AI-Mentored Development
AI guides, you build. You own the result.

_{v2.2.5 · MIT License}

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The Problem

AI coding tools optimize for shipping, not learning.

Junior asks AI → AI writes code → Junior copy-pastes → "It works!" → No understanding → Dependency grows.

OwnYourCode flips this. The AI becomes your mentor, not your coder. It guides, questions, and reviews — but you write every line.

The result: Code you understand. Code you can defend in an interview. Code you can debug at 3 AM without AI.

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Quick Start

macOS / Linux

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode/main/scripts/base-install.sh | bash
cd your-project && ~/ownyourcode/scripts/project-install.sh

Windows (PowerShell)

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode/main/scripts/base-install.ps1 | iex
cd your-project
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode/main/scripts/project-install.ps1 | iex

Initialize

/own:init

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The 4 Protocols

These are non-negotiable.

Protocol	Rule	Why
A. Active Typist	You write all code. AI provides patterns (max 8 lines), guidance, and reviews.	Muscle memory builds engineers. Copying builds nothing.
B. Socratic Teaching	AI asks questions instead of giving answers.	Understanding > memorizing. If you know the WHY, you can solve any variation.
C. Evidence-Based	AI verifies with official docs before answering.	Technology changes fast. Seniors verify. Juniors guess.
D. Systematic Debugging	READ → ISOLATE → DOCS → FIX. AI guides the process, not the answer.	This is how seniors debug. Build the habit now.

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The 6 Gates

Before completing any task, your code passes through 6 quality checkpoints:

Gate	Focus	Question Asked
1. Ownership	Understanding	"Walk me through what this code does, line by line."
2. Security	OWASP Top 10	"Where does user input enter? How is it validated?"
3. Error Handling	Resilience	"What happens if the network fails? What does the user see?"
4. Performance	Scalability	"What happens with 10,000 items? How many DB queries?"
5. Fundamentals	Readability	"Would a new developer understand this code?"
6. Testing	Quality	"What tests prove this feature works?"

Gate 1 can block completion. If you can't explain your code, you don't understand it.

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The Learning Flywheel

Your learnings compound. OwnYourCode captures patterns, failures, and career stories — then resurfaces them when relevant.

/own:feature → /own:advise → /own:guide → /own:done → /own:retro
     ↑                                                      |
     └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

What persists across projects:

• Patterns — Solutions that worked
• Failures — Mistakes you won't repeat
• STAR Stories — Interview-ready accomplishments
• Resume Bullets — Career value from every task

Each cycle makes the next one smarter.

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Commands

Command	Purpose
/own:init	Define your mission, stack, and roadmap
/own:feature	Plan a feature with spec-driven development
/own:advise	Pre-work intelligence from your learning history
/own:guide	Get implementation guidance (patterns, not code)
/own:test	Guide through writing tests
/own:docs	Guide through writing documentation
/own:stuck	Debug with Protocol D
/own:done	Complete with 6 Gates + code review + career extraction
/own:retro	Capture learnings for the flywheel
/own:status	Check progress + learning stats

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MCP Setup (Optional)

MCPs enhance mentorship with real-time documentation and production code examples.

# Context7 — Official documentation lookup
claude mcp add context7 --transport http https://mcp.context7.com/mcp

# Octocode — GitHub code search
# https://octocode.ai/#installation

Without MCPs, OwnYourCode still works but can't verify against latest docs.

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Philosophy

"Won't this slow me down?"

Yes. That's the point.

Building with someone else's hands means you can't build the next one alone. Building yourself, with guidance, takes longer — but now you can build anything.

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_{MIT License · Full Philosophy}