Hi, I'm Forrest

Tag: structure

  • Why Planning Is the First Line of Code

    Series: Vibe Coding with Uncle Forrest* — Hey Londyn, this one’s for you.

    You know how your drawings get way better when you tell me the story first? Same move here.

    When I write overview.md, I’m basically talking to myself:

    “Okay Forrest, what are we making? Why? Who’s it for? What won’t we do yet?”

    Before code comes thought. Before thought comes story.

    And AI listens better when you are clear. That’s why the first line of code is actually your first sentence about the code.

    Tiny habit: I write the goal, constraints, and success criteria in plain English. Then the code almost writes itself. Almost. 😄

  • Creating Order Before Chaos

    Series: Vibe Coding with Uncle Forrest* — Hey Londyn, this one’s for you.

    Hey Londs,

    Remember when you tried to make those bracelets and the beads were everywhere and I said, “Slow down — we don’t create until we clear the workspace”? This is that — but for code.

    Every time I start building something with AI, I don’t touch code first. I build order.

    I make a folder called /docs.

    Inside it, three subfolders:

    • planning/ (where ideas go before they’re real)
    • to-do/ (what I’m building now)
    • done/ (what’s finished and proud)

    Then I add overview.md — the quick map of what this whole thing means.

    It’s not boring. It’s discipline disguised as calm. Even grown-up engineers forget that building starts before building.

    Why this matters for you: You don’t build the castle by throwing bricks. You lay the ground, then you stack—clean and steady. That’s all this is.