Quick Start - Your First Productive Day

Ship something useful with AI assistance in your first 4 hours with battle-tested setup and workflows

Goal

Ship something useful with AI assistance in your first 4 hours.

The 80/20 Setup (15 minutes)

1. Create Project Rules File

.cursor/rules/basics.md:

# Project Essentials

## Stack

- Backend: [your stack]
- Frontend: [your stack]
- Database: [your DB]

## Non-negotiables

- Every function needs error handling
- All API endpoints need tests
- Follow existing file structure in @src/

## When you don't know

- Ask first, don't guess
- Reference existing code with @filename
- Explain your reasoning

Why this works: Prevents hallucinations, grounds AI in your actual codebase.

2. Configure Bugbot Rules (if using bug fixing)

.cursor/rules/bugbot.md:

# Bugbot Guidelines

## Before proposing a fix

1. Explain the root cause (not just symptoms)
2. Show the problematic code section
3. Explain why it's a problem
4. Consider side effects of the fix

## When fixing bugs

- Minimal changes (fix the bug, don't refactor everything)
- Add test that would catch this bug
- Preserve existing behavior elsewhere
- Explain the fix in PR-ready format

## Red flags to avoid

- Band-aid fixes that mask root cause
- Changes to multiple unrelated files
- Removing error handling to "fix" errors
- Changing behavior without understanding why

## For async/race condition bugs

- Identify the race condition clearly
- Show timeline of events
- Explain synchronization approach
- Add logging to verify fix

Why this works: Bugbot without rules tends to over-fix or create new bugs while fixing old ones.

Pick ONE High-Value, Low-Risk Task

Good first tasks:

Generate tests for untested module
Write documentation for existing API
Create boilerplate CRUD endpoints
Add logging to existing service

Bad first tasks:

Refactor core authentication
Redesign database schema
Rewrite critical business logic

Why this works: Builds confidence before tackling complex work. Easy to verify, low blast radius if wrong.

Use This First-Day Prompt Pattern

Context: I'm working in @src/[module]

Task: [specific task]

Constraints:
- Follow patterns from @src/[similar-file]
- Include [specific requirement]
- Don't change [what to preserve]

First, explain your approach. Then implement.

Example from Client A project:

Context: I'm working in @src/orders

Task: Generate unit tests for OrderService.calculateTotal()

Constraints:
- Follow patterns from @src/users/UserService.test.ts
- Include edge cases: empty cart, discounts, tax calculation
- Don't change the actual OrderService implementation

First, explain your approach. Then implement.

Result: Tests generated in 5 minutes vs 45 minutes manual. 100% coverage on first try.

First Day Wins: What to Expect

By hour 4, you should have:

1-2 completed tasks
Understanding of AI strengths/weaknesses in your codebase
First patterns documented for team

Common first-day mistakes:

Trying to do too much too fast
Accepting AI code without understanding it
Not verifying AI suggestions against existing patterns
Skipping the PR review step