ThoughtTap: I Built a VS Code Extension That Stops Me From Writing Terrible AI Prompts (and it's kinda working)

Launching on Cursor & Windsurf next week, Product Hunt in 2-3 weeks — would love your feedback...

Launching on Cursor & Windsurf next week, Product Hunt in 2-3 weeks — would love your feedback before then!

TL;DR

• 🧠 What: VS Code extension that makes AI prompts context-aware
• 🎯 Why: Stop wasting time explaining your tech stack to AI tools
• ⚡ How: Analyzes your project automatically, optimizes prompts locally
• 💰 Cost: Free tier forever, $6.99/month for Pro features
• 🚀 Status: Live on VS Code, launching on Cursor/Windsurf next week, Product Hunt in 2-3 weeks
• 🙏 Need: Your feedback before official launches

Try it:

• VS Code: VS Code Marketplace
• Cursor/Windsurf: Coming next week via OpenVSX Registry
• Check out the website for more information - ThoughtTap

The Problem That Wouldn't Leave Me Alone

You know that moment when you copy-paste code into ChatGPT with "fix this bug" and get back a generic solution that completely ignores your TypeScript/React/AWS stack? Yeah, me too. Every. Single. Day.

I'd spend 10 minutes explaining context:

• "Actually, I'm using React 18 with TypeScript"
• "This is a microservices architecture"
• "We're deploying to AWS Lambda"
• "We use Prisma for database queries."

Then, finally, get a useful response. Rinse and repeat 20 times a day.

There had to be a better way.

The "Aha!" Moment

The problem wasn't the AI — it was the context gap. AI tools don't know:

• What language/framework are you using
• Your project architecture
• Your deployment environment
• Your testing setup

They're flying blind because we give them nothing to work with.

Enter ThoughtTap

I built a VS Code extension that automatically analyzes your project and transforms basic prompts into context-aware requests.

Before:

Help me optimize this database query

After ThoughtTap:

Help me optimize this PostgreSQL query in a Node.js TypeScript 

application using Prisma ORM. The query runs in a microservices architecture deployed on AWS Lambda with connection pooling

constraints. The current query execution time is 2.3s and needs to be 

under 500ms. Consider database indexes, query structure, and Prisma-

specific optimizations.

The AI now has everything it needs to give me a useful answer on the first try.

How It Works (The Technical Bits)

ThoughtTap hooks into VS Code's extension API and analyzes:

1. Language Detection: File extensions + syntax patterns
2. Framework Recognition: Parses package.json, requirements.txt, pom.xml
3. Project Structure: Workspace layout, dependencies, architecture patterns
4. Code Context: Selected code blocks for specific optimization

All processing happens locally in VS Code — your code never leaves your machine.

interface ProjectContext {
  language: string;                    // 'typescript'
  frameworks: string[];                // ['React', 'Next.js']
  projectType: 'web' | 'backend' | ...; // 'web'
  dependencies: string[];              // ['prisma', 'aws-sdk']
  currentFile?: FileContext;
}

The optimization engine uses:

• Rule-based processing (<100ms) for grammar, structure, clarity
• Template matching for common patterns (debugging, code review, architecture)
• AI provider integration (Pro) for advanced optimization

Real-World Impact

Here's what early testers are reporting (mostly VS Code users, gathering Cursor/Windsurf feedback next week):

• ⏱️ Time saved: 10-15 minutes per complex AI interaction
• 🎯 First-response quality: 3-4x improvement in useful answers
• 🔄 Back-and-forth reduction: From 5+ clarifications to 1-2
• 💰 API cost savings: Fewer tokens wasted on bad prompts

Why I'm Building This Publicly

I'm taking the bootstrap approach — no VC funding, 100% user-focused. This means:

1. You shape the product through feedback
2. Your needs drive the roadmap
3. Privacy-first — local processing, your AI keys
4. Fair pricing — $6.99/month Pro (30% less than competitors)

Multi-Editor From Day One

I'm launching on VS Code first, then expanding to Cursor and Windsurf next week via the OpenVSX Registry. Why? Because developers are moving to these AI-powered editors, ThoughtTap should work wherever you code.

If you're using Cursor or Windsurf, your feedback is especially valuable — let me know what works differently in your editor!

