Building Fast Applications with AI: Cursor, Replit, and Lovable
Speed and adaptability have become as crucial as raw coding talent. As a software engineer, I’ve discovered that embracing AI-assisted development tools can feel like strapping a rocket to your workflow. In this post, I reflect on how tools like Cursor, Replit, and Lovable are helping me (and many others) build applications faster than ever, without sacrificing quality. Along the way, I’ll share examples of how each tool accelerates development, discuss the challenges and opportunities they bring, and why being fluent in these tools makes us stronger, more future-ready engineers.
Cursor: Your AI Pair Programmer on Steroids
Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that plugs directly into my development environment. It’s essentially a fork of VS Code infused with the superpowers of GPT-4 and other large models. With Cursor, I can write code using plain English instructions – it’s like having a pair programmer who never gets tired.
- Refactor and rewrite code with smart prompts
- Search codebase with natural language queries
- Get context-aware completions and fixes
Cursor lets me build and iterate faster by handling the grunt work, allowing me to focus on design and architecture. It’s turning coding into more of a high-level dialogue.
Replit: From Idea to App in 60 Seconds
Replit’s online IDE has always been great for spinning up quick projects. Now, with its AI agent “Ghostwriter”, it’s a self-contained dev universe powered by conversation.
- Create full apps from a prompt
- Collaborate and deploy from the browser
- No setup hassles or environment issues
Replit bridges the gap between no-code and pro-code, meaning I can prototype faster and then optimize what matters.
Lovable: Conversational Full-Stack Development
Lovable.dev is like having a freelance developer on call. Just describe what you want, and it scaffolds a production-ready app.
- Full-stack codebases from chat
- Integrates tools like Supabase, Stripe
- Explains decisions and educates as it builds
Lovable pairs rapid development with mentorship. It gives you speed without sacrificing understanding.
Challenges and Opportunities
Challenges
- Trust & Verification: Always review AI-generated code.
- The 80% Illusion: Final polish and bug fixing still take effort.
- Team Integration: Align with workflows, style guides, and review processes.
Opportunities
- Speed: Build MVPs in hours, not weeks.
- Learning: Use AI tools as mentors.
- Focus: Spend more time on creative logic and UX.
Embracing the Future
Using AI tools like Cursor, Replit, and Lovable has made me faster and more focused. They don’t replace developers – they amplify us. We must guide these tools with clear goals and critical thinking. Mastering AI-assisted development is becoming an essential skill, and those who do will stand out.
Further Reading
Music for Inspiration
- “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” – Daft Punk
- “Derezzed” – Daft Punk
- “Algorithm” – Muse