> I started with a simple hello world application. Then added in the habit list, the ability to add a habit, edit a habit and so on.
This hands-on, incremental approach works, of course. But I don't think it is the most effective way of using LLMs to write apps.
1. Which apps should be built like this?
2. Which apps shouldn't be built like this?
My instinct is that any app worth building and using for a long time should be built incrementally. Otherwise, slop.
Instead, I've settled on a top-down approach: I write an in-depth spec for the whole app first, then have the LLM implement reviewable sections of it.
to me the key point is that I get those better ideas a lot more readily by looking at the code than by planning up front - I have a good feel for when adding the next feature is harder than it should be, or when the resulting code is messier than I would like, and seeing the concrete code usually gives me the best idea for how exactly to improve it.