Introduction

A comprehensive guide to building applications with AI using Buzzy's no-code platform, understanding the challenges of vibe coding, and mastering Buzzy's unique approach.

Introduction

"Vibe coding" with AI has transformed how we approach application development. Using natural language prompts, you can generate entire applications in minutes. But here's what most people discover: starting with AI is easy; building something production-ready requires understanding and strategy.

Think of it like cooking with AI:

Bad approach: "AI, make me dinner"

  • AI generates a recipe

  • You don't know if ingredients are available

  • You don't know if it matches dietary restrictions

  • You can't adjust if something goes wrong

  • Result: Might work, might be disaster

Good approach: "AI, create a 30-minute vegetarian pasta dish for 4 people, using ingredients I have: tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil. No dairy allergies."

  • AI understands constraints

  • You know what you're getting

  • You can verify and adjust

  • Result: Reliable, matches your needs

This guide teaches you:

  • How to "specify your constraints" (system thinking, data design)

  • How to "verify the recipe" (testing, iteration)

  • How to "adjust when needed" (AI prompts vs. manual edits)

  • How to use Buzzy specifically (not generic vibe coding)

By the end, you'll build applications effectively with Buzzy's AI-powered no-code platform, avoid common pitfalls, and create solutions that scale and last.

The Dream of Vibe Coding

What vibe coding promises:

  • "Generate a full-stack app from a single prompt"

  • "No coding knowledge needed"

  • "Go from idea to production in days"

What traditional vibe coding actually delivers (using tools like Cursor, Claude Code, etc.):

What Buzzy delivers instead:

  • Structured App Definitions (not raw code to maintain)

    • Think of it like a recipe card vs. a cooked meal

    • Recipe card = App Definition (can be interpreted many ways)

    • Cooked meal = Generated code (fixed, becomes stale)

  • Professionally-maintained Core Engine (not fragile AI-generated code)

    • Buzzy maintains the "kitchen" (React, React Native, infrastructure)

    • You focus on your "recipe" (app logic and design)

  • Server-level security built-in (not client-side workarounds)

    • Security enforced at database level, can't be bypassed

    • Organizations and Teams for multi-tenant apps

  • Automatic updates and maintenance (React/Native updates handled for you)

    • No dependency updates needed on your part

    • Security patches applied automatically

    • Framework upgrades don't break your app

Simple analogy:

  • Traditional vibe coding = AI builds you a house from scratch. When the foundation cracks, you need to rebuild everything.

  • Buzzy = AI designs your floor plan. Buzzy provides the professionally-maintained building that interprets your floor plan. When the building needs maintenance, Buzzy handles it.

The Challenge with Traditional Vibe Coding

When using traditional AI coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code, Devin, etc.), you face real challenges:

1. Context Loss

Every prompt stands alone. The AI doesn't remember what you discussed 5 prompts ago, leading to:

  • Inconsistent implementations

  • Forgotten requirements

  • Conflicting logic

  • Regression of previously working features

2. Hidden Complexity

AI makes it look easy, but the generated code has:

  • Hard-coded values that should be configurable

  • Missing error handling

  • Security vulnerabilities

  • Performance issues that don't appear until scale

  • Logic that works for the happy path but fails edge cases

3. Tech Debt Accumulation

AI-generated code accumulates technical debt rapidly:

  • Thousands of lines of code you didn't write

  • Outdated dependencies and frameworks

  • Security updates requiring retesting everything

  • Each change risks breaking everything

  • Hard to maintain 6 months later with different AI/prompts

Example scenario: You vibe-coded an app with React 17 and various packages. Six months later, security updates are needed. You prompt the AI to update... it changes thousands of lines of code, using different patterns, and everything needs retesting. What was working behaves differently now.

How Buzzy Solves These Problems

Buzzy Creates App Definitions, Not Code

Unlike traditional vibe coding tools that generate raw code, Buzzy creates structured App Definitions that are interpreted by the Buzzy Core Engine. This fundamental difference solves most vibe coding problems.

