Why Claude Code Changes Everything About How I Build Websites

Here’s something that will sound completely backwards: the secret to building websites 10 times faster isn’t using the latest JavaScript framework or the newest AI tool. It’s deliberately choosing boring, proven technology.

From Wix frustrations to WordPress nightmares to finally discovering what actually works - I’ve learned that speed comes from elimination, not addition. I spent years adding tools and frameworks and dependencies before I realised the answer was to strip almost all of them away.

Let me show you exactly how I built energypages.co.uk using Claude Code, and why the “boring” technology stack is the only reason it was possible.

What Traditional Web Development Gets Wrong

Most web development today follows a pattern I’ve watched play out dozens of times:

I’d spend weeks debating which framework to use
I’d set up complex build pipelines with dozens of dependencies
I’d add state management libraries for simple forms that didn’t need them
I’d integrate testing frameworks that nobody actually ran
I’d configure deployment pipelines that broke every other week
I’d fight with package conflicts and version mismatches

Result: Three months later, I still hadn’t deployed anything. Sound familiar?

I’ve learned what doesn’t work through painful experience. Wix’s closed ecosystem taught me why API access matters. WordPress’s complexity taught me why simplicity wins. Django taught me why Python’s “boring” philosophy scales when trendy alternatives crumble. This evolution led to the modern pay monthly website services I build on proven technology.

The real breakthrough came when I understood something embarrassingly simple: the fastest code is the code you don’t write.

How Claude Code Actually Works: AI That Understands Context

Traditional AI coding assistants work like this: you ask for help, they generate code, you paste it in, it doesn’t work because it doesn’t understand your project structure, and you waste an hour debugging something that was supposed to save you time.

Claude Code is fundamentally different.

It’s not a chatbot that suggests code. It’s an AI pair programmer that I work alongside. It reads my entire codebase to understand my patterns. It executes commands to test its own work. It fixes errors immediately when something breaks. It maintains consistency with my existing code style. And it remembers context across my entire project.

Here’s the crucial difference: I didn’t tell Claude Code what to build. I asked it how to solve the problem.

My prompt: “How can we build a website that helps people find the energy grants available by utilising government APIs?”

This matters because asking “what might be the best solution” let Claude Code suggest architectural approaches I might not have considered, recommend appropriate technologies for the specific problem, identify potential pitfalls before I started building, and design the optimal user journey.

Once I agreed on the approach, it then analysed my existing Astro + Tailwind setup, created matching UI components using my established patterns, built the postcode lookup form with proper validation, added proper error handling and loading states, wrote responsive mobile-first layouts, and tested the entire flow and fixed edge cases it found.

The result? A working prototype ready to test with real users. Traditional development would have required multiple sprint cycles to get to the same point.

The Boring Stack That Makes 10x Speed Possible

Here’s my entire technology stack, and I chose every piece of it because it’s deliberately “boring”:

Astro: Static Speed, Dynamic When I Need It

Why it’s boring: Astro generates plain HTML. No React hydration. No Vue reactivity overhead. No framework JavaScript shipped to users.

Why it’s brilliant: The Energy Grants site loads in 0.3 seconds. I ship zero JavaScript by default and only load what I actually need. It works everywhere with no browser compatibility headaches. Search engines love static HTML. And when I need interactivity - like the postcode checker on Energy Grants - Astro’s island architecture lets me add it exactly where it’s needed without bloating everything else.

The rest of the site? Pure HTML. Fast for users, fast for search engines, fast to deploy.

Tailwind CSS: Utility-First Design That I Can Move Fast With

Why it’s boring: Tailwind is just CSS classes. No CSS-in-JS runtime. No styled-components overhead. No PostCSS magic happening behind the scenes.

Why it’s brilliant: I can prototype layouts at the speed of thought. I get consistent design with the colour palette and spacing locked down from day one. I never have to debate naming conventions because there are none. Production bundles are tiny because Tailwind purges unused CSS automatically. And I can see exactly what styles are applied to any element just by reading the markup.

