A freelance developer has abandoned writing code, instead using LLMs to generate everything he ships. Over six months, his income nearly tripled, and he now manages a small team on larger enterprise projects. He insists this isn't 'vibe coding' but a disciplined, architectural workflow that requires more engineering rigor, not less.

The system hinges on treating documentation as the primary interface with the AI, not code. He creates three layers of specs: client-facing, technical (described in plain language), and stage-specific deep dives. This becomes the single source of truth, preventing the AI from drifting and breaking the codebase, a common failure of chat-based tools.

His method relies on test-driven development (TDD) as a critical safety net and aggressive context compartmentalization—starting fresh chats for each task to avoid AI hallucination loops. He also documents failed bug solutions to break cycles. The approach requires deep engineering fundamentals; the AI amplifies competence, not replaces it.