Tools: The Return of the "Webmaster": How AI is Revolutionizing Solo Development

The Project ## The Tech Stack ## 📱 Mobile App (iOS + Android) ## ⚙️ Backend API ## 🖥️ Admin Web Panel ## ☁️ Infrastructure ## 47+ Features Implemented ## The Dilemma: Another Dev vs AI ## With another dev: ## With AI: ## The New "Webmaster" ## Lessons Learned ## For experienced devs ## For beginner devs ## Conclusion ## What about you? I started programming professionally in 2005. Back then, we were "Webmasters" - responsible for everything: HTML, CSS, backend, databases, deployment, sometimes even design. As the industry evolved, we specialized. Frontend Devs, Backend Devs, DevOps, DBAs, Product Owners, UX Designers emerged... A complete project started requiring entire squads. And now? AI is bringing the Webmaster back. Over the past few months, I've shipped a project that had been shelved for years: a complete fitness platform. Solo. Taking on every role. This isn't a half-baked MVP. It's a real product, published on the stores, with active users. Some of the most interesting ones: Here's the reflection that intrigues me the most: When I need to implement something new, I find myself thinking: "Should I write the spec and hand it off to another dev, or specify it directly for AI?" The answer has been consistently: specifying for AI is faster. Not because AI is perfect - it makes mistakes, quite a few actually. But the feedback loop is instant. The critical difference: the feedback loop is immediate. In a way, we're back to the beginning. But with superpowers. The difference is I have an "infinite intern" who: AI won't replace those who understand: It amplifies your capabilities. The more you know, the more you can extract from it. Learning the fundamentals has never been more important. AI is a powerful lever - but you need to know where to point it. Without solid fundamentals, you can't: 21 years after starting, I'm building more ambitious projects, faster, and having more fun. The Webmaster is back. Only now, he has AI. Have you been using AI in your development workflow? What has been your experience? Drop a comment - I want to hear stories from those experimenting with this new paradigm. If you enjoyed this, follow for more content on solo development with AI, React Native, and Django. Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse CODE_BLOCK: { "react-native": "0.81.5", "expo": "~54.0.31", "typescript": "~5.9.2", "@tanstack/react-query": "^5.85.9", "i18next": "^25.8.0", "expo-notifications": "~0.32.16", "expo-local-authentication": "~17.0.8", "react-native-maps": "1.20.1", "react-native-purchases": "^9.7.1" } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: { "react-native": "0.81.5", "expo": "~54.0.31", "typescript": "~5.9.2", "@tanstack/react-query": "^5.85.9", "i18next": "^25.8.0", "expo-notifications": "~0.32.16", "expo-local-authentication": "~17.0.8", "react-native-maps": "1.20.1", "react-native-purchases": "^9.7.1" } CODE_BLOCK: { "react-native": "0.81.5", "expo": "~54.0.31", "typescript": "~5.9.2", "@tanstack/react-query": "^5.85.9", "i18next": "^25.8.0", "expo-notifications": "~0.32.16", "expo-local-authentication": "~17.0.8", "react-native-maps": "1.20.1", "react-native-purchases": "^9.7.1" } COMMAND_BLOCK: # requirements/base.txt Django==5.2.5 djangorestframework==3.16.1 channels==4.0.0 # Real-time WebSocket daphne==4.0.0 # ASGI server celery # Background tasks redis # Cache + message broker google-genai # Gemini AI mediapipe # Body pose detection stripe # Payments Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: # requirements/base.txt Django==5.2.5 djangorestframework==3.16.1 channels==4.0.0 # Real-time WebSocket daphne==4.0.0 # ASGI server celery # Background tasks redis # Cache + message broker google-genai # Gemini AI mediapipe # Body pose detection stripe # Payments COMMAND_BLOCK: # requirements/base.txt Django==5.2.5 djangorestframework==3.16.1 channels==4.0.0 # Real-time WebSocket daphne==4.0.0 # ASGI server celery # Background tasks redis # Cache + message broker google-genai # Gemini AI mediapipe # Body pose detection stripe # Payments CODE_BLOCK: { "react": "^18.3.1", "vite": "^6.0.5", "@tanstack/react-query": "^5.62.0", "@tanstack/react-table": "^8.20.0", "tailwindcss": "^3.4.17", "shadcn/ui": "latest", "recharts": "^2.14.0", "react-hook-form": "^7.54.0", "zod": "^3.23.0" } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: { "react": "^18.3.1", "vite": "^6.0.5", "@tanstack/react-query": "^5.62.0", "@tanstack/react-table": "^8.20.0", "tailwindcss": "^3.4.17", "shadcn/ui": "latest", "recharts": "^2.14.0", "react-hook-form": "^7.54.0", "zod": "^3.23.0" } CODE_BLOCK: { "react": "^18.3.1", "vite": "^6.0.5", "@tanstack/react-query": "^5.62.0", "@tanstack/react-table": "^8.20.0", "tailwindcss": "^3.4.17", "shadcn/ui": "latest", "recharts": "^2.14.0", "react-hook-form": "^7.54.0", "zod": "^3.23.0" } CODE_BLOCK: Specify → Align → Wait → Review → Adjustments → Deploy Time: days to weeks Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: Specify → Align → Wait → Review → Adjustments → Deploy Time: days to weeks CODE_BLOCK: Specify → Align → Wait → Review → Adjustments → Deploy Time: days to weeks CODE_BLOCK: Specify → Generate → Review → Correct → Iterate → Deploy Time: hours Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: Specify → Generate → Review → Correct → Iterate → Deploy Time: hours CODE_BLOCK: Specify → Generate → Review → Correct → Iterate → Deploy Time: hours - Push notifications with deep linking - Biometric authentication (Face ID / Fingerprint) - Maps with gym geolocation - Monetization via RevenueCat - Multi-language support (i18n) - Camera with social post frames - REST API with Django REST Framework - WebSocket for real-time chat and notifications - Celery + Redis for async processing - JWT authentication - PostgreSQL in production - Hosting: Google Cloud Run (containerized) - Storage: GCS (Cloud Run) + Backblaze B2 (production) - CI/CD: EAS Build for mobile - Monitoring: Native GCP logs - Alignment meetings - Timezone differences - "Creative interpretations" of requirements - "I'll pick it up next sprint" - Never complains about repetitive tasks - Is available 24/7 - Improves every month - Doesn't need onboarding - System architecture - Technical trade-offs - How to ask the right questions - When AI is wrong - Validate generated code - Identify subtle bugs - Ask the right questions - Debug when it breaks