I built the entire Energy Grants interface with Tailwind. Professional forms, responsive grids, mobile-perfect layouts - all built in hours because I wasn’t writing custom CSS or debating class names with myself.

Python Django: The Framework for Perfectionists with Deadlines

Why it’s boring: Django has been around since 2005. It’s mature. It’s predictable. Nobody gets excited about it at conferences any more.

Why it’s brilliant: Authentication, database, admin panel - all built in. I get a clean API layer through Django REST Framework. Python excels at complex data processing, which is exactly what I need for government API integration. It’s proven at Instagram, Pinterest, and NASA scale. And it has over 20 years of support history - it’s not going to be abandoned like whatever the trendiest framework is this month.

When Energy Grants needs to integrate UK government energy grant APIs, Django processes complex eligibility logic, caches results intelligently, and serves data through clean REST endpoints that Astro consumes.

Claude Code: The Tool That Makes It All Work Together

Why it’s boring: It’s a command-line tool. No fancy IDE. No graphical interface. Just AI that reads, writes, and runs code.

Why it’s brilliant: It has full awareness of my codebase and understands my patterns instantly. It handles multi-file refactoring so changes propagate correctly. It runs my code to verify it works. It remembers my project context across sessions. And it works with any technology I throw at it.

Real Case Study: How I Built the Energy Grants Platform

Let me walk you through exactly how Energy Grants came together:

Phase 1: Discovery and Planning

My approach: “How can we build a website that helps people find the energy grants available by utilising government APIs?”

What happened: Claude Code suggested starting with a simple postcode checker rather than trying to build everything at once. It recommended a phased approach: static prototype first, then API integration, then caching. It identified Astro + Tailwind as optimal for fast static pages. And it designed the user journey: postcode input, then eligibility results, then installer recommendations.

The Key Insight

Asking “how” instead of “what” meant Claude Code designed the architecture, not just coded my specifications. I got a better solution than the one I had in my head.

Traditional development? I’d have spent days on requirements gathering, architecture debates, and technology selection meetings with myself.

Phase 2: Implementation

Once I agreed on the approach, implementation was straightforward. Claude Code built the Astro project with TypeScript and Tailwind, created the postcode lookup form with validation, built the results component showing ECO4, Boiler Upgrade Scheme and regional grants, displayed eligibility criteria clearly, added installer referral links with proper tracking, and created professional card layouts with smooth transitions.

Traditional development would have meant weeks of UI design, form building, results logic, affiliate integration, and styling iterations.

Phase 3 (Future): Government API Integration

I’ve planned the next prompt: “Integrate Carbon Intensity API for real-time postcode data, add caching layer in Django backend.”

Claude Code will create the Django API endpoints, handle the external API integration with error handling, implement Redis caching for popular postcodes, update the frontend to consume live data, and manage the environment configuration properly.

Traditional development? I’d be looking at weeks of API documentation reading, integration coding, caching implementation, and testing edge cases.

Why This Speed Advantage Is Permanent

You might think competitors can catch up once they discover Claude Code. I don’t think they can. Here’s why:

The Architecture Advantage

Boring technology compounds. Because Astro, Tailwind, and Django are mature, stable technologies, Claude Code has seen millions of examples of them in use. Best practices are well-documented. Patterns are consistent and predictable. Solutions don’t break when minor versions update.

When you choose trendy frameworks, you’re constantly fighting breaking changes, incomplete documentation, conflicting community advice, and dependency conflicts. I’ve watched developers spend more time managing their tools than building their product.

The Speed Feedback Loop

Fast builds enable rapid iteration. Because my stack builds in seconds, I can test ideas immediately, I can fix bugs without losing my train of thought, I can deploy multiple times per day, and I can pivot quickly when something isn’t working.

Traditional complex stacks? Ten-minute build times that kill momentum. Testing that requires full rebuilds. Deployment that takes hours and involves crossing your fingers. Changes that feel risky because the blast radius is unpredictable.

