u/Emotional_Capital566

Lately I’ve been using AI more for building projects, and I’m realizing that just generating code isn’t really enough. It’s easy to get something working, but much harder to make it well-structured, maintainable, polished, and actually engineered properly.

I’ve also been seeing a lot of Claude skills, project instructions, agents, MCP setups, and workflow ideas shared around, but honestly I’m a bit lost. There are so many options that I don’t really know what’s actually worth using, what fits real engineering work, and what is just overcomplicating things.

I’m looking for recommendations from people who use Claude seriously in their workflow. Not just random prompts or “make me an app” type stuff, but useful skills, project instructions, agents, MCP setups, workflows, or configurations that help with the full process of building software.

I’m especially interested in things that help Claude understand a codebase better, plan features before coding, reduce wasted tokens, keep context clean, design better architecture, write cleaner components, improve UI so it doesn’t look like a generic AI-generated product, create tests, review code, document decisions, prepare demos, and generally move a project from “it works” to “this is actually solid.”

For people who use Claude for real engineering work, what skills, workflows, configs, or setup patterns have actually improved your output?

Let’s make this post a useful thread of practical recommendations: Claude skills, project instructions, engineering workflows, MCP setups, token-saving tricks, code review patterns, planning methods, UI/UX polish tips, testing workflows, or anything else that helps people build better projects with Claude.

Thanks in advance.

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of people “vibe code” their way through projects, especially with AI tools. It’s honestly impressive how fast you can get something working now.

But I’m also realizing that just getting something to run isn’t enough. There are so many AI skills, agents, prompts, rules, and configurations out there, and I don’t really know which ones are actually useful and which ones are just hype.

I’m mainly looking for recommendations that can help with the full process of building a project, not just generating code. Things like coming up with better hackathon ideas, choosing an idea that is realistic to build but still impressive, reducing token usage, avoiding wasted context, making the UI feel polished instead of looking like the same generic AI-generated app, structuring the codebase properly, preparing a good pitch/demo, and turning a quick MVP into something a bit more production-ready.

For people who use AI a lot in hackathons, side projects, or startup-style builds: what skills, prompts, agents, rules, workflows, or configurations have actually helped you?

Let’s make this post an ultimate thread of useful recommendations, whether it’s AI workflows, configs, prompts, token-saving tricks, hackathon tips, UI polish advice, pitch/demo tips, or anything else that helps people build better projects faster.

Thanks in advance.

I’m interested in participating in hackathons, especially AI and machine learning ones, but I haven’t joined any yet. Most of the hackathons I see are happening in Tunis, while I live in Sousse, so that already makes it a bit harder for me to participate. Also, I don’t really have teammates, and most of my friends or college colleagues aren’t interested in this kind of stuff, so that makes it even harder to join.

I wanted to ask: do AI/ML hackathons usually require deep technical knowledge, or can someone with basic knowledge still do well or even win?

I have some knowledge of AI, agents, and I often “vibe code.” I’m always searching, learning, and trying to build things, but sometimes I feel like that’s not enough. I’m not sure if I’m underestimating myself or if I really need a much stronger background before joining.

My goal is to learn more about AI and machine learning so I can participate in hackathons confidently. But I also feel like nowadays, since everyone can vibe code and use AI tools, people with expensive AI subscriptions like Claude Pro/Max plans might have a big advantage in hackathons.

For people who have participated in AI/ML hackathons before: how much knowledge do you really need? Is it more about technical depth, creativity, teamwork, fast execution, or using the right tools?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been really interested in AI and machine learning lately, but honestly, I’m kind of lost on where to begin. There’s so much content out there that I don’t know what’s actually worth following.

I’m a little familiar with Python, but I don’t have a clear roadmap. Should I start with machine learning first? AI basics? Math? Data science? I’m not really sure what order makes the most sense.

I don’t want to waste time jumping between random courses, especially ones that are too basic or mostly theoretical. I want to actually understand the field properly and build real projects, not just follow trends or watch videos without applying anything.

For anyone who has experience in AI/ML, what path would you recommend? Are there any courses, books, YouTube channels, or project-based resources that helped you a lot?

I’d really appreciate any advice from people who’ve already been through this or are currently learning.

Hello everyone,

I’m writing this because I feel a bit lost and I would really appreciate advice from people with more experience in tech, AI, startups, or studying abroad.

I’m interested in many fields: AI, machine learning, data, robotics, aerospace, hard tech, startups, and almost anything related to science, engineering, innovation, and building useful things.

In my free time, I often find myself reading about the latest technologies, following AI and tech news, testing new tools when I can, and trying to understand the challenges behind these fields. But because I’m interested in so many things, I also feel lost. I jump from one topic to another, follow a lot of things, but don’t really build anything concrete.

I don’t want to close doors too early, but I also don’t want to waste years without a clear direction. I feel ambitious, but confused. I don’t just want to follow trends or learn things superficially; I want to understand things deeply, build a strong technical foundation, and work on meaningful projects.

For context, I took the preparatory engineering entrance exam this year and I’m waiting for the results. I’m not expecting a very good rank, partly because during the year I spent a lot of time exploring AI and new technologies instead of focusing fully on the preparatory program.

To be honest, I sometimes feel very limited in Tunisia. Maybe my view is incomplete, and I may be wrong, but from what I’ve seen so far, I feel that engineering schools here may not always move at the same speed as today’s technological changes, especially compared to top universities in the US. When I look at some profiles abroad, I often see students or recent graduates building serious projects, joining strong networks, accessing research labs, startups, and sometimes even accelerator programs like Y Combinator. That kind of environment is what I feel I’m missing, or at least struggling to find here.

Long term, I want to gain international exposure if possible, build a strong profile, and hopefully create an innovative startup one day. I’m also open to online courses, paid programs, certifications, or even other degrees if they can help me build the prerequisites, experience, and profile needed to apply later for strong master’s programs abroad.

If anyone has gone through something similar, studied abroad, worked in similar fields, or has advice about what to focus on, what to avoid, or how to build a strong profile, I’d really appreciate your experience.

I may be wrong about some things, and maybe I’m seeing things from a limited perspective. That’s exactly why I’m asking for help, guidance, and honest advice.

Thank you in advance.

السلام عليكم,

fi marche arrière, ma3raftech nraka7 rassy walla el korssy kol marra fi position fixe (ma3raftech l mochkla mnin), kol marra repère ne5ouh fi blassa, marra fou9 trottoir, marra ta7tou, marra b3id, bellehy elly ya3ref el 7al y9olly walla des astuces walla ay gmara o5ra, kol marra ya nadhreb fel les cones ya trottoir ya net3adda b zhar, (el karhba b appuie-tête) w est ce que position mta3 el karhba melloul ken b3ida 3la trottoir ma3adech tetsalla7?

I’m really struggling with reversing a car in a straight line along a curb, my instructor isn’t explaining it well at all, he just stuck a vertical tape on the rear window and told me to “follow it”.

What I don’t get is: am I supposed to adjust my head first so the tape lines up with the curb, and then keep my head completely still? or do I just keep my normal driving position and use the tape as a reference while steering?

Even a small change in head position makes the tape shift a lot !!!, so I get confused every time, this is actually my second time taking the test, i really can’t afford to fail again.

And any other advice on this step would really be appreciated.