How to Automate Your Coding with AI Tools in Just 90 Minutes

As a solo founder or indie hacker, you might find yourself buried under an avalanche of coding tasks, leaving little time for the creative aspects of your projects. The good news? You can automate a significant chunk of your coding workflow using AI tools. In this guide, I'll walk you through how to set up a streamlined coding process in just 90 minutes using some of the best AI coding tools available in 2026.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before Starting

Before diving in, make sure you have the following:

• A code editor installed (e.g., Visual Studio Code)
• Basic knowledge of coding in at least one programming language
• Accounts set up on the AI tools we’ll cover
• An internet connection for tool access

Step-by-Step Setup: 90-Minute Automation Plan

Step 1: Choose Your AI Assistant (15 minutes)

Select an AI coding assistant that fits your needs. Here’s a quick comparison of popular options:

| Tool Name | Pricing | Best For | Limitations | Our Take | |------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------------| | GitHub Copilot | $10/mo, free tier available| Code suggestions in VS Code | Limited support for niche languages | We use this for most projects| | TabNine | $12/mo, free tier available| Multi-language support | Less accurate for complex code | We don’t use this much | | Codeium | Free | Real-time code completion | Limited integrations | Great for beginners | | Replit Ghostwriter| $20/mo | Collaborative coding | Best for Replit users only | Not our main tool | | DeepCode | $0-20/mo | Code review and suggestions | Slower with larger codebases | We use this for code reviews |

Step 2: Integrate Your Tool with Your IDE (20 minutes)

Once you've chosen your AI tool, integrate it with your code editor. Here's how to do it with GitHub Copilot:

1. Open Visual Studio Code.
2. Go to Extensions and search for "GitHub Copilot."
3. Click "Install."
4. Sign in with your GitHub account.
5. Enable the extension and follow the prompts to set it up.

Expected output: Your code editor should now show AI suggestions as you type.

Step 3: Set Up Automated Testing (20 minutes)

Automated testing is essential for maintaining code quality. Tools like CircleCI or Travis CI can help. Here’s how to set up CircleCI:

1. Sign up for CircleCI (free for small projects).
2. Connect your GitHub repository.
3. Create a .circleci/config.yml file in your repo.
4. Add basic test commands specific to your language.

Expected output: CircleCI will run tests automatically with each commit.

Step 4: Leverage AI for Code Reviews (15 minutes)

Using AI for code reviews can save you time and catch bugs early. DeepCode is a great option. Here’s how:

1. Install DeepCode from their website.
2. Link it to your GitHub repository.
3. Configure it to run on pull requests.

Expected output: DeepCode will provide feedback on your code, helping you make necessary adjustments.

Step 5: Automate Documentation (20 minutes)

Automated documentation tools like Doxygen or Sphinx can help generate documentation from your code comments. Here’s how to set up Doxygen:

1. Install Doxygen on your machine.
2. Create a Doxyfile in your project root.
3. Run doxygen Doxyfile in your terminal.

Expected output: You’ll get a structured documentation website generated from your code comments.

Troubleshooting: What Could Go Wrong

• Integration Issues: If your AI tool isn't responding, ensure it's properly installed and enabled in your IDE.
• Test Failures: If CircleCI fails, check your config file for errors.
• Documentation Errors: Ensure your comments are properly formatted for Doxygen to parse.

What’s Next: Building on Your Automation

Once you’ve set up these tools, consider exploring additional integrations like Zapier for workflow automation, or Postman for API testing. These tools can further refine your coding process, saving you even more time.

Conclusion: Start Here

To get started with automating your coding, focus on integrating GitHub Copilot for coding assistance, CircleCI for testing, and DeepCode for code reviews. This setup should take you about 90 minutes and will significantly improve your coding efficiency.

Remember, the key to automation is not just adopting tools, but continually refining your workflows to fit your specific needs.