One expert working with the right tools beats a team of five generalists working with the wrong ones. No coordination overhead, no architecture debates, no merge conflicts, no meeting tax.

The Solo Developer Multiplier

The “just me + Claude Code” model scales better than small teams because complexity grows quadratically with team size, but linearly with technology choices. I’ve worked in teams. I know the overhead. With Claude Code and a boring stack, I skip all of it.

Getting Started: Your Blueprint

Want to build like this? Here’s the exact setup I use:

Technology Stack

# Frontend: Astro + Tailwind
npm create astro@latest my-project
cd my-project
npm install -D tailwindcss
npx tailwindcss init

# Backend: Django + REST Framework
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install django djangorestframework
django-admin startproject backend

# AI Development: Claude Code
# Visit: claude.ai/code for access

Development Philosophy

I’ve boiled this down to five principles I follow on every project:

1. Choose Boring: If the technology has been stable for 5+ years, it’s proven. I use it without apology.

2. Eliminate Dependencies: Every package is a liability. I question every npm install and I remove anything I’m not actively using.

3. Ship Fast: Working code that’s deployed is better than perfect code sitting in development. I learned this the hard way.

4. Let AI Handle Boilerplate: I use Claude Code for repetitive tasks so I can use my brain for strategy and creative decisions.

5. Optimise for Change: I know I’ll pivot. I make pivoting cheap by keeping the architecture simple.

Real-World Implementation

Week 1: I’d build your first Astro site. No frameworks, just HTML + Tailwind. Deploy to Netlify and see how fast it is.

Week 2: I’d add one interactive island. Learn how Astro’s partial hydration works - it’s genuinely clever.

Week 3: I’d set up a Django backend. Build one API endpoint. Connect the Astro frontend to it.

Week 4: I’d integrate Claude Code. Let AI handle what AI handles best and keep your expertise for the decisions that matter.

By month 2, you’re building complete applications in days. I know that sounds like a bold claim, but the Energy Grants timeline proves it.

0.3s

Page load time with my boring stack vs 3-5 seconds on a typical WordPress site

The Business Impact: Why Speed Equals Competitive Advantage

Here’s what 10x faster development actually means when you translate it to business outcomes:

Market Timing Advantage

Traditional: I see an opportunity, I spend 3 months building, and by the time I launch the market is already crowded.

My approach: I see an opportunity, I spend 3 days building, and I dominate an empty market while competitors are still writing requirements documents.

Energy Grants launched before competitors even started planning. That’s a permanent SEO advantage, early affiliate relationships, and market authority that’s genuinely impossible to replicate. First-mover advantage is real when you can actually move first.

Economic Efficiency

Traditional agency model: Large annual team costs. 12-month development cycles for complex sites. Ongoing maintenance overhead. Risk of team turnover derailing everything.

My model: Just me plus hosting costs. 3-day builds for complex sites. AI handles routine maintenance tasks. Zero coordination overhead.

This isn’t just faster - it’s an entirely different economic model. I’m not competing on the same cost structure as agencies. I’m operating on different economics entirely.

Iteration Velocity

Traditional: A fix takes 2 weeks. I deploy on Friday. I hope nothing breaks over the weekend. I repeat monthly.

My stack: A fix takes 30 minutes. I deploy immediately. I monitor. I iterate. When your deploy cycle is measured in minutes instead of weeks, you can actually respond to user feedback. That sounds obvious, but it’s genuinely revolutionary when you experience it.

Three Harsh Truths Nobody Wants to Hear

Let me be honest about three things:

Three Harsh Truths

1. AI Won’t Save Bad Architecture If your stack is complex, Claude Code will write complex code faster. That’s not an advantage - it’s multiplied technical debt. I learned this myself. The fix: simplify your stack first, then add AI. Don’t automate a mess.

2. Boring Isn’t Exciting to Talk About Nobody gets excited when I say “Astro + Django.” People want the latest JavaScript framework, edge functions, serverless this, micro-frontend that. The reality: clients care about results. Working websites that load fast and rank well matter infinitely more than impressive technology talks at meetups.

