Hand-coding, AI-first, and hybrid paths

No righteous camp — only fit for goal, time, risk, and what you maintain next month.

Path	Wins	Watch out
Hand-first	Deep literacy; works offline	Slower first page
AI-first	Fast blank-page relief	Mistakes hide without review
Hybrid	Mix structure + speed	Skipping fundamentals if you are not honest

Hybrid in practice: you write landmarks, AI drafts copy · AI drafts, you fix headings · freeCodeCamp on the side for reading skills.

Brand, legal, or accessibility promises → more review, any path.

Do this — one decision (10 minutes)

Scenario: Portfolio live by Monday. One weekend. Not a web developer by title.

Write 5 bullets:

1. Path: hand / AI / hybrid (one line what that means for you)
2. Reason tied to time
3. Reason tied to credibility
4. One risk of your path
5. One mitigation you will actually do before publish

No “AI is faster” without a verification step.

Sketch answer (do not copy)

• Hybrid · time: skeleton Saturday · credibility: heading fixes Sunday · risk: vague copy · mitigation: read contact block aloud + Tab through nav once

Check

• Stakes named, not slogans
• Mitigation is a behaviour, not a wish

What's next

Next up: Where fundamentals still change the outcome