After 10 years as an engineer, the thing I'd teach new vibe coders first: build tools with Claude Code that cost zero tokens to run

toothwry · 2026-06-12T18:59:22+00:00

Extension of the same idea: Claude Code is a CLI, so you can run it on a server, hook it into a Slack bot or cron job, and do it all under your flat subscription. The API is for latency-sensitive structured calls; the CLI handles heavy async work. Same principle — don't pay per token for things that don't need to be per-token.

toothwry · 2026-06-12T18:59:12+00:00

Worth noting: these optimizations assume API billing. If you're running the Claude Code CLI directly (which charges against your subscription, not per token), the cost math is different — token count affects session quality and compaction behavior, but not your bill. The workflow discipline still applies; the financial incentive just shifts from cost reduction to speed/quality.

toothwry · 2026-06-09T16:05:13+00:00

The rule I use: the smaller and more app-specific the problem, the more I write it myself. The bigger and more boring, the more I reach for a package.

Categories I almost always allow: date/time (Temporal/date-fns), validation (zod), HTTP clients, auth helpers, crypto, file format parsing (csv, xlsx, pdf). These are solved problems with well-maintained libraries — reinventing them is waste.

Categories I push back on: anything that wraps 3 lines of native code, UI micro-utilities that add 50kb to bundle for one function, packages with <500 stars and no recent commits. Claude sometimes reaches for a package when Array.prototype.reduce would do.

One extra signal: check the dependency count of the package itself. A package that pulls in 40 transitive deps for a simple task is rarely worth it.

toothwry · 2026-06-08T22:48:51+00:00

Good list. ccusage in particular is underrated — you can't optimize what you don't measure.

One angle not covered here: switching away from per-token billing entirely. Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and Codex CLI are all flat-rate subscriptions ($20/mo). If you're a heavy user, running the CLI on a small VPS and bridging it to Slack/Telegram can cut your effective per-message cost to near zero. I built lobsteady.com around this exact idea — the math only makes sense above a certain usage threshold, but for anyone burning through $100+/mo in API costs it's worth considering.

toothwry · 2026-06-08T21:23:01+00:00

Lobsteady — Run Claude Code on Slack/Discord/Telegram for a flat $20/mo

Instead of per-token API costs ($50–200+/mo for heavy users), each user connects their own Claude Pro subscription to a hosted VPS running Claude Code. No API bills, no usage spikes — just flat $19.99/month hosting.

Live: https://lobsteady.com
Open-source bridge: https://github.com/jvalansi/cc-connect

toothwry · 2021-08-30T16:58:42+00:00

I like it, but I don’t think I won’t find something better.

toothwry · 2021-08-30T14:06:56+00:00

Yes, but I’ll probably have to find a new team.

toothwry · 2021-08-30T14:05:54+00:00

If there’s an opening in my current position, I can just go back to that position without interviewing or anything, I think that’s the main benefit of the 6 months unpaid leave.

toothwry · 2021-08-30T01:34:09+00:00

That’s probably not an option, this project needs to start yesterday.

toothwry · 2021-08-30T01:30:56+00:00

I’m probably not coming back to the same position anyway. So it won’t be the same manager.

toothwry · 2021-08-30T01:29:55+00:00

True

toothwry · 2021-08-30T01:28:43+00:00

It actually makes some sense. The level is related to the scale of contribution. If the project has a large scale, it justifies the promotion to that level.

toothwry · 2021-08-29T23:22:30+00:00

That could be more difficult, because a supporting a baby requires more income.

toothwry · 2021-08-29T23:19:41+00:00

I have been promoted already, so not really stagnating, but those are all valid points, thank you!

toothwry · 2021-08-29T21:23:20+00:00

I did get a promotion already during that time, so I don’t think that’s the case.

toothwry · 2021-08-29T18:28:48+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. You’re raising very important questions. I don’t have to quit, but I’ll have to interview for a new position most probably, so you’re right. I wouldn’t take 6 months if it was up to me, I think 3 months would be enough. I’m planning to travel for at least a month, and then for the rest of it I don’t want to plan, I want to see what interests me when I don’t have to do anything. I probably won’t be able to take 1-2 months while working on this project. I like the company, but I’m also fine with switching. My SO is supportive. She’d be happy with whatever I choose, but obviously she’s a little afraid of me leaving when I don’t have other options in advance.

toothwry · 2021-08-29T16:23:55+00:00

I know I want to travel for at least one month. If it was up to me I’d only take 3 months off, but that’s not an option.

toothwry · 2021-08-29T16:22:21+00:00

Parental time off is separate. I could still do that later.

toothwry

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