AI-first development
Taking a vibe-coded app to production: a 25-point checklist
Built your app with Lovable, Bolt, Cursor or Claude Code? This checklist covers the security, data, payments and reliability gaps to close before real customers arrive.
Director
Alex Stevens
Alex founded Larasoft and leads its engineering. He has built and shipped Laravel applications since 2012, and now focuses on helping businesses use AI coding tools without losing control of their software.
About Alex
Alex Stevens is the director of Larasoft.io Ltd. He started building with Laravel in 2012, in the framework's early years, and founded Larasoft in 2020 to give businesses access to senior Laravel engineering at fair, published prices.
Since then, Larasoft has built and supported Laravel platforms for startups and established businesses, including SaaS products, marketplaces, review platforms and internal systems. Larasoft is a Laravel Certified company and won Most Reliable Web Development Agency in the SME Awards UK Enterprise 2021.
What Alex works on
Alex leads Larasoft's engineering and is closely involved in the work clients rely on most:
- Reviews. He reviews AI-built and inherited codebases, and signs off the findings in our vibe code reviews and Laravel code reviews.
- Security. He leads our security reviews and patching plans.
- AI-driven delivery. He designed the guardrails our engineers use when working with AI coding agents, described in our AI-driven development service.
- Architecture. He shapes the structure of new SaaS platforms and modernisation projects before the first line of code is written.
Writing
Alex writes most of the guides on our Insights pages, drawing on real projects. He focuses on practical advice for founders and business owners: what things cost, what can go wrong and how to keep software healthy.
Insights
Articles by Alex
AI-first development
AI-driven development without the mess: the guardrails we use
How we use AI coding agents on client Laravel projects without losing quality: context files, small tasks, tests first, static analysis and senior review.
AI-first development
Adding AI features to a Laravel app: a practical guide
Where AI features actually help in a Laravel application, how to build them with queues, structured output and cost controls, and the mistakes to avoid.
Security and patching
Laravel security checklist for 2026
A practical Laravel security checklist covering versions, authorisation, input handling, secrets, dependencies, headers, servers and monitoring.
Security and patching
How to keep Laravel and its dependencies patched
A monthly patching routine for Laravel apps: composer audit, npm audit, Dependabot, staging tests and emergency fixes, plus how to handle major versions.
Upgrades and maintenance
Laravel 13 upgrade guide for business owners
Should you upgrade to Laravel 13 now? Support dates, PHP requirements, what usually breaks, how long it takes and what it costs, explained for business owners.
Upgrades and maintenance
12 signs your Laravel app needs rescuing
From a developer who has gone quiet to releases that always break something, these are the warning signs that a Laravel project needs help, and what to do next.
Infrastructure
Laravel hosting in 2026: Forge, Laravel Cloud or AWS?
How to choose hosting for a Laravel application: Laravel Forge, Laravel Cloud, Vapor and AWS compared on cost, control, scaling and the work needed to run them.
Buying software
How much does custom software cost in the UK?
What drives the cost of bespoke software in the UK, typical budgets for internal tools, portals and SaaS products, and how AI-assisted development changes the numbers.
Buying software
How to choose a Laravel development agency
What to look for in a Laravel development agency, the questions to ask before you sign, and the warning signs that a supplier is the wrong fit.
Buying software
What is Laravel? A guide for business owners
What Laravel is, what it is used for, why so many businesses build on it and what to consider before choosing it for your next web application.
Talk to a senior Laravel engineer
Book a free 30-minute call. Tell us what you are building or what is worrying you, and we will tell you honestly what we would do, what it costs and how long it takes.