Beyond AI demos and tutorials: here's what we learned using GenAI to ship joinstems.com, a music platform for stems and remixes. From boilerplate

Building & Shipping joinstems.com with GenAI

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2024-11-20 16:30:05

Beyond AI demos and tutorials: here's what we learned using GenAI to ship joinstems.com, a music platform for stems and remixes. From boilerplate wins to library challenges, insights from shipping with AI.

In September 2024, we launched the beta of joinstems.com - a platform where music enthusiasts and producers can access official stems from well-known tracks and share remixes. From concept to launch took less than 5 months with a team of just 1.5 developers (well, more like 1.2 if I'm being honest), reaching 10K users and generating nearly 1K remixes in our first weeks.

What makes this project fascinating is that it paralleled the rapid evolution of GenAI development tools. I started working on this project in May with GitHub Copilot for code completion, experimented with Supermaven, and ultimately found my stride with Claude and Cursor. Throughout this journey, I watched GenAI transform from a simple code completion tool into something that felt more like a collaborative development partner.

Despite the endless stream of AI demos and tutorials flooding the internet, I've noticed a lack of practical accounts about using GenAI to ship actual products. After a decade of launching various products, I wanted to share real insights from building joinstems.com - both the wins and the "well, that didn't work" moments. Let's dive into what actually worked, what didn't, and what surprised me along the way.