I built a CLI that forces me to think before coding

Author: DigitalOcean - Bewertung: 0x - Views:6

Tired of jumping straight into code only to forget what you were building in the first place? In this video, I share my approach to starting new projects—and why I built a simple CLI tool called Mint to flip my workflow on its head.



Instead of rushing through the thinking and dragging out the setup, Mint handles the boring stuff instantly so I can spend real time on what actually matters: figuring out what I'm building, what I'm NOT building, and when it's done.



Try Mint CLI: https://github.com/ajot/mint-cli



👇 **WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS VIDEO** 👇



🧠 **The Problem with My Old Workflow** Why jumping straight into Claude Code without a plan left me with piles of generated code and zero clarity on what I was actually trying to make.



⚡ **How Mint CLI Works** A quick walkthrough of the tool—from project naming suggestions powered by DigitalOcean's Inference API to automatic folder structure, Git initialization, and opening the files that force me to think.



📝 **The why.md Framework** The three simple questions I answer before writing any code: Why am I building this? What am I NOT building? And when is this done? That second question is a game-changer for keeping scope in check.



🤖 **Better Context for AI Coding** How slowing down upfront gives Claude the context it needs to actually help—knowing what to build, what to ignore, and when to stop.



Setup takes 30 seconds. Thinking gets the time it deserves. Then I'm ready to build.



0:00 - The Problem with Starting Projects

0:18 - Rushing Thinking, Slowing Setup

0:55 - Introducing Mint CLI

1:55 - Intentionally Slowing Down

2:17 - Giving Claude Better Context

2:44 - Thinking Gets the Time It Deserves



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