Visual comparison:

Traditional Vibe Coding:

Buzzy Approach:

What this means in practice:

Traditional approach:

Buzzy approach:

Learn more about this difference

Key Advantages

1. No Maintenance Burden

  • Buzzy maintains the Core Engine professionally

  • React and React Native updates handled automatically

  • Security patches applied to all apps

  • You focus on your app's logic, not framework maintenance

2. Server-Level Security

  • Not "hiding" data with client-side logic

  • Organizations and Teams built-in

  • Proper access control at the database level

  • Security best practices enforced by the platform

3. Structured Development

  • Brief → Blueprint → Data → Design → Publish workflow

  • Visual editor for safe manual changes

  • No risk of "breaking the code" with edits

  • Version control built-in

4. Scalable Architecture

  • Kubernetes-based infrastructure

  • Horizontal and vertical scaling

  • Professional deployment and hosting

  • Mobile (iOS/Android) and web from same definition

What You Still Need to Learn

While Buzzy solves the tech debt problem, building good applications still requires understanding. Think of it like using a professional kitchen: the equipment is world-class, but you still need to know how to cook.

1. System Thinking

What it means: Understanding how applications work at a fundamental level.

Non-technical explanation: Before you can tell Buzzy what to build, you need to understand what an application actually is—screens, data storage, user interactions, security, etc.

Why it matters:

  • ❌ Without it: "Build me a CRM" → AI creates random screens with no strategy

  • ✅ With it: "Build a CRM where sales reps log calls, track follow-ups, and see deal progress" → AI creates focused, useful app

You'll learn:

  • How apps are structured (Brief → Blueprint → Data → Design)

  • User experience basics (how people actually use apps)

  • Security fundamentals (Organizations, Teams, Viewers fields)

2. Data Design

What it means: Planning how information should be organized in your app.

Non-technical explanation: Like organizing files in folders—should customer info and order info be in the same place or separate? How do they connect?

Buzzy-specific concepts:

  • Subtables (1:M): One parent, many children (e.g., one invoice has many line items)

  • Linked Table Fields (N:M): Many-to-many (e.g., students take multiple classes, classes have multiple students)

Sample prompt showing good data design thinking:

3. Functional Design

What it means: Defining what users can do and how the app responds.

Non-technical explanation: It's the difference between "there's a button" and "when users click this button while on the orders screen, it opens a form to add a new order, validates the inputs, saves to the database, and returns to the updated orders list."

Buzzy-specific concepts:

  • Display rules: Show/hide elements based on conditions

  • Actions: Submit actions, navigation actions, update actions

  • Context: What data is available on each screen

Sample prompt showing good functional design thinking:

4. Prompting Strategy

What it means: How to communicate effectively with Buzzy AI v3.

The spectrum:

  • Too vague: "Build a task app" → AI guesses everything

  • Too technical: "Create a React component with useState..." → Wrong approach for Buzzy

  • Just right: "Build a task app with a Tasks Datatable. Users should see only their own tasks (use Viewers field). Include screens for: task list, add task form, and task detail." → AI understands your intent

Sample prompts at different levels:

Beginner-level prompt (still effective):

Intermediate-level prompt (more control):

Advanced-level prompt (maximum control):

5. Testing & Iteration

What it means: Making sure your app actually works and improving it based on real use.

Non-technical explanation: Just like testing a recipe by cooking it, you need to test your app by actually using it—and have others use it too.

Buzzy-specific workflow:

  1. Preview: Use Buzzy's preview mode (click eye icon in workspace)

  2. Test as different users: Create test accounts with different roles

  3. Check edge cases: What if someone leaves a field blank? What if they're offline?

  4. AI prompts vs. manual edits:

    • Use AI prompts for: New features, major restructuring, bulk changes

    • Use visual editor for: Fine-tuning layouts, adjusting colors, fixing small issues

Sample testing checklist prompt:

What This Guide Covers

Visual overview of the complete guide:

Part 1: Foundation

System Thinking: Understanding how applications work

What you'll learn:

  • How applications are structured (entities, relationships, screens)

  • User experience basics (flows, navigation, context)

  • Buzzy's architecture (Brief → Blueprint → Data → Design → Publish)

  • Security fundamentals (Organizations, Teams, Viewers fields)

  • When your idea is too complex for Buzzy

Who needs this: Complete beginners, business users, anyone who hasn't built apps before

Time investment: 1-2 hours reading, worth every minute

Design Fundamentals: Data modeling and functional design for Buzzy

What you'll learn:

  • Data Design: How to structure information using Subtables (1:M) and Linked Table Fields (N:M)

  • Functional Design: How to define user actions, display rules, and navigation in Buzzy

