alex/my-saas-app

Built with Claude Code + Cursor over 6 weeks
A SaaS app with authentication, real-time dashboard, Stripe billing, and comprehensive API layer.

47 work sessions 89 files 432 decisions 18 collisions resolved

$ npx @verifiedstate/sync init

Create your own build journal

Week 1: SetupWeek 2: AuthWeek 3: BillingWeek 4: DashboardWeek 5: TestingWeek 6: Polish

BUILD STORY

Alex started by setting up auth with Clerk, establishing the foundation for user management. Over the next two weeks, Claude Code handled the dashboard redesign while Cursor focused on building out the API layer. The hardest stretch came on day 18 when both agents disagreed on the database schema — Alex ultimately chose PostgreSQL with JSONB columns for flexibility. By week 4, the team had a working prototype with 89 files across the codebase. Week 5 brought comprehensive testing and CI/CD setup, and by week 6 the app was accepting live payments through Stripe. The most-edited file was dashboard/index.ts, touched 47 times by both agents — a sign of how central the cockpit UI was to the product.

CHAPTERS

Authentication System Completed

Set up Clerk auth, JWT middleware, and protected routes. Implemented session management and role-based access control.

3 daysClaude Code21 files12 decisions

Claude Code

Key decisions

Chose Clerk over Auth0 — faster setup, better solo pricing
JWT tokens over session cookies — stateless for Workers
Role-based access with middleware pattern

Files touched

auth/middleware.ts auth/clerk.ts api/users.ts types/auth.ts

Dashboard Cockpit Needs Review

Complete UI overhaul from admin panel to operator cockpit. Real-time data visualization with WebSocket connections.

8 daysClaude Code + Cursor14 files8 decisions8 collisions

Claude CodeCursor

Key decisions

Replaced three-tab layout with unified cockpit page
Added verdict bar with color-coded risk status
Implemented Cmd+K command palette for search

Files touched

dashboard/index.ts shared/layout.ts shared/design.ts

API Layer Completed

RESTful API with comprehensive error handling, validation, and documentation. OpenAPI spec generated automatically.

5 daysCursor19 files14 decisions3 collisions

Cursor

Key decisions

RESTful over GraphQL — simpler for solo team
Zod validation on all inputs
Auto-generated OpenAPI spec from route handlers

Stripe Billing Completed

Payment processing with Stripe Checkout, webhooks, and subscription management.

4 daysClaude Code12 files6 decisions

Claude Code

Key decisions

Stripe Checkout over custom payment form — PCI compliance
Webhook verification with Stripe signature

Testing & CI/CD In Progress

Unit tests, integration tests, and GitHub Actions pipeline. Coverage reporting and automated deployments.

3 daysClaude Code8 files5 decisions

Claude Code

Key decisions

Vitest over Jest — faster, native ESM support
GitHub Actions over Vercel CI — more control

ASK THIS BUILD

Get answers about how this project was constructed.

GO DEEPER

PRODUCT

→Defaulted to dark theme for preferences UIMEDIUM

→Added onboarding flow for new usersMEDIUM

→Implemented keyboard shortcuts for power usersMEDIUM

TECHNICAL

→Chose bcrypt over argon2 for password hashingHIGH

→Used exponential backoff for retry logicHIGH

→Implemented WebSocket over SSE for real-timeHIGH

→Used JSONB columns for flexible preferencesMEDIUM

SAFETY

→Added rate limiting to all new endpointsHIGH

→Never delete raw assertions — retract onlyHIGH

→Implemented CSRF protection on all formsHIGH

dashboard/index.ts

47 edits · 2 agents

High

components/chart.tsx

31 edits · 1 agent

Medium

lib/websocket.ts

22 edits · 1 agent

Medium

auth/middleware.ts

17 edits · 1 agent

Clean

api/users.ts

14 edits · 1 agent

Clean

Claude Code

Primary agent

73% of work34 sessions

Cursor

API specialist

19% of work8 sessions

vsync

Background sync

5% of work3 sessions

extract

Data extraction

3% of work2 sessions

View raw proof — chronological activity log for verification

06:14:22claude-codeprompt · "Set up Clerk authentication"

06:14:45claude-codefile_read · package.json

06:15:02claude-codecommand_run · npm install @clerk/nextjs [success]

06:15:38claude-codefile_written · auth/clerk.ts [success]

06:16:12claude-codefile_written · auth/middleware.ts [success]

06:17:01claude-codefile_edited · api/users.ts [success]

06:18:44claude-codedecision · Chose JWT over session cookies (conf: 0.92)

06:22:15claude-codecommand_run · npm test [success]

06:23:00vsyncsession_save · "Auth system complete"

08:30:12cursorprompt · "Build REST API for user preferences"

08:31:44cursorfile_written · api/preferences.ts [success]

08:35:20cursorfile_edited · api/users.ts [success]

08:36:01collisionapi/users.ts · edited by both claude-code and cursor

alex/my-saas-app

Want a build journal like this?