All 10 steps
Step 03 / 10Moderate2–3 hoursDIY Playbook
Design the Database
This is the step most non-technical builders skip — and it's the one that causes the most pain later. AI coding agents are very good at generating an application structure quickly, and very bad at un-generating it once it's wrong. Designing your database first gives the AI a stable foundation to build against.
What you'll do
- Define your core entities (users, projects, content — whatever your app is about)
- Map relationships between entities
- Define tables and fields
- Design your authentication model and permissions
- Sketch the API surface your app will need
4 more actions in the DIY PlaybookGet the DIY Playbook
The key principle, common mistakes to avoid, and the exact prompts for this step are part of the DIY Playbook.
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