Coding With AI (Ephedra Warehouse)

The Problem (Why I Built This)

This was one of my first big "Aha!" moments with AI, long before it was popular.

A client (Ephedra Warehouse) was in a tough spot. Due to their product, they were having issues with payment processors and needed to migrate their e-commerce site. The entire project was blocked by one thing: a complex, mission-critical custom shopping cart.

I wasn't a "developer" on this project. I was a consultant. And I had never professionally coded in their language (PHP).

This was a "boring problem" that was costing them a fortune, and they had no clear path forward.

The Strategic Solution

I knew this was the perfect test. I saw how skilled AI was getting, and I had a theory: I believed I could pair AI's "coding" ability with my senior-level architectural discipline to solve the problem.

This is the key insight most people miss. AI will write code. But left alone, it writes messy, long, un-structured, and un-maintainable files. A junior dev + AI will build you a "functional" house of cards that will collapse.

I knew from my experience on large, serious development projects that the fundamentals—modular code, strict naming conventions, robust testing environments—are what matter.

So, I stepped in. I downloaded the default package, set up the full WordPress infrastructure, and—using AI (Cursor) as my "co-developer"—I started building the new, custom plug-in from scratch.

Capability Showcase

This project was the ultimate proof of the "AI + Architect" model.

• AI as a "Polyglot" Co-Developer: This was the eye-opener. I used AI to write production-grade code for a complex Wordpress plugin in PHP, a language I had never professionally used. It proved that the language is no longer the barrier; the logic is.
• Senior Architectural Discipline (The Real Value): This is what made the project a success. AI will always try to write a single, 800-line, complex file. I enforced rigor. I forced the AI to write small, modular, well-structured functions, just as you would on a senior-level dev team. This is the "secret" to building with AI that isn't a long-term liability.
• End-to-End Build & Delivery: I didn't just "consult." I delivered a final, working, mission-critical e-commerce component in a couple of months. I handled the entire process, from local setup to the final production code.

What This Means For Your Business

This project is the perfect blueprint for any leader who is worried about how to use AI without getting burned.

The biggest risk in AI isn't the AI; it's hiring someone who thinks AI makes them a senior architect. It doesn't. It just helps them build a mess faster.

I am a senior, strategic partner who uses AI as a massive "force multiplier" to solve your most expensive "boring problems."

• Fix Your Legacy Systems: Is your company running on a clunky, old system that "nobody knows how to code for"? I can step in, use AI to learn its language, and build the fix or integration you've needed for years.
• Build
  Custom Tools (Without the Team): You don't need to hire an entire, expensive dev team to build that "one weird tool" your business runs on. I can build it myself, faster, and with the senior-level rigor you'd expect.
• De-Risk Your AI Investment: When you hire me, you're not just getting a "consultant." You're getting a full-stack, "AI-Co-Developer" who can see the business problem and personally build the robust, maintainable solution.