I ditched “vibe coding.” And suddenly, building with Cursor felt...
Prajwal Tomar@PrajwalTomar_
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Jun 11, 2025
~3 min read
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I ditched “vibe coding.”
And suddenly, building with Cursor felt calm again.
Here’s how I ship faster without burning out ↓
And suddenly, building with Cursor felt calm again.
Here’s how I ship faster without burning out ↓
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1/ The workflow (quick summary)
This is the system that works:
- Plan clearly (PRD) @ChatGPTapp
- Break it down with TaskMaster
- Execute one task at a time in @cursor_ai
- Review everything with @coderabbitai
Let’s go deeper ↓
This is the system that works:
- Plan clearly (PRD) @ChatGPTapp
- Break it down with TaskMaster
- Execute one task at a time in @cursor_ai
- Review everything with @coderabbitai
Let’s go deeper ↓
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2/ “Vibe coding” was a trap
I’d give a vague prompt like “Build a landing page” and Cursor would go wild.
Sure, things moved fast, but most of my time went into cleaning up the mess:
- Messy logic
- Hallucinated features
- Bugs I never asked for
It wasn’t fun anymore. It was firefighting.
I’d give a vague prompt like “Build a landing page” and Cursor would go wild.
Sure, things moved fast, but most of my time went into cleaning up the mess:
- Messy logic
- Hallucinated features
- Bugs I never asked for
It wasn’t fun anymore. It was firefighting.
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3/ The root problem: Agent Chaos
When you give a high-level goal, your Cursor agent starts guessing.
It assumes structure, state, styles, everything.
You end up with bloated, unmaintainable code.
Fast now, painful later.
You’re not building, you’re babysitting.
When you give a high-level goal, your Cursor agent starts guessing.
It assumes structure, state, styles, everything.
You end up with bloated, unmaintainable code.
Fast now, painful later.
You’re not building, you’re babysitting.
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4/ The mindset shift that changed everything
I stopped prompting like a user.
Started directing like a product engineer.
It’s not “can you build this?”
It’s “here’s what to build, exactly how I want it.”
Cursor became my dev. I became the architect.
I stopped prompting like a user.
Started directing like a product engineer.
It’s not “can you build this?”
It’s “here’s what to build, exactly how I want it.”
Cursor became my dev. I became the architect.
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5/ My “Calm Coder” Workflow
Here’s what I follow every time:
1. Plan → Write a clear 1-page PRD
2. Break down → Use TaskMaster in Cursor to list exact tasks
3. Execute → Feed ONE task at a time to Cursor
4. Review → Use CodeRabbit to double-check quality
Clean. Repeatable. Fast.
Here’s what I follow every time:
1. Plan → Write a clear 1-page PRD
2. Break down → Use TaskMaster in Cursor to list exact tasks
3. Execute → Feed ONE task at a time to Cursor
4. Review → Use CodeRabbit to double-check quality
Clean. Repeatable. Fast.
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6/ Step 1: The 1-Page PRD
Don’t jump into Cursor yet.
Start by writing a simple 1-page PRD that explains what you’re building and why.
Use ChatGPT or Gemini to help structure it.
You can follow my exact format here:
Don’t jump into Cursor yet.
Start by writing a simple 1-page PRD that explains what you’re building and why.
Use ChatGPT or Gemini to help structure it.
You can follow my exact format here:
Prajwal Tomar@PrajwalTomar_
For everyone asking about my PRD structure, here’s how I approach it.
Here’s the simple format I use that works every time.
1. Introduction: Explain the problem you’re solving and the vision for the product. This sets the context for everyone involved.
2. Objectives & Goals: Highlight the main outcomes the product should achieve. What’s the core purpose?
3. Target Users & Roles: Identify who will use the product (e.g., clients, admins) and what actions they need to perform.
4. Core Features for MVP: List the must-have features to deliver value quickly and validate the product.
5. Future Scope: Outline features that can be added later. This helps clients think beyond the MVP without overloading the first phase.
6. User Journey: Map out how users interact with the product step by step. Cover all roles for complete clarity.
7. Tech Stack: Define the tools, frameworks, and APIs you’ll use to build the product.
You don’t need to overcomplicate things. Just focus on core features for MVP and future scope to ensure the client has a clear roadmap.
