My End-to-End Workflow for AI Transcription App

A practical, tool-by-tool walkthrough of how I recently shipped the Prophetic AI App—from framing the work to breadboarding, task-grid, coding with AI, and deploying to production.

1. Frame the Work in Notion

Why framing first: Framing clarifies the problem, outcomes, appetite (fixed time window), and what we’re not doing. It keeps scope tight and trade-offs explicit.

What’s included:

Problem: crisp pain statement (no solutions)
Outcomes: 3–5 bullets that define “done”
Not Doing: explicit out-of-bounds items
Appetite: fixed time window (e.g., 2 or 4 weeks)

Learn more

Shape Up (free online book) — framing, appetite, breadboarding: basecamp.com/shapeup
Ryan Singer’s site — deeper explanations and courses: ryansinger.co

2. Breadboard the App Flow (Fast, Rough, Visual)

What it is: Simple box-and-arrow sketches to map user paths and core interactions—no pixels, no polish. You’ll discover the real “shape” without getting stuck in UI details.

Tips

Name each node/screen; connect with labeled arrows.
Ignore layout and colors; focus on interactions.
Redraw liberally—speed over perfection.

Breadboarding and shaping concepts come straight from Shape Up: basecamp.com/shapeup.

3. Create a Task Grid

Why a Task Grid: Cap the project at nine reviewable chunks. Each cell has a verb title and 2–4 bullet tasks. This keeps scope finite, emphasizes vertical slices, and gives natural demo checkpoints.

How I use it

One grid cell ≈ one reviewable chunk.
Each cell shippable on its own (end-to-end where possible).
Use the grid to say no to extras that don’t fit.

4. Bootstrap with ShipFast

I started from ShipFast, a Next.js SaaS boilerplate with auth, billing, and a clean app shell—so I could focus on the “prophetic” features instead of plumbing.

Website: shipfa.st

5. Use Supabase for Backend (Postgres + Auth + Realtime)

Why Supabase: Managed Postgres with batteries included—Auth, Storage, Realtime, Edge Functions, and good DX. Great when you want product velocity without running your own DB stack.

Homepage: supabase.com
Docs & quickstarts: supabase.com/docs and Getting Started

6. Implement Features with Claude Code (Plan → Execute)

My Claude Workflow

Plan Mode: Claude reads the repo and proposes a plan without making changes. I review the approach and edge cases.
Execute: Approve the plan, then let it implement. Iterate with small, tight commits.

Separate thinking from editing; reduce surprises; make reviews tighter.
What Plan Mode is: overview guides and explainers: claudelog.com, claudefa.st, and community write-ups (e.g., best practices): cuong.io. ClaudeLog+2Claude Fast+2

7. Push to GitHub and Deploy on DigitalOcean

Flow I use

Each stable feature is committed to GitHub
Auto-deploy to DigitalOcean App Platform from GitHub on merge.

DigitalOcean App Platform via GitHub Actions (official docs): DigitalOcean Docs
Getting started with DO sample apps: DigitalOcean Docs

8. Share as you go!

As I got to a useful stage of the app I started sharing on X and Facebook and getting feedback. I used Screen.studio to make a beautiful app demo. As I add new features I share the updates live.

Practical Tips

Fix time, flex scope. Choose an appetite and shape to fit it. Don’t bloat the grid. See Shape Up for the philosophy behind this. Basecamp
Design rough early. Breadboards help you uncover the flow before the pixels. Basecamp
Work in vertical slices. Make each PR demoable and deployable. Tie merges to user-visible progress.