  • Real examples with sample prompts

Who needs this: Everyone - this is core to building ANY Buzzy app

Time investment: 2-3 hours, refer back often

Part 2: Process

Project Workflow: From idea to deployed app

What you'll learn:

  • Planning before prompting (saves massive time later)

  • The Buzzy workflow: Brief → Blueprint → Data → Design

  • One-shot vs. iterative development (when to use each)

  • AI prompts vs. manual edits (most important skill)

  • Testing strategies specific to Buzzy apps

  • Making changes without breaking things

  • Rollback strategies using Buzzy's version control

  • Deployment to Buzzy's infrastructure

  • Maintenance (minimal, since Buzzy maintains the Core Engine)

Who needs this: Everyone building real apps

Time investment: 3-4 hours, reference throughout your project

Part 3: Practice

Building Examples: Hands-on walkthroughs with complete code

What you'll build:

  1. Hello World App (1-2 hours)

    • Simple task list

    • Learn the complete workflow

    • First Buzzy AI v3 prompts

    • Testing in preview mode

    • Your first published app

  2. External API Integration (2-3 hours)

    • Weather app using external API

    • Introduction to Buzzy Functions (AWS Lambda)

    • Secure Constants for API keys

    • Error handling patterns

  3. AI-Powered App (3-4 hours)

    • Chat app with OpenAI integration

    • Advanced Buzzy Functions

    • Streaming responses

    • Cost management for AI APIs

  4. Game Development (4-6 hours)

    • Turn-based game (not action games)

    • Complex game state management

    • Multiplayer considerations

    • What games work in Buzzy vs. what doesn't

Who needs this: Everyone - learning by doing is essential

Recommended order: Do Hello World first, then others based on your project needs

Part 4: Best Practices

Best Practices: What works, what doesn't, and why

What you'll learn:

  1. App Quality & Performance

    • How to build fast, reliable Buzzy apps

    • Common performance pitfalls

    • Testing strategies

    • When to optimize (and when not to)

  2. Compliance & Security

    • Organizations pattern for multi-tenant SaaS

    • Teams pattern for role-based access

    • Viewers fields for personal data

    • GDPR and compliance considerations

    • What Buzzy handles vs. what you handle

  3. What NOT to Build ⚠️ Read this early!

    • Apps unsuitable for Buzzy (and any no-code platform)

    • Real-time games, blockchain, enterprise ERP (initially)

    • When to use traditional development instead

    • How to scope projects realistically

Who needs this: Read before starting any serious project

Time investment: 2-3 hours, saves weeks of wasted effort

Who This Guide Is For

Non-Technical Builders: Learn how to think like a system designer and communicate effectively with Buzzy AI v3.

Business Users: Understand how to structure requirements and validate AI-generated app structures.

Designers: Learn the technical implications of design decisions in Buzzy's visual editor.

Developers: Master prompting strategies for Buzzy and understand when to extend with Buzzy Functions.

Product Managers: Set realistic expectations and plan projects with Buzzy's capabilities in mind.

How to Use This Guide

For Complete Beginners (Never built an app before)

Your path (2-3 weeks to competence):

Week 1: Understand the basics

  1. Read System Thinking - Don't skip this! It explains concepts that seem obvious to developers but aren't.

  2. Complete the Hello World App - Build something simple to understand the workflow

Week 2: Learn data and design 3. Study Data Design - Focus on understanding Subtables vs. Linked Table Fields 4. Study Functional Design - Learn about display rules and actions 5. Build a second simple app (modify Hello World to add features)

Week 3: Plan your real project 6. Review Best Practices - Learn what NOT to build 7. Plan your actual app using Project Workflow 8. Start building with realistic expectations

For Technical Users (Have some coding experience)

Your path (3-5 days to competence):

Day 1: Understand Buzzy's unique approach

Day 2: Learn the workflow

Day 3: Advanced features

Day 4-5: Build your real project

  • Start with your actual project

  • Reference specific sections as needed

  • Test thoroughly before going live

For Business Users / Product Managers

Your path (1 week to understand scope and feasibility):

Step 1: Understand what's possible

Step 2: Plan effectively

Step 3: Write better requirements

  • Study Data Design to structure requirements

  • Learn Functional Design to specify behaviors

  • Use sample prompts throughout this guide as templates

For Experienced Buzzy Users

Use this as a reference:

  • Jump directly to sections relevant to your current challenge

  • Review before major architectural decisions

  • Share specific sections with team members to align understanding

Quick navigation by problem:

Quick Reference

Stuck with a Specific Challenge?

