How to Use GitHub Copilot to Increase Your Coding Speed by 50% in Just One Month

If you’re like many indie hackers and solo founders, you often find yourself wearing multiple hats—developer, marketer, and customer support, to name a few. This juggling act can slow down your coding speed, leading to frustration as you try to ship your next feature or product. Enter GitHub Copilot: an AI-powered coding assistant that promises to help you write code faster. But does it actually work? In this guide, I’ll share how we boosted our coding speed by 50% in just one month using Copilot, along with practical tips and honest assessments of the tool.

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer that suggests code and entire functions in real-time right inside your code editor. It’s powered by OpenAI’s Codex and integrates seamlessly with popular editors like Visual Studio Code.

• Pricing: $10/month for individuals or $19/month for businesses.
• Best for: Developers looking to accelerate coding tasks and reduce boilerplate writing.
• Limitations: Doesn’t always produce perfect code; sometimes suggests outdated or insecure practices.

Getting Started: Prerequisites and Setup

Time Estimate: 1 Hour

To get started with GitHub Copilot, you’ll need to set aside about an hour for installation and configuration. Here’s what you need:

1. GitHub Account: Sign up for a free GitHub account if you don’t have one.
2. Visual Studio Code: Download and install VS Code.
3. GitHub Copilot Subscription: Subscribe to Copilot via your GitHub account.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Install the GitHub Copilot Extension:

   • Open VS Code.
   • Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X).
   • Search for "GitHub Copilot" and click "Install".

2. Sign In to GitHub:

   • After installation, you’ll be prompted to sign in to your GitHub account. Follow the prompts.

3. Start Coding:

   • Open a new or existing project in VS Code.
   • Begin typing a function or comment, and watch Copilot suggest code snippets.

Expected Outputs

You should start seeing suggestions pop up as you code. Copilot will help you complete functions, write repetitive code, and even generate comments based on your input.

How We Increased Coding Speed by 50%

1. Embrace the Power of Comments

In our experience, writing clear comments before you start coding can significantly enhance Copilot's suggestions. For example, if you comment // Create a function to calculate the sum of an array, Copilot will generate a relevant function. This approach saved us time rethinking what we needed to implement.

2. Use Copilot for Boilerplate Code

For projects that require a lot of boilerplate (like setting up a new API), we found that Copilot could generate scaffolding quickly. You can type a comment like // Setup Express server and get a working server setup in seconds. This is especially useful for indie projects where time is of the essence.

3. Iterate and Improve Code Snippets

While Copilot's suggestions are often good, they aren’t always perfect. We made it a habit to review and iterate on the suggestions. This practice helped us learn better coding practices while reducing the time taken to write and debug code.

4. Focus on Learning

One of the unexpected benefits of using Copilot was the learning curve. We found ourselves understanding new libraries and frameworks much faster because Copilot would suggest usage patterns we hadn't considered.

5. Limitations and Challenges

Despite its advantages, Copilot isn’t flawless. It sometimes suggests insecure code patterns or fails to understand complex contexts. We learned to balance its use with our own coding knowledge, critical thinking, and security best practices.

Comparison of AI Coding Tools

Here’s how GitHub Copilot stacks up against other AI coding tools we’ve tried:

| Tool | Pricing | Best For | Limitations | Our Verdict | |--------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------------| | GitHub Copilot | $10/mo | Fast coding suggestions | Can suggest insecure practices | Best for indie hackers | | Tabnine | Free tier + $12/mo Pro | Auto-completions | Limited to suggestions, lacks context | Good, but less powerful | | Codeium | Free | Code generation | Limited language support | Worth trying, especially free | | Replit Ghostwriter | $20/mo | Collaborative coding | Not as integrated as Copilot | Great for team projects | | Sourcery | $12/mo | Code review and suggestions | Focuses more on refactoring | Good for improving existing code |

What We Actually Use

After testing various AI tools, we primarily use GitHub Copilot for coding due to its seamless integration and productivity boost. For code reviews, we prefer Sourcery, which helps us refine our existing code.

Conclusion: Start Here

If you want to increase your coding speed by 50% in just one month, start by integrating GitHub Copilot into your workflow. Embrace its capabilities, but remember to balance its suggestions with your coding knowledge and best practices. With consistent use and a focus on learning, you’ll find yourself shipping features faster than ever.