3. This Advantage Is Temporary Claude Code is maturing fast. More developers are discovering it every month. The early-mover window is narrowing. I’d master boring technology + Claude Code while competitors are still debating which framework to use. Execution advantage compounds - every project I build makes the next one faster.

You might wonder why I’m revealing my competitive advantage. Three reasons:

1. Execution beats knowledge: Knowing this works and actually implementing it are completely different things. I know from experience that most people will read this, nod appreciatively, then go back to their complex stacks. Success requires the systematic approach I detail in building an AI marketing strategy.

2. The market is enormous: The UK web development market alone is billions annually. I’m not competing for the same clients as most developers.

3. Boutique positioning: My advantage isn’t the technology - it’s knowing which problems to solve. Twenty years of experience in knowing what to build can’t be replicated by downloading a tool.

The Economics That Change Everything

Traditional web development economics look like this: large sums for a basic business site, monthly costs for hosting and maintenance, hundreds more per major change. The result is that small businesses struggle to afford a professional web presence.

My economics look different: 4-6 hours of development time instead of 4-6 weeks, minimal monthly hosting costs, and maintenance that’s either automated or AI-assisted.

The Economic Revolution

This isn’t undercutting - it’s completely different unit economics. Like how Netflix didn’t compete with Blockbuster on price. They competed on completely different infrastructure costs. I’m not a cheaper agency. I’m a different model entirely.

What This Approach Makes Possible

Energy Grants proved the methodology. Here’s what else I can see on the horizon:

Government Intelligence Platforms

The UK government has dozens of fragmented APIs. Citizens struggle to navigate benefits, grants, planning permissions, and company data. I can build the citizen experience layer on top of government infrastructure. Build time with my boring stack: days per platform. Traditional build time: months per platform. Market size: millions of government interactions annually.

Trades and Service Business Systems

Every plumber, electrician, and builder needs a website, a quote system, and customer management. I build Astro templates with Django backends customised per business. Build time: 4-6 hours per business with my established templates. Traditional build time: 2-4 weeks per business. And there are over 300,000 UK trades businesses that need this.

Local Business Intelligence

Estate agents, solicitors, and accountants all operate in local markets with national standards. I can clone and localise proven templates across UK regions. Build time: 2-3 hours per location with established patterns. Traditional build time: weeks per custom build.

The Real Secret

The goal isn’t to write code faster. The goal is to spend less time writing code so I can spend more time on the problems that actually matter.

When I choose boring, proven technology, there’s no framework drama distracting me, no breaking changes consuming my morning, no mysterious dependency conflicts to debug, and no architectural debates with myself at midnight.

I spend my mental energy on the actual problem: What grants do users qualify for? How should results display? What converts visitors to customers? Those are the questions that matter. The technology should get out of the way and let me answer them.

Claude Code plus a boring stack doesn’t make coding 10x faster. It removes most of the coding that doesn’t matter so I can focus on what does.

The Boring Revolution

Traditional web development is broken. Not because developers aren’t skilled - they are. But because complexity has exceeded what any single person can hold in their head.

The solution isn’t smarter developers. It’s simpler technology combined with AI assistance that understands simplicity.

The boring technology stack: proven at scale for decades, documented thoroughly, AI trained extensively on millions of examples, and stable, predictable, and maintainable.

Plus Claude Code: understands entire codebase context, generates consistent working code, tests and fixes automatically, and maintains patterns across projects.

The result: 10x faster development than traditional complex stacks with traditional coding approaches.

Energy Grants proves it works. The technology stack is deliberately boring. The development speed is genuinely revolutionary. The competitive advantage is permanent for those who actually execute.

The question isn’t whether this approach works - Energy Grants demonstrates that it does. The question is: will you stick with exciting, complex, slow development, or embrace boring, simple, fast development?

I chose boring. I built Energy Grants in hours. I’m launching more platforms weekly.

What will you build?

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Built with Claude Code + Astro + Tailwind + Django. Deployed in hours. Maintained by AI. The boring revolution is here.