The Genesis of an Idea
It all started with a simple thought: “I need to try this thing called windsurf before it tries my patience :D.” This single sentence sparked the creation of Life Manager, a full-stack application built with FastAPI, React/Vite, and Docker - all developed in under an hour of active work over multiple days using cutting-edge AI tools.
From Idea to PRD in Minutes
The first step was turning that initial thought into a structured Product Requirements Document (PRD). Using Claude Sonnet 3.7, I described my vision:
“I want a personal dashboard to manage tasks, habits, and goals with a clean UI and data persistence.”
Within minutes, Claude expanded this into a comprehensive PRD with:
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Core Features:
- Task management (CRUD operations)
- Habit tracking with streaks
- Goal setting with progress tracking
- Clean, responsive UI
- User authentication
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Technical Stack:
- Backend: FastAPI (Python)
- Frontend: React with Vite
- Database: SQLite (for development)
- Containerization: Docker
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Future Roadmap:
- Data visualization
- Mobile app
- Integration with calendar apps
- Analytics and insights
Rapid Development with AI
Backend Development with Claude Sonnet 3.7
For the FastAPI backend, I used Claude Sonnet 3.7 to generate the initial project structure and core functionality. The AI helped create:
- Database models for tasks, habits, and goals
- RESTful API endpoints with proper CRUD operations
- Authentication middleware
- Database connection handling
The AI-generated code was production-ready, following Python best practices with proper type hints, error handling, and docstrings.
Frontend Development with DeepSeek v3 and Windsurf SWE1 frontier model
The React frontend came to life with AI’s assistance:
- Set up a new Vite + React + TypeScript project
- Created reusable UI components (TaskList, HabitTracker, GoalProgress)
- Implemented state management with React Query
- Styled with Tailwind CSS for a modern, responsive design
Deployment with Windsurf
The final piece was deployment. Using Windsurf SWE1, I:
- Dockerized the application with a multi-stage build
- Set up environment variables and configuration
- Created a production-ready docker-compose file
- Automated the deployment process
The Power of AI-Assisted Development
What’s remarkable is that all of this was accomplished in under an hour of active work, spread over multiple days. The AI tools handled the boilerplate and implementation details, allowing me to focus on the high-level architecture and user experience.
Key Learnings:
- Rapid Prototyping: What would have taken days of manual coding was completed in hours.
- Best Practices: The AI tools consistently followed industry best practices.
- Learning Opportunity: The generated code served as an excellent learning resource.
- Productivity Multiplier: AI acted as a force multiplier, not a replacement.
Future Enhancements
The current version is just the beginning. The roadmap includes:
- Adding data visualization with charts
- Implementing user authentication
- Creating a mobile app with React Native
- Adding analytics and insights
- Enabling data export/import
Conclusion
The development of Life Manager showcases how AI tools like Claude Sonnet 3.7, DeepSeek v3, and Windsurf SWE1 can dramatically accelerate software development. By leveraging these tools effectively, I was able to go from a single sentence to a fully functional, production-ready application in under an hour of active work.
The future of software development is here, and it’s collaborative - with AI handling the repetitive aspects while humans focus on creativity and problem-solving.