Real-World Development Lessons - Cursor IDE

These 20 lessons take you through real-world development scenarios, each designed to teach specific Cursor techniques while solving practical problems. Each lesson builds on the quick start foundation with increasingly complex challenges.

How to Use These Lessons

Each lesson follows a consistent structure:

1. Scenario: Real-world problem description
2. Learning Objectives: What you’ll master
3. Prerequisites: Required knowledge/setup
4. Guided Implementation: Step-by-step walkthrough
5. Key Techniques: Cursor features highlighted
6. Challenges: Extended exercises for practice

Tip

Complete lessons in order for the best learning experience, or jump to specific scenarios that match your current needs. Each lesson takes 30-60 minutes.

Development Scenarios

Foundation Lessons (1-5)

Starting a New Project Bootstrap a full-stack application from scratch using AI-driven architecture

Legacy Code Refactoring Transform a legacy codebase into modern, maintainable code

Bug Hunting Workflow Systematic debugging of complex issues with AI assistance

API Integration Build robust third-party API integrations with error handling

Database Design Design and implement database schemas with AI guidance

UI/UX Lessons (6-10)

Frontend UI from Design Convert Figma designs to pixel-perfect React components

Test-Driven Development Implement features using TDD workflow with AI-generated tests

Performance Optimization Identify and fix performance bottlenecks systematically

Security Audit & Fixes Conduct security audits and implement protective measures

Documentation Generation Create comprehensive docs from code automatically

Architecture Lessons (11-15)

Microservices Architecture Design and implement microservices from monolith

CI/CD Pipeline Setup Create automated deployment pipelines with testing

Code Review Enhancement AI-powered code reviews that catch more issues

Pair Programming with AI Advanced techniques for AI as pair programmer

Mobile App Development Build cross-platform mobile apps with React Native

Advanced Lessons (16-20)

Data Pipeline Creation Build scalable data processing pipelines

DevOps & Infrastructure Infrastructure as Code with Terraform/K8s

Monitoring & Observability Implement comprehensive logging and monitoring

Framework Migration Migrate between frameworks with minimal disruption

System Architecture Design Design complex distributed systems with AI guidance

Skills Progression

As you work through these lessons, you’ll develop:

Technical Skills

• Architecture Design: From simple apps to distributed systems
• Code Quality: Testing, security, performance optimization
• DevOps Practices: CI/CD, monitoring, infrastructure
• AI Collaboration: Advanced prompting and workflow patterns

Cursor Mastery

• Context Management: Handling large, complex codebases
• Agent Orchestration: Multi-step autonomous development
• Tool Integration: MCP servers for enhanced capabilities
• Workflow Optimization: Custom patterns for your domain

Learning Tips

1. Practice Actively: Don’t just read - implement each lesson
2. Experiment Freely: Use checkpoints to try variations
3. Document Learnings: Save successful prompts and patterns
4. Share Discoveries: Discuss techniques with the community
5. Apply Immediately: Use new skills in your current projects

Prerequisites

Before starting these lessons, ensure you’ve:

• ✅ Completed the Quick Start Guide
• ✅ Have a working Cursor setup with essential MCPs
• ✅ Understand basic PRD → Plan → Todo workflow
• ✅ Have Git configured for version control
• ✅ Can switch between AI modes effectively

What Makes These Lessons Special

Unlike traditional tutorials, these lessons:

• Start with Real Problems: Each begins with an actual development challenge
• Show Multiple Solutions: Learn different approaches to the same problem
• Include Mistakes: See common errors and how to fix them
• Provide Production Code: Examples are production-ready, not toy demos
• Encourage Exploration: Challenges extend beyond the guided path

Note

These lessons are based on real experiences from developers using Cursor in production. Each scenario has been tested and refined based on community feedback.

Ready to Begin?

Start your journey with the first lesson:

Starting a New Project Learn how to bootstrap a complete application from scratch using AI-driven development

Remember: The goal isn’t just to complete the lessons, but to internalize the patterns and techniques so they become second nature in your daily development work.