# Indie SaaS (Gemini long-context)

> Different ergonomic from the Claude-led pair: instead of pasting individual files per turn, dump the entire repo into Gemini and let it reason across the whole graph. Claude takes over for tight, surgical edits; Gemini handles 'change auth across 14 files' moves.

Source: https://aistack.sh/stack/indie-saas-gemini
Category: Code · Builder
Level: Advanced
Last verified by a human: 2026-05-05

## The tools

### Gemini — Whole-codebase reasoning

- Pricing: $19.99/mo Advanced · API tier-based
- Site: https://gemini.google.com
- Why this one: 2M+ token context lets you paste the entire repo (or 'git ls-files | xargs cat') as part of every prompt. Best when changes span many files.
- Swap in instead: Claude
- More: https://aistack.sh/tool/gemini

### Claude — Surgical edits

- Pricing: Free · $20/mo Pro · $100/mo Max 5x · $200/mo Max 20x · Sonnet API $2/$10 per M tokens (input/output)
- Site: https://claude.ai
- Why this one: When you know the file and the diff is local, Claude is faster and cheaper per turn. Use it for the last-mile edits.
- Swap in instead: ChatGPT
- More: https://aistack.sh/tool/claude

### Figma — UI sketching

- Pricing: Free · Pro from $12-$20 per seat/mo (seat-based)
- Site: https://figma.com
- Why this one: Same role as the Claude-led stack. AI plugins draft from text; you refine.
- Swap in instead: Canva
- More: https://aistack.sh/tool/figma

## Monthly cost

### $40/mo — Weekend MVP (small)

- Gemini: $20
- Claude: $20
- Figma: Free

### $75/mo — Side project (medium)

- Gemini: $20
- Claude: $20
- Figma: $15
- + infra: $20

### $240/mo — Full-time founder (heavy)

- Gemini: $120 API tier
- Claude: $20
- Figma: $15
- + infra: $85

## Workflow

### 1. Sketch UI (Figma)

Figma + AI plugin: text to wireframe. Same as the Claude-led stack.

### 2. Dump the repo (Gemini)

From your terminal: `git ls-files | xargs cat > /tmp/repo.txt`. Paste that as one block into Gemini.

**Prompt: Whole-repo architectural change**

```
I'm pasting my entire repo below as one block. Each file starts with a "// path/to/file.ts" comment line.

Repo:
"""
{{paste repo dump}}
"""

The change I need:
"""
{{describe change in plain English, e.g. "swap the in-memory session store for Postgres-backed sessions, keep the public auth API stable"}}
"""

Output, in this order:
1. **Affected files** — bullet list with a 