I Built Three Apps Solo in Weeks.

Two years ago, I had this idea amongst many others, but was stuck in a familiar loop: overly ambitious prototypes leading to abandoned repos. Integrating machine learning? Needed an expert. Blockchain micropayments? Complexity rabbit hole. Real-time computer vision and audio processing? WTF.

Fast forward to 2025 and—i'm shipping. No team. No burnouts. No funding.

The shift? AI-integrated tooling. I no longer have to choose between ambition and scope. With tools like Zed, I can build full-stack systems with the potential to bring my vision to reality.

This isn’t a productivity hack. It’s a structural shift in how software is made.

Traditional development follows a linear growth model: more features = more time = more people. But exponential developers operate differently. With AI-native development environments, they:

• Offload complexity to AI agents

• Rapidly prototype across technical domains

• Maintain architectural integrity without mental overhead

What used to take a team of five over six months can now be done by one person in a few weeks.

The rise of the exponential developer sits at the intersection of:

• Wright’s Law: Efficiency improves with cumulative experience

• Moore’s Law: Computing power doubles roughly every two years

• Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns: Technological change is exponential, not linear

We’ve hit an inflection: where AI doesn’t just assist code completion—it drives full system architecture.

Idea: A platform where artists monetize performance energy through real-time tips, verified by location.

Architecture:

• Mantle blockchain micropayments

• GPS-verified proof-of-presence protocol

• WebRTC live streaming

• Decentralized tipping infra

Old Way:

• 4-5 developers across frontend, blockchain, backend, and DevOps

• 8-12 months development

• $500K+ budget

What I Did Instead: With Zed, I:

• Deployed smart contracts in days, guided by AI-generated Solidity patterns

• Built GPS proof-of-presence logic with AI code review support

• Integrated WebRTC livestreaming using AI-guided React flows

• Delivered the MVP in 1 week: https://megavibe.vercel.app

Results:

• Deployed a fully working decentralized tipping platform

• Shipped live to users for under $500 in infra/tooling costs (testing in beta at next event)

Goal: Real-time AI coaching with LLM orchestration and user motion tracking

Stack:

• OpenAI, Gemini, Claude via serverless LLM router

• Real-time motion tracking with MediaPipe

• Blockchain-based identity verification

• Supabase DB + AWS Lamda

Traditional Build Requirements:

• AI/ML expert, blockchain dev, backend architect, UI/UX engineer

• 6-9 month timeline

My Reality:

• Zed’s multibuffer editing enabled orchestration of multiple LLMs

• AI agent helped debug API response issues across providers

• Created the full system from scratch in under 4 weeks: https://imperfectcoach.netlify.app

Key Unlocks:

• Zero external research required for AI model integration

• Real-time code insights into system dependencies

• Single codebase orchestration with full architectural visibility

There is ZERO chance I would ever have been able to navigate the complexity of AWS console + Supabase simultanously to deliver on this. Its performant and useful, super proud its out. For a limited time its free for users to try out, kindly share feedback and tweet about us: https://x.com/ifdotfun

Vision: Personalized breath coaching using computer vision and real-time audio processing

Technical Stack:

• Computer vision for posture analysis

• Real-time audio analysis for breath pattern detection

• AI-generated coaching feedback

• WebRTC for live coaching

Challenges:

• Real-time ML pipelines

• Cross-modal data synchronization

• Frontend motion design

My Approach:

• Built CV pipeline in 48 hours with AI assistance

• Designed ML-based feedback loop without ML expertise

• Streamlined complex UI animation using AI-injected CSS/JS logic

Output:

• A functional, responsive platform demo in a week

• Ready for real user feedback and live testing

These are not minor improvements. They're a restructuring of the cost-function of software development.

When I first came across it I was hesitant to download a dedicated IDE - why not just use an extension in VS CODE?! Turns out by vertically integrating their stack they can really optimise the user experience.

Key Differentiators:

• <1s startup time

• Native multiplayer coding

• Context-aware AI via Agent Panel

• Low memory + power usage

• Full-codebase understanding

Table: Zed vs Others

1. AI as a Teammate: Not a helper. I ask it hard questions. We design systems together.

2. Architectural Thinking Wins: Coding is easier now. The hard part is systems thinking.

3. Start Small, Iterate Fast: I don't aim for perfect. No problem is now unsolvable.

4. Imagination Is the New Bottleneck: Not tech skills.

The hardest part of building used to be execution. Now, it’s ideation and discernment. If you’re a developer who’s been burned by the complexity of full-stack ambitions, I’m here to tell you: it’s time to build again.

The tools have changed.

The game has changed.

And you? You just might just be a more exponential developer than I am, if you try!

All projects referenced in this article are live open-source repositories available on GitHub:

• MegaVibe

• ImperfectCoach

• ImperfectBreath

Supporting writers is beyond the call of duty, reading this far is its own form of glory, appreciate you.

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