That’s all you need to get started!
Here’s the simple format I use that works every time.
1. Introduction: Explain the problem you’re solving and the vision for the product. This sets the context for everyone involved.
2. Objectives & Goals: Highlight the main outcomes the product should achieve. What’s the core purpose?
3. Target Users & Roles: Identify who will use the product (e.g., clients, admins) and what actions they need to perform.
4. Core Features for MVP: List the must-have features to deliver value quickly and validate the product.
5. Future Scope: Outline features that can be added later. This helps clients think beyond the MVP without overloading the first phase.
6. User Journey: Map out how users interact with the product step by step. Cover all roles for complete clarity.
7. Tech Stack: Define the tools, frameworks, and APIs you’ll use to build the product.
You don’t need to overcomplicate things. Just focus on core features for MVP and future scope to ensure the client has a clear roadmap.
That’s all you need to get started!
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7/ Step 2: Use TaskMaster (The Loop)
This is the magic step. Instead of just listing tasks, you de-risk the project before coding:
1. Parse PRD: Paste your new PRD into Cursor's TaskMaster.
2. Check Complexity: It parses the doc and gives each feature a complexity score.
3. Expand: See a high score (e.g., 8/10)? That’s a red flag. Command TaskMaster to "expand" that complex feature into smaller, simpler sub-tasks.
4. Repeat: You repeat this loop until every task is small and simple (e.g., < 4/10).
This is the magic step. Instead of just listing tasks, you de-risk the project before coding:
1. Parse PRD: Paste your new PRD into Cursor's TaskMaster.
2. Check Complexity: It parses the doc and gives each feature a complexity score.
3. Expand: See a high score (e.g., 8/10)? That’s a red flag. Command TaskMaster to "expand" that complex feature into smaller, simpler sub-tasks.
4. Repeat: You repeat this loop until every task is small and simple (e.g., < 4/10).
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8/ Step 3: One task at a time
Now that your TaskMaster list is ready, don’t dump everything into Cursor.
Take one task. Run it.
Check the output. Review it.
Only then move to the next one.
For more details on using taskmaster refer to the below thread:
Now that your TaskMaster list is ready, don’t dump everything into Cursor.
Take one task. Run it.
Check the output. Review it.
Only then move to the next one.
For more details on using taskmaster refer to the below thread:
Prajwal Tomar@PrajwalTomar_
How I stopped breaking things in Cursor
The workflow that reduced errors by 90%
Bookmark this ↓
The workflow that reduced errors by 90%
Bookmark this ↓
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9/ Step 4: Let CodeRabbit be your reviewer
Once you’re done with a feature, open a PR.
CodeRabbit:
- Spots hidden bugs
- Suggests cleaner code
- Flags edge cases
- Gives you a senior-level review instantly
It’s the final polish before shipping.
Once you’re done with a feature, open a PR.
CodeRabbit:
- Spots hidden bugs
- Suggests cleaner code
- Flags edge cases
- Gives you a senior-level review instantly
It’s the final polish before shipping.
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10/ Before vs After
Before:
- Prompt big vague tasks
- Get messy code
- Waste hours debugging
- Feel burnt out
After:
- Small tasks
- Clean output
- AI reviews it
- Ship stress-free
The difference is night and day.
Before:
- Prompt big vague tasks
- Get messy code
- Waste hours debugging
- Feel burnt out
After:
- Small tasks
- Clean output
- AI reviews it
- Ship stress-free
The difference is night and day.
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11/ My full stack for AI-assisted shipping
Cursor → The coder
TaskMaster → The planner
CodeRabbit → The reviewer
This is how I ship MVPs fast, without skipping quality.
If you’re tired of the chaos, try this once.
Cursor → The coder
TaskMaster → The planner
CodeRabbit → The reviewer
This is how I ship MVPs fast, without skipping quality.
If you’re tired of the chaos, try this once.
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I share all these workflows + builds inside a private community I started.
265+ of us are building AI MVPs together.
If you're into this, check it out: 🔗 skool.com/ai-mvp-builder…
265+ of us are building AI MVPs together.
If you're into this, check it out: 🔗 skool.com/ai-mvp-builder…