AI Developer Cards — build better software with AI
AI Developer Cards is a physical card deck and companion app created by Ingo Eichhorst and Ralf D. Mueller that teaches 45+ methods for AI-assisted software development across 9 structured learning quests. Developed from insights gathered across 100+ developer workshops, the cards cover methodologies from vibe prototyping and prompt engineering to multi-agent coding and AI software hardening.
9 Quests, 45+ Methods
- Q0: Vibe Prototyping (5 methods) — Go from napkin sketch to working demo before the meeting ends. Speed is the feature.
- Q1: Greenfield MVP (5 methods) — Ship a real product, not a toy. Structure, tests, and architecture from day one.
- Q2: AI-Enabled Systems (5 methods) — Build software that treats LLMs as first-class components, not bolted-on afterthoughts.
- Q3: Production Grade (5 methods) — Make it survive real users, real traffic, and real attacks.
- Q4: Legacy Modernization (5 methods) — Strangle the monolith slice by slice. Modernize legacy systems safely — zero downtime, zero rewrites.
- Q5: Agentic Coding (5 methods) — Stop typing, start directing. Hand the keyboard to an AI agent and orchestrate the output.
- Q6: Multi-Agent Coding (5 methods) — One agent is fast. Multiple agents in parallel are a force multiplier.
- Q7: Reinforcement Loop (5 methods) — Every session makes the next one better. Compound your AI's knowledge of your codebase.
- Q8: AI Software Hardening (5 methods) — Compliance, quality gates, and self-healing. Ship AI-generated code you'd bet your SLA on.
Authors
Ingo Eichhorst: AI architect, CTO, and engineering trainer. Beta tester for GitHub Copilot and GPT-3 in 2021. Delivered 100+ AI developer workshops across Europe. Speaker at betterCode(), AI Camp and IT-Tage. Website: https://ingo-eichhorst.de
Ralf D. Mueller: Software architect, creator of docToolchain and arc42 template maintainer. Co-host of Software-Architektur.TV and CPSA-A certified trainer at socreatory. Published in iX Magazine on AI in software architecture. Websites: https://doctoolchain.org, https://arc42.org, https://software-architektur.tv
Frequently Asked Questions
I already use AI coding tools every day — what am I actually missing?
Most developers have mastered the basics: autocomplete, Q&A, simple refactoring. What breaks down is knowing which method to reach for at each stage — when to vibe-prototype vs. harden production code, how to engineer context for consistent results, how to chain methods across a full workflow. AI Developer Cards map 45+ methods across 9 progression stages, distilled from 100+ workshops, so you always know the right move — not just the right prompt.
What did running 100+ developer workshops reveal?
A consistent pattern: developers kept reinventing the same mental models from scratch. After 100+ AI coding workshops across Europe, Ingo Eichhorst and Ralf D. Mueller noticed that the gap wasn't in AI capability — it was in structured methodology. Most teams got stuck cycling between basic autocomplete and ad-hoc prompting with no clear progression. That insight became the blueprint for the 9 quests and 45+ methods in the deck.
What AI coding methods do the cards cover?
The deck covers 45+ methods across 9 quests: vibe prototyping, greenfield MVP development, AI-enabled systems, production hardening, legacy modernization, agentic coding, multi-agent coding, reinforcement loops, and AI software hardening. Each method card includes specific prompts, patterns, and mental models for applying AI tools in real development scenarios.
Who are AI Developer Cards for?
AI Developer Cards are designed for software engineers and developers who want to use AI tools effectively across the full software development lifecycle — from rapid prototyping to production hardening. They are especially useful for developers attending AI coding workshops, team leads introducing AI practices to their teams, and self-learners who want structured guidance beyond basic code completion.
What is included in the card deck?
The physical card deck includes 9 quest cards and 45+ method cards in a premium oversized format. It comes with access to the companion app, which provides tutorial videos, learning games, extended prompts, and skill assessments to amplify every card.
When will AI Developer Cards be available?
AI Developer Cards are currently in pre-launch. Waitlist members will receive early access before the public launch. Sign up at https://aidevelopercards.com/ to join the waitlist and receive early-bird pricing.