Data & Structure Questions:

Functional Design Questions:

Security Questions:

Integration Questions:

Performance & Quality Questions:

Workflow Questions:

Feasibility Questions:

Sample Prompts Library

Complete beginner prompt (for simple personal app):

Intermediate prompt (with data structure understanding):

Advanced prompt (with Subtables and security):

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Prompting Too Vaguely

❌ Bad: "Build a CRM"

  • AI has no idea what features you want

  • Results in generic, unusable app

  • You'll spend more time fixing than if you planned first

✅ Good:

Mistake #2: Not Understanding Data Relationships

❌ Bad: Storing all data in one big table

Problems:

  • What if an order has 10 products?

  • What if customer info changes?

  • Can't query products separately

✅ Good: Use Subtables (1:M relationship)

Learn more about Subtables

Mistake #3: Forgetting Security

❌ Bad: "Build a task app" (no security mentioned)

  • Result: All users see all tasks (data leak!)

  • No privacy, no multi-tenant support

✅ Good:

Learn more about security

Mistake #4: Not Testing Edge Cases

❌ Bad: Only testing the happy path

  • "I can add a task!" ✓

  • Doesn't test: empty fields, network errors, concurrent edits

✅ Good: Test systematically

Learn more about testing

Mistake #5: Building Too Much at Once

❌ Bad: "Build a complete project management platform with time tracking, invoicing, resource planning, and team chat"

  • Overwhelming AI and yourself

  • Takes months to build and test

  • Likely to fail or never finish

✅ Good: Start with MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

Learn more about project workflow

Mistake #6: Using the Wrong Relationship Type

❌ Bad: Using Linked Table Field for invoice line items

Problem: Line items belong to exactly ONE invoice (1:M), not many (N:M)

✅ Good: Use Subtable for 1:M

When to use what:

  • Subtable (1:M): Parent-child, belongs to one parent (invoices → line items, projects → tasks)

  • Linked Table Field (N:M): Many-to-many (students ↔ classes, products ↔ categories)

Learn more about relationships

Mistake #7: Not Using Buzzy's Version Control

❌ Bad: Making major changes directly without saving version

  • Changes break something

  • No way to go back

  • Panic and frustration

✅ Good: Use Buzzy's versioning

Learn more about rollback strategies

The "Last Mile" Reality

Even with Buzzy, you'll discover that getting to 90% is quick, but that final 10% takes effort:

The 90% (Fast with Buzzy AI v3):

  • ✅ Basic data structure created

  • ✅ Screens generated

  • ✅ Core functionality working

  • ✅ Looks decent

The Final 10% (Requires effort):

  • Testing edge cases and error scenarios (What if the internet drops? What if user enters weird data?)

  • Refining UX based on real user feedback ("This button is confusing", "I can't find the export feature")

  • Performance optimization for your specific use case (e.g., you have 100,000 records, not 100)

  • Data migration if moving from another system (cleaning old data, mapping fields)

  • Training users on your new application (documentation, onboarding flows)

Time breakdown example (small business app):

  • 90% complete: 2-3 days with Buzzy

  • Final 10%: 1-2 weeks of polish and testing

  • Total: 2-3 weeks vs. 3-6 months traditional development

The difference: With Buzzy, you're spending time on your app's logic and UX, not fighting framework updates and maintenance. That last 10% is productive work that improves your app, not technical debt that breaks it.

Final Thoughts

Buzzy provides a powerful platform for AI-assisted application development, but it's not a replacement for understanding. The builders who succeed with Buzzy are those who:

  1. Understand fundamentals: System design, data modeling with Subtables and Linked Table Fields, user flows

  2. Think critically: Review AI outputs, understand the generated structure

  3. Use the platform effectively: Know when to prompt AI vs. use visual editor

  4. Test thoroughly: Don't trust it works until you've verified with real users

  5. Leverage Buzzy's strengths: Server-level security, maintained Core Engine, scalable architecture

This guide gives you the knowledge to build applications with Buzzy that are not just functional today, but maintainable and scalable tomorrow.

Let's get started.

Previous15. User login and registrationNextSystem Thinking

Last updated