IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Web development is fun again

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. LLMs Reduce Complexity and Revive Fun in Programming

LLMs handle boilerplate, toolchains, and specialization, making dev accessible and enjoyable again.
"with LLMs, everything is fun again... LLMs bailed us out of the impending ultra-specialization" - webdevver
"prompting 'vanilla JavaScript, no react'... Feels like coding in the 200xs and I'm enjoying every minute of it" - simonw

2. LLMs Boost Productivity for Hobbyists and Returning Coders

They enable quick prototypes, ramp-up on stale projects, and coding in limited time (e.g., parents/managers).
"AI assistance means you can get something useful done in half an hour... folks moving back into development after years or decades" - simonw (echoed by elliotbnvl, timenotwasted)
"cranked out two new plugins plus improvements... Claude handled much of the accidental complexity" - po84

3. Skepticism: LLMs Promote Shallow "Slop" Over Real Skill

Critics argue it's delegation, not creation, leading to low-quality code without deep understanding.
"Why make pizza when you can order it?... I enjoy looking at photos people took on hikes, but I don't call it hiking" - ori_b
"the idea that this is the same as software development is akin to thinking that assembling IKEA furniture makes you a carpenter" - imiric

🚀 Project Ideas

LLM-Powered Project Reviver

Summary

  • A web-based tool that ingests old codebases (e.g., stale Obsidian plugins, web apps) and uses LLMs to upgrade dependencies, fix bit-rot, add tests/docs, and suggest modern simplifications.
  • Core value: Eliminates hours of frustrating ramp-up on legacy projects, enabling quick iteration on side projects.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Hobbyists, ex-devs returning to coding, parents/managers with sporadic time
Core Feature Upload repo → AI analyzes/upgrades → Diff view with one-click apply
Tech Stack Claude/GPT API, GitHub API, Node.js, Vercel for hosting
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium (free for small repos, $5/mo pro)

Notes

  • "I have old stale projects that I'm hesitant to try and fix because I know it will involve hours of frustrating work figuring out how to upgrade core dependencies. Now I can... say 'upgrade this to the latest versions'" (simonw); HN loves tools that unblock tinkering.
  • High discussion potential on AI reliability in upgrades; practical for 100s of bit-rotten repos.

Vanilla Stack Scaffold Generator

Summary

  • CLI/web app that prompts for project needs (e.g., "center divs, responsive images") and generates minimal vanilla HTML/JS/CSS (no bundlers/frameworks), optimized for browser APIs and LLM refinement.
  • Core value: Bypasses frontend chaos, making starting simple web projects instant and fun again.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Web devs tired of build pipelines/bundlers, solo hobbyists
Core Feature Natural language prompt → Generates editable vanilla code with Tailwind/Alpine optional
Tech Stack Ollama/local LLM, esbuild for optional minification, SvelteKit for app
Difficulty Low
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • "prompting 'vanilla JavaScript, no react'... Feels like coding in the 200xs" (simonw); "centering divs with flexbox is one of my uses... I can never remember the syntax" (simonw, yomismoaqui); HN would rave about anti-framework simplicity.
  • Sparks debates on minimalism vs. modern tools; instant utility for prototypes.

Sporadic Session Context Keeper

Summary

  • Browser extension/service that chats with your codebase, providing instant ramps (e.g., "remind me integration points"), session summaries, and flow-reentry prompts for short coding bursts.
  • Core value: Enables productive 30-min hobby sessions without 2-4hr ramp-up, perfect for busy parents/managers.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Busy ex-devs, parents, managers resuming side projects
Core Feature LLM queries codebase for context/maps; auto-saves session state across days
Tech Stack Chrome extension + Anthropic API, IndexedDB for local state, VS Code integration
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: $3/mo subscription

Notes

  • "AI assistance means you can get something useful done in half an hour... You don't need to carve out 2-4 hours" (simonw); "mental model building... gets me back up to speed so much more quickly" (timenotwasted); HN commenters would love reclaiming hobby time.
  • Viral potential via parent-dev shares; utility for distributed work sessions.

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