1.3 Choosing Your Tools
Frameworks, databases, hosting — why you don't need to master any.
The Tool Paradox
There are thousands of frameworks, databases, and hosting providers. The good news: you do not need to become an expert in any of them. You need to pick reasonable defaults and let your AI assistant handle the details.
What We'll Use
Here is the stack we recommend for this course. You can substitute alternatives, but these are battle-tested and have generous free tiers:
| Layer | Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend | Next.js (React) | Most AI assistants know it well, huge community |
| Database | Supabase (PostgreSQL) | Free tier, easy setup, built-in auth if you need it later |
| Hosting | Vercel | Free tier, one-click deploy, works perfectly with Next.js |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS | AI assistants write great Tailwind, easy to customize |
You Don't Need to Master These
Your AI assistant knows how to write Next.js, configure Supabase, and deploy to Vercel. Your job is to:
- Describe what you want in plain language
- Review what the AI builds and say whether it matches your vision
- Test the result by clicking through it like a parent or student would
Setting Up
In the next lesson, we will start building. Your AI will help you:
- Create a new project
- Connect it to a database
- Set up the basic structure
You do not need to install anything manually — the AI will walk you through every step.
Next: 1.4 Building the Public Side — building the intake form that parents and students will use.