AUGMENT

The software engineer's quick start guide to AI tools
to build better (and more) software

YOURSELF

~90 min read7 chaptersFree forever

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Chapters

7 chapters • 4 appendices

intro5 min

Introduction

What you'll learn and how to use this guide

ch_110 min

The AI-Augmented Engineer

Mental models: vibe coding vs augmented engineering

ch_215 min

Context Engineering

The #1 skill for AI effectiveness

ch_312 min

Your Primary Tool: Cursor

Setup, modes, rules, and mastery

ch_415 min

Claude Code

AI in your terminal—agentic coding from the command line

ch_510 min

Other Companion Tools

ChatGPT, Augment Code, and choosing the right tool

ch_612 min

Putting It All Together

The 10 rules and your first week plan

//Quick Reference

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What You'll Learn

Vibe Coding vs Augmented Engineering

Know when to use each approach

Context Engineering

The #1 skill for AI effectiveness

Cursor Mastery

Agent mode, rules, @ references

Tool Selection

Cursor vs Claude Code vs ChatGPT

The 10 Rules

Principles for productive AI dev

Prompt Templates

Copy-paste patterns that work

Custom Rules

Set up your AI assistants right

Context Windows

Understand and leverage them

First Week Plan

Actionable steps to get started

Ready to level up?

Augment yourself today

Go from "I want to use AI tools" to "I wield AI tools effectively for real engineering problems" in under 2 hours.

augment_yourselfv1.0

Questions? jeff@syntaxpen.com