Start Here
Ghoststack combines a small app starter with hands-on lessons for Codex, Claude Code, or Cursor. We have chosen the tools and connected the foundation so you can learn by building.
You describe your product in plain English. Your AI edits a small codebase with sign-in, subscriptions, email, and AI helpers connected in code. The guides show you how to configure these tools and build your own features, one step at a time.
You do not need previous coding experience. You will need to install tools, create service accounts, add your own keys, and test what you build. Each guide explains what the tool does, walks you through setup, and shows how to check the result. Start with one working change; add more only when your app needs it.
Your first goal: see the app on your computer
- Choose your AI tool. Pick one; you do not need subscriptions to all three.
- Install the basics: Node.js, Git, and your chosen tool.
- Set up your workspace and open the local preview.
- Make your first change: replace the landing page headline and verify it in the browser.
The starter's public pages can run before you connect paid services. Sign-in, payments, email, and AI calls need their own setup. A local preview is the first milestone; a tested live product is the next.
Connect only what your app needs
| You want to… | Follow this guide |
|---|---|
| Let people sign in and save data | Authentication |
| Build your core feature | Features |
| Add an AI feature | AI / OpenRouter |
| Charge a subscription | Payments |
| Send emails | |
| Put the app online | Deploy to Render, then Pre-launch checklist |
An API key is a credential that lets your app use a service. An MCP connection lets your coding assistant work with that service while helping you build. They have separate setup; one does not replace the other.
What is included, and what you bring
Ghoststack includes the source code, project instructions in AGENTS.md, optional MCP configuration examples, and access to these hosted guides with prompts. The docs/ folder contains a generated Markdown reference copy for you and your agent. Your starter app has no documentation website to remove before launch. Your product's unique feature is yours to build.
Your AI tool subscription, hosting, domain, email delivery, database usage, payment processing, and AI API usage are separate services with their own limits and costs. Connect them as you reach each step; review their current pricing before upgrading.
The chosen stack is Next.js, React, TypeScript, Tailwind with DaisyUI, Supabase, Stripe, Resend, and OpenRouter. See how these tools fit together when you want to understand the foundation. You can change the code and deploy it to a host that supports Next.js.
If you get stuck
Tell your AI what you were trying to do, what you expected, and the exact error with private values removed. Ask it to explain the next step in plain English. Common issues covers first fixes; AI prompting and context explains how to get reliable help.
For Ghoststack support, contact damian@nclabs.ch. Include the failing step and a redacted error, never API keys.