Frequently Asked Questions

Vibe coding is the practice of building software primarily through AI prompts, with tools like Cursor, Bolt, Lovable, or Claude, without deep engineering oversight. The apps look good on the surface but often have hidden security gaps, fragile architecture, broken auth flows, and no scalability. They work fine for demos but fail in production. That is where Ari Gold Software comes in: we audit, repair, and steward vibe-coded output into something you would actually trust with real users and real data.

Absolutely not. We love AI tools and use them ourselves. Vibe coding is a legitimate and powerful way to prototype fast. We just specialize in taking that prototype the rest of the way. We are 100% vibe-code friendly. Bring us your Bolt app, your Lovable build, your Cursor-generated codebase, or anything else. We will figure out what needs fixing and give you an honest assessment.

BuildGuard is our app quality control service for existing codebases. We review your app for security vulnerabilities, broken logic, scalability issues, and production-readiness gaps. You get a prioritized audit report, a rescue plan, and optional hands-on fixes. Think of it as a full inspection before you put real users on your software. We give every app an honest verdict: production-ready, fixable, or needs a rebuild.

Yes. This is our flagship service. We build full-stack custom web applications from scratch: auth, dashboards, billing, CRM integrations, admin panels, APIs, mobile-responsive frontends, and more. We are based in Houston, TX and serve clients across Texas and nationwide. If you have a business problem that software can solve, we can build it.

We use a combination of battle-tested reusable modules (auth, billing, dashboards, email flows) with custom-built logic for the parts that are unique to your product. We also leverage AI-assisted development responsibly, with real engineering oversight, so we move at prototype speed without prototype-quality output. The result: production-ready software in weeks, not months.

A custom build starts from scratch. We architect, design, and develop your app from the ground up. A vibe code rescue starts from your existing AI-generated or hastily-built codebase. We audit what is there, fix what is broken, and fill in the gaps. Rescues are usually faster and less expensive than rebuilds, but sometimes a full rebuild is the right call. We will tell you honestly which path makes more sense.

Yes, 100%. Custom code written specifically for your project becomes your property upon full payment. You can hire other developers to maintain it, open-source it, or do anything else you want with it.

Our primary stack is TypeScript, React, Next.js, Node.js, PostgreSQL (via Supabase), and Tailwind CSS. We also work with Python for AI/ML workflows, REST and GraphQL APIs, and integrate with tools like Stripe, Twilio, SendGrid, and third-party CRMs. Everything we build runs on proven, well-supported technology, not experimental tooling that will break in six months.

Vibe code audits (BuildGuard) typically take 3 to 7 business days to complete. Rescue and repair projects range from 2 weeks to 2 months depending on the codebase complexity. Custom builds from scratch typically take 4 to 12 weeks for most web applications. We provide a detailed timeline estimate during our initial scoping call.

We have shipped software across logistics, healthcare administration, finance, e-commerce, real estate, SaaS, and professional services. We are industry-agnostic: if there is a workflow problem that software can solve, we know how to approach it.

Ari Gold Software was founded by Darius D. Howard, a self-taught software developer based in Houston, Texas. He came up through operations rather than a computer science program: nine years in consumer technology at Best Buy and Geek Squad, ending as the Deputy of Counter Intelligence running a Geek Squad precinct; a year in National Oilwell Varco's Next Generation Leader program rotating through customer loyalty, health and safety, process re-engineering, and commercialization; then Area Manager and Program Manager at DistributionNOW. At every stop he built the database or process tool that did not exist. He also founded Tacit Logistics and built TacitOS, an operating system for carrier-owned freight. He now leads every build at the studio: architecture, engineering oversight, and the final call on quality.

Ariella Gold is the face of Ari Gold Software and the studio's in-house AI. Darius built her to run point for clients: she answers questions in the home-page chat, scopes your idea in the project wizard, and handles support conversations with a confident, no-nonsense voice. She is not a human employee and she does not replace his engineering judgment. Every conversation with her and every completed wizard is stripped of personal details and used to make her sharper over time.

Yes. We are remote-first and serve clients nationwide and internationally. We are headquartered in Houston, TX, but the vast majority of our work is done remotely via video calls, shared documents, and async communication. Location is not a barrier.

Yes. We offer stewardship plans that include ongoing bug fixes, feature additions, security patches, and performance monitoring. If you want us to keep the app healthy after launch, we have options for that. Details are scoped during your project agreement.

BuildGuard audits start at a flat rate depending on codebase size. Rescue and repair projects are scoped after the audit. Custom builds are quoted based on feature scope and timeline. We provide detailed proposals before any work begins. We are transparent about costs, with no surprise invoices.

That is the most common starting point. Book a scoping call and describe your situation, whether it is a broken app, an idea you want to build, or a vibe-coded output you are nervous about deploying. We will tell you exactly what path makes sense and give you a clear picture of scope and cost.