow preferences: Cursor is ideal for beginners and visual learners transitioning from traditional IDEs, while Claude Code serves power users who value terminal efficiency and advanced reasoning for complex development tasks.

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Article

Solving the Modern WebAssembly Build Problem with Rust and Trunk

This blog post addresses a common error encountered when building Rust WebAssembly projects with Trunk, particularly after Rust 1.82.0. The error stems from the introduction of "bulk memory operations" in the Rust compiler, which are not supported by older versions of `wasm-opt`. The post outlines three solutions: updating `wasm-opt` to the latest version (recommended), configuring Trunk to pass the `--enable-bulk-memory` flag to `wasm-opt`, or disabling bulk memory operations in the Rust compiler. It emphasizes the importance of addressing this issue for production builds to avoid build failures and performance impacts, and provides practical advice on checking tool versions and staying updated with the evolving WebAssembly ecosystem.

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Article

Debunking AI Myths: How to Leverage AI for Faster, Reliable Coding

Feeling the pressure to ship faster while keeping bugs away? You're not alone! This guide cuts through the hype about AI coding tools to show you what actually works. AI won't take your job—it's more like a junior developer with unlimited energy but needs your guidance. The real power comes when you combine AI's speed with your experience. We'll explore common myths and show you: - How AI tools become your coding buddy (not your replacement) - Why AI can work for complex projects (with the right approach) - The danger of using AI without understanding the code Plus, you'll get 10 practical principles for using AI safely, along with clear dos and don'ts that help you ship faster without breaking things. Level up your coding by learning to use AI the right way—like adding seatbelts and airbags to your development process!

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// VIDEOS

Watch the experiments.

Video

Simple Steps for Crystal-Clear Requirements!

Ever struggled with unclear project requirements? This video shows you how a simple, structured prompt can help you gather all the details you need for successful projects! Watch as we demonstrate a powerful technique for collecting project requirements using an AI assistant. If you want to try this out for you self, go to awesomecodeprompts (it's free, but you need an OpenAI or kluster.ai account): [link coming, but need to a verified account first] This approach works for any project - from software development to marketing campaigns. Say goodbye to confusion and rework. Try this requirements-gathering method today! In the next video we will use these requirements to build a calculator, so remember to subscribe!

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Video

How to Setup DeepSeek R1 on TypingMind

Looking to get started with DeepSeek R1, the powerful EU-hosted AI model? In this quick tutorial, I'll show you how to set up and connect DeepSeek R1 with TypingMind's user-friendly interface in just minutes. The video below walks you through creating your API key, configuring the connection, and testing your setup for seamless AI interactions. DeepSeek R1 is provided through kluster.ai, a platform founded in 2024 that democratizes access to AI compute power through a decentralized network of GPU providers. This EU-hosted solution offers excellent performance with lower latency and regulatory compliance. Before you begin, you'll need: - A kluster.ai account: https://dub.sh/klusterai - TypingMind access: https://dub.sh/WGMPH3X Note: While I mention US hosting in the video, the service is actually hosted in the EU.

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