Common Issues general

I Can't Add a New Feature Without Breaking Something

You want to add a new feature to your AI-built app, but every time you prompt the AI to add something, it breaks existing functionality. You're stuck in a loop where fixing one thing breaks another.

Common Causes

  • The codebase has accumulated too many AI-generated patches on top of patches
  • No separation of concerns — everything is intertwined
  • The AI doesn't understand the full context of the existing codebase
  • No tests, so there's no way to know if a change breaks something
  • The architecture wasn't designed to be extended

How to Fix It

  1. Stop trying to add the feature via prompting if it keeps breaking things
  2. Describe the feature you want and what keeps breaking to a developer
  3. The developer can refactor the affected area first, then add the feature properly
  4. Consider whether the app needs some architectural cleanup before adding more features
  5. A code review can identify the most fragile areas and suggest how to stabilize them

Real developers can help you.

Bastien Labelle Bastien Labelle Full stack dev w/ 20+ years of experience David Olverson David Olverson Solo dev shipping production apps with AI-assisted development. I specialize in rescuing broken Lovable/Bolt/Cursor builds and taking them to production. 10+ apps shipped including SaaS CRMs, gaming platforms, real estate tools, and Discord bots. Stack: Next.js 16, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Prisma. I use Claude Code with 50+ custom skills for rapid delivery. Average turnaround: 2-4 weeks from broken prototype to production. Rudra Bhikadiya Rudra Bhikadiya I build and fix web apps across Next.js, Node.js, and DBs. Comfortable jumping into messy code, broken APIs, and mysterious bugs. If your project works in theory but not in reality, I help close that gap. ISHANTDEEP SINGH ISHANTDEEP SINGH Senior Software Engineer with 7+ years of experience in React, JavaScript, TypeScript, Next.js, and Node.js. I’ve also worked as a tech lead for startups, owning end-to-end technical execution including architecture, development, scaling, and delivery. I bring a strong mix of hands-on coding, product thinking, and technical leadership, and I’m comfortable building products from scratch as well as improving and scaling existing systems. Jaime Orts-Caroff Jaime Orts-Caroff I'm a Senior Android developer, open to work in various fields prajwalfullstack prajwalfullstack Hi Im a full stack developer, a vibe coded MVP to Market ready product, I'm here to help Yovel Cohen Yovel Cohen I got a lot of experience in building Long-horizon AI Agents in production, Backend apps that scale to millions of users and frontend knowledge as well. Sage Fulcher Sage Fulcher Hey I'm Sage! Im a Boston area software engineer who grew up in South Florida. Ive worked at a ton of cool places like a telehealth kidney care startup that took part in a billion dollar merger (Cricket health/Interwell health), a boutique design agency where I got to work on a ton of exciting startups including a photography education app, a collegiate Esports league and more (Philosophie), a data analytics as a service startup in Cambridge (MA) as well as at Phillips and MIT Lincoln Lab where I designed and developed novel network security visualizations and analytics. I've been writing code and furiously devoted to using computers to make people’s lives easier for about 17 years. My degree is in making computers make pretty lights and sounds. Outside of work I love hip hop, the Celtics, professional wrestling, magic the gathering, photography, drumming, and guitars (both making and playing them) MFox MFox Full-stack professional senior engineer (15+years). Extensive experience in software development, qa, and IP networking. Matthew Jordan Matthew Jordan I've been working at a large software company named Kainos for 2 years, and mainly specialise in Platform Engineering. I regularly enjoy working on software products outside of work, and I'm a huge fan of game development using Unity. I personally enjoy Python & C# in my spare time, but I also specialise in multiple different platform-related technologies from my day job.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is my AI-generated codebase salvageable?

Almost always yes. A developer can refactor the messy parts, add proper structure, and make the codebase easier to extend. It's almost always cheaper than starting over.

Should I start over from scratch?

Rarely. Refactoring specific parts is usually faster and cheaper. A developer can tell you whether a rewrite makes sense after reviewing the code.

Related Common Issues Issues

Can't fix it yourself?
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