Some notes on AI assistance August 2025¶
Development Overview¶
Total development time so far: 24 months (August 2023 - August 2025) Starting point: Arduino Uno blink program, Mechanical Engineering education AI integration: March 2025 onwards (final 5 months) Development approach: Side/weekend project alongside mechanical engineering consulting work
Work Hour Analysis¶
2024 Consulting Hours (Full Year)¶
| Month | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82:07:47 | |
| Feb | 44:10:03 | |
| Mar | 42:33:23 | |
| Apr | 109:58:33 | |
| May | 130:46:47 | |
| Jun | 274:50:08 | Peak consulting period |
| Jul | 184:02:07 | |
| Aug | 163:51:54 | |
| Sep | 144:59:18 | |
| Oct | 118:43:31 | |
| Nov | 67:33:38 | |
| Dec | 72:46:41 | |
| Total | 1,431 hours | ~27.5 hours/week average |
2025 Consulting Hours (Jan-Aug)¶
| Month | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 105:17:21 | |
| Feb | 161:35:38 | |
| Mar | 201:46:12 | Peak period, AI integration begins |
| Apr | 153:30:02 | |
| May | 97:50:28 | Reduced consulting |
| Jun | 26:49:05 | Minimal consulting |
| Jul | 43:22:42 | |
| Aug | 08:40:27 | Project completion phase |
| Total | 798 hours | ~24.9 hours/week average |
Development Phase Analysis¶
Phase 1: Traditional Development (Aug 2023 - Feb 2025)¶
Duration: 18 months Available time: Evenings, weekends, low consulting periods Time allocation estimate (based on consulting hour gaps): - 2024 low consulting months (Feb, Mar, Nov): ~120-150 hours/month available - Weekend/evening work during busy periods: ~20-30 hours/month - Estimated development time: 800-1,200 hours
Phase 2: AI-Accelerated Development (Mar 2025 - Aug 2025)¶
Duration: 5 months Consulting reduction: 201 hours (Mar) → 8 hours (Aug) AI integration: Full utilization starting March 2025 Available time: 150-200 hours/month in final months Development acceleration metrics: - March 2025: 201 consulting hours (transition month) - May-Aug 2025: 26-97 consulting hours/month (focus shift to regulator) - Estimated development time: 600-800 hours with AI assistance
Time Investment Breakdown¶
Total Development Effort Estimate¶
Traditional phase (18 months): 800-1,200 hours AI-accelerated phase (5 months): 600-800 hours Total estimated effort: 1,400-2,000 hours
Hourly Development Cost Analysis¶
Opportunity cost: Reduced consulting at ~$100-150/hour 2025 consulting reduction: ~800 fewer hours than 2024 pace Opportunity cost: $80K-120K in foregone consulting revenue
Key Milestones¶
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Economic Analysis¶
Development Cost Structure¶
Direct costs: Components, PCB fabrication, testing equipment,freelancers <$20K Opportunity cost: $80K-120K in reduced consulting revenue Time investment: 1,400-2,000 total development hours Effective development rate: $40-85/hour (opportunity cost basis)
Comparison to Traditional Development¶
Typical commercial development: $150K-250K for equivalent system Actual investment: $80K-120K opportunity cost + material costs Efficiency gain: 40-60% cost reduction through AI-assisted development
Return on Investment Projection¶
Development investment: ~$100K opportunity cost Projected annual profit: $800K-3M (at 5K-15K units) ROI timeline: 1-3 months payback at projected volumes
Development Lessons¶
AI Integration Timing¶
- Traditional development established foundational understanding
- AI acceleration was very effective after core competency development
- Timing with AI tech was optimal- as codebase grew, the ability of AI to retain context grew at just about the same rate