Hi Reader,

Welcome to Hal9 Weekly — insights from our founder Javier on turning AI ideas into real products.

Javier's Insights:

When Vibe Coding Becomes Automated Customer Support

A founder told me something yesterday that's been stuck in my head:

"I'm so fed up with working with robots."

He'd spent two months vibe coding—building, iterating, hitting the same walls over and over. When I explained how Hal9 works (platform + expert hours, essentially a technical co-founder package), his response was immediate relief.

Then he said something that perfectly captures what we're seeing across the market:

"Vibe coding feels like calling automated customer support. You know, 'Press 1 for billing, Press 2 for refunds.' You're stuck in a loop with limited options and no way out. You can't just ask the real question you need answered."

The Two-Week Honeymoon

Here's the pattern we're seeing repeatedly:

Founders start with vibe coding tools because they seem simple and fast. And they are—for about the first two weeks.

You can prototype. You can iterate on basic features. It feels productive.

But then you hit a real problem:

• How should we architect this for scale?
• Which integration approach makes sense for our use case?
• What's the tradeoff between cost and performance here?

The robot can't help you think through these decisions.

What Founders Actually Need

This isn't about the limitations of AI tools—it's about what building a company actually requires.

You don't need a coding assistant that generates endless variations of the same solution.

You need someone who's built this before. Someone who can say: "Here's what worked, here's what didn't, and here's why your specific situation is different."

You need a technical partner, not a better autocomplete.

The Shift Happening Right Now

We're at an inflection point. Founders who started with vibe coding are realizing they're spending more time fighting with tools than building their business.

They don't want to manage AI tools. They want someone who can solve problems with them.

That's not a limitation of the technology—it's the reality of what it takes to build something that scales.

The question isn't whether AI coding tools are useful. It's whether solo building with those tools is the right path for your startup.

Are you feeling this too, or is vibe coding still working for you?

Customer Success Story: DesignQA

From Concept to AI-Powered Website Generator in Four Weeks

DesignQA is revolutionizing web design by merging human creativity with AI efficiency. Their vision: enable businesses to create professional, high-quality websites by combining designer-crafted templates with AI-powered automation.

But like many AI startups, they faced a critical challenge: validate the concept fast enough to engage early users and investors—without getting stuck in development limbo.

The Challenge: Build an AI-powered website generator that integrates custom templates, AI-generated imagery, and real-time website previews. Do it fast enough to test market fit and identify the right product roadmap.

Hal9 helped DesignQA:

🚀 Build a functional AI website generator MVP in just 4 weeks

🎨 Integrate AI image generation with Tailwind CSS templates for designer-driven layouts

⚡ Deploy static website previews for fast, reliable user testing

🗺️ Clarify their product roadmap with insights into technology gaps and market opportunities

The Result?

DesignQA launched with a working product that validated their vision and positioned them as innovators in AI-driven web design. They didn't waste months building the wrong version—they got market feedback in four weeks.

"Hal9's expertise and rapid development were invaluable, helping us navigate the technology landscape and shape our vision."​
​— Mahdi Farra, Founder @ DesignQA

Let’s Talk

Got an AI idea/building something and want to chat about it?

Book a free consultation with Javier — he’ll help you validate it before you build, so you don’t lose time chasing the wrong version.

Talk soon,

—The Hal9 Team