Free vs Pro: What You Get

Free Tier (Always Free)

• ✅ Core optimization engine
• ✅ 10 developer templates
• ✅ Context analysis (language, frameworks)
• ✅ Up to 5 custom rules
• ✅ Right-click optimization

Pro Tier ($6.99/month)

• ✨ Advanced DevOps & architecture rules
• ✨ Cloud deployment optimization (AWS/Azure/GCP)
• ✨ 25+ specialized templates
• ✨ AI provider integration (OpenAI/Anthropic/Google)
• ✨ Up to 20 custom rules
• ✨ Settings sync + 90-day history

The Bigger Vision

ThoughtTap starts with developers because that's where the pain is sharpest. But the vision extends beyond code.

Our Strategic Roadmap (see full roadmap on GitHub):

Phase 1 (Months 1-12): "Tap into AI-enhanced development intelligence"
Focus on VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf with deep developer workflow integration

Phase 2 (Year 2+): Web app + Chrome extension for universal use

Imagine the same context-aware optimization for:

• Business prompts (reports, analysis, strategy)
• Creative work (writing, design briefs)
• Academic research (citations, analysis)

But first, I need to nail the developer experience. That's where you come in.

I Need Your Feedback

Before the Product Hunt launch next week, I'm looking for:

Technical Feedback:

• Does the context analysis catch your project setup correctly?
• Are the optimization rules actually useful?
• What frameworks/languages should I prioritize?
• Performance issues? (It should be <100ms for most operations)

UX Feedback:

• Is the workflow intuitive?
• What's confusing or unclear?
• What features are you missing?
• Where does it feel clunky?

Strategic Feedback:

• Would you actually pay $6.99/month for the Pro features?
• What would make this a "must-have" tool?
• What's missing that would prevent you from using it daily?

Try It Now (Pre-Launch Access)

VS Code Users

ThoughtTap is live on the VS Code Marketplace:

1. Open VS Code
2. Search "ThoughtTap" in Extensions
3. Install
4. Select any text → Right-click → "ThoughtTap: Optimize"

Or use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+O (Cmd+Shift+O on Mac)

Installation: VS Code Marketplace

Cursor & Windsurf Users

Coming Next Week! ThoughtTap will be available on:

• OpenVSX Registry (for both Cursor and Windsurf)
• Cursor Marketplace (OpenVSX-powered)
• Windsurf Marketplace (marketplace.windsurf.com)

I'm publishing to OpenVSX next week to reach Cursor and Windsurf users. If you're using these editors, drop a comment and I'll notify you when it's live!

The Ask

If you try ThoughtTap:

1. ⭐ Drop a comment with your honest feedback (brutal honesty welcome!)
2. 🐛 Report bugs via GitHub Issues
3. 💡 Share ideas for features you'd actually use (GitHub Issues or contact page)
4. 🚀 Spread the word if you find it useful

Stay connected:

• 🐛 Report Bugs: GitHub Issues
• 💬 Get in Touch: thoughttap.com/contact
• 🗺️ View Roadmap: GitHub Roadmap
• ⭐ Star on GitHub: github.com/ntanwir10/ThoughtTap

What's Next

This Week:

• Polish based on your feedback
• Fix any critical bugs
• Add most-requested features

Next Week:

• Publish to OpenVSX Registry
• Launch on Cursor & Windsurf marketplaces
• Support multi-editor user base

Weeks 2-3:

• Product Hunt launch
• Official marketing push
• Community building campaign

Month 2-3:

• Advanced AI provider integrations
• Custom template builder
• Team collaboration features

A Note on Sustainability

I'm building ThoughtTap as a sustainable business, not a VC-funded rocket ship. This means:

• No pressure to pivot away from what users need
• Long-term thinking over quick exits
• Fair pricing that reflects actual value
• User privacy over data monetization

If this resonates with you, give ThoughtTap a shot and let me know what you think.

Discussion

I'm curious about your experiences:

1. What's your biggest frustration with AI coding assistants?
2. How much time do you spend clarifying context to AI tools daily?
3. Would you trust a VS Code extension with your project analysis?
4. What would make you choose ThoughtTap over just learning better prompting?
5. Are you using Cursor or Windsurf? What features would you need most?

Let's discuss in the comments! 👇