# Latest Stack
> A curated, opinionated set of tools for building AI-native products.
> Every entry is a committed decision.
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# Core Infrastructure
## Auth · [WorkOS](https://workos.com/)
Enterprise authentication without building it yourself. WorkOS handles SSO (SAML), directory sync (SCIM), and MFA through a single integration. One SDK replaces months of auth plumbing.
## Backend · [Convex](https://www.convex.dev/)
Real-time backend with built-in database, server functions, and reactive queries — no separate API layer needed. The [component system](https://www.convex.dev/components) provides composable modules (rate limiters, aggregates, workflow engines) so common patterns get reused, not rebuilt.
## Frontend · [Next.js / React](https://nextjs.org/)
Current default. React's ecosystem and team familiarity make it the pragmatic choice. Next.js adds SSR, API routes, and incremental static regeneration — a mature foundation for production.
> **Watching:** [SvelteKit](https://svelte.dev/) compiles away the virtual DOM, ships smaller bundles, and offers a cleaner DX. Strong candidate when the time is right to transition.
## Deployment
| Layer | Tool | Role |
| -------- | ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Frontend | **Vercel** | Edge functions, preview deploys, automatic SSL — zero-config for Next.js |
| Backend | **Railway** | Container deployments for services outside Convex — no Kubernetes overhead |
## CI/CD · [GitHub Actions](https://github.com/)
Pipelines run directly from the repo. Automated testing, linting, preview deploys, and production releases — all triggered by pushes and PRs without a separate CI service.
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# AI Layer
## Models
| Model | Role |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Claude Opus 4.6** | Primary — complex reasoning, long-context tasks, agentic workflows |
| **GPT 5.4 / Codex** | Secondary — code generation, embeddings, OpenAI-specific tooling |
Multi-provider avoids lock-in and lets each model play to its strengths.
## Orchestration · [Vercel AI SDK](https://sdk.vercel.ai/)
Unified interface for calling any model provider from frontend or backend. Handles streaming, tool calling, structured output, and provider switching through one API. Pairs naturally with Next.js.
## Search & Web Data · [Firecrawl](https://www.firecrawl.dev/)
Turns any website into clean, LLM-ready markdown or structured data. Handles JS-rendered pages, PDFs, and proxy rotation through a single API — no scraping infrastructure to maintain. Ships with an MCP server for direct agent integration.
> **When needed:** [Parallel](https://parallel.ai/) for AI-native search (token-efficient excerpts instead of ranked links) · [Browserbase](https://www.browserbase.com/) for full headless browsers when scraping alone isn't enough.
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# Product & Growth
## Analytics · [PostHog](https://posthog.com/)
Product analytics, session replay, feature flags, and A/B testing in one open-source platform. Replaces what would otherwise be Mixpanel + LaunchDarkly + Hotjar. Self-hostable if data sovereignty matters.
## Email · [Resend](https://resend.com/)
Transactional and marketing email with a clean API and React-based templates (via React Email). Replaces the complexity of SendGrid or SES.
## Payments
| Tool | Role |
| --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **[Stripe](https://stripe.com/)** | Primary — cards, subscriptions, invoicing, global methods |
| **[Mamopay](https://www.mamopay.com/)** | UAE & Middle East — local methods Stripe doesn't cover |
| **[Polar](https://polar.sh/)** | Developer & open-source monetisation |
| **[Autumn](https://useautumn.com/)** | Pricing & entitlement management on top of payment providers |
## Errors & Observability · [Sentry](https://sentry.io/)
Captures errors, exceptions, and performance traces across the full stack. Surfaces issues before users report them.
## File Storage · [Uploadthing](https://uploadthing.com/)
File uploads purpose-built for Next.js. Handles presigned URLs, type-safe uploads, and storage without wiring up S3 buckets manually. Drop-in integration with the existing frontend.
---
## Design & Craft
## Design · [Figma](https://www.figma.com/) + [Efecto](https://efecto.app/)
Figma for UI/UX, prototyping, and design systems. Efecto for AI-native design — agents build layouts in real time, rendering actual React and Tailwind on canvas. Speaks MCP with 39+ tools, so Claude Code and Cursor can design directly in the browser.
## Codebase Intelligence · [Greptile](https://www.greptile.com/)
AI-powered codebase understanding. Indexes repositories and answers questions about code — traces bugs to root cause faster than manual search.
---
# Engineering Workflow
## SDLC · [8090](https://www.8090.ai/)
Primary tool for planning, tracking, and shipping. Manages the full software development lifecycle.
## Methodology · [Compound Engineering](https://every.to/guides/compound-engineering)
AI-native development philosophy. The core loop — Plan, Work, Review, Compound — captures each session's lessons and feeds them into future sessions. Bug fixes eliminate categories of future bugs; patterns become reusable tools. Ships as a Claude Code plugin with specialised agents and skills.
## IDE · [Cursor](https://www.cursor.com/) + [Superpowers](https://github.com/obra/superpowers)
Cursor for AI-native editing — model-assisted code, chat, and codebase-aware completions built on VS Code. Superpowers adds composable agentic skills to Claude Code: TDD, systematic debugging, brainstorming, subagent-driven development, and code review. Token-light by design — under 2k tokens per skill, loaded on demand. The [marketplace](https://github.com/obra/superpowers-marketplace) extends with Chrome DevTools control, tmux, and plugin dev tools.
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# References & Templates
> These aren't part of the running stack — they're resources that shape how we build.
**[Interface Craft](https://www.interfacecraft.dev/)** — Library of resources for building interfaces with uncommon care. Covers visual consistency, hierarchy, interaction patterns, and refinement techniques.
**[Vibe to Prod](https://github.com/osmanio2/vibe-to-prod)** — Production-ready template that bridges vibe coding and shipping. Clone once to get CI/CD pipelines, security scanning, IaC, monitoring, and deployment scaffolding from day one.
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## Open Questions
A few gaps worth revisiting as the stack matures:
- **Vector Storage & RAG** — No dedicated vector database yet. If a product needs semantic search or long-term memory, evaluate [Pinecone](https://www.pinecone.io/), [Weaviate](https://weaviate.io/), or [Turbopuffer](https://turbopuffer.com/).
- **AI Gateway & Cost Control** — Multiple model providers without a gateway means scattered API keys, rate limits, and spend tracking. [Portkey](https://portkey.ai/) or [Helicone](https://www.helicone.ai/) would centralise logging, caching, and fallback routing.
- **Prompt Management** — As prompt complexity grows, versioning and evaluation become essential. [Braintrust](https://www.braintrust.dev/) or [Humanloop](https://humanloop.com/) provide A/B testing and regression prevention.
- **Background Jobs** — For long-running agent tasks (multi-step tool calling, async workflows), a durable execution layer like [Inngest](https://www.inngest.com/) or [Trigger.dev](https://trigger.dev/) would handle retries, timeouts, and orchestration beyond a single API call.
Links: [[AI Frameworks]] | [[Building Mobile Apps Today]]