Avoiding Technical Debt: How I'm Building Helix

I'm not a traditional engineer.

Since May 2025, I have been building AI-enabled products and learning how technical debt quietly accumulates.

Helix is my most disciplined build so far. This page explains the habits and guardrails I use to keep it clean.

The simple truth

Technical debt is not "bad code".

It is any shortcut that makes future changes slower, riskier, and harder to understand.

As a solo founder, I cannot afford that.

My rules while building Helix

These are the rules I follow on every meaningful change:

  • I avoid rewrites of working systems
  • I prefer small, additive updates
  • I lock navigation and layouts so they do not get accidentally broken
  • I verify changes on localhost, not just in code
  • I keep a record of what changed and why

How I use AI without letting it create chaos

AI helps me move faster, but it can also create bloat and hidden bugs.

So I use it with constraints:

  • Cursor prompts are written with guardrails, not vague instructions
  • Every change ends with an audit checklist
  • I use SeaP AI for testing flows and edge cases
  • If a change increases complexity, I roll it back and simplify

Documentation that stays useful

Documentation is created as part of the build process, not after.

  • I capture decisions through prompts
  • I keep short notes that explain "why", not just "what"
  • I push documentation to GitHub with the change

This makes the system easier to maintain later, even for me.

What I learned from recent builds

Since May 2025, I have shipped multiple AI-enabled projects, including:

  • OnlyForRecruiters
  • An internal payroll system, yet to be published
  • A family tree application
  • A remote job board

The pattern is consistent. Speed is easy. Maintainability takes discipline.

Where I draw the line

I am clear about one thing.

AI alone is not enough for an enterprise-grade product long term.

If Helix expands beyond a certain point, I will involve experienced human developers for architecture review and hardening.

AI will remain an assistant, not the authority.

My ongoing discipline

I run regular safety and technical debt reviews:

  • Security first
  • Cleanup only after risks are understood
  • Improvements are small and reversible

Technical debt is not ignored. It is tracked and handled deliberately.

Helix is built with respect for engineering realities.

This page exists to be transparent about the effort and the limits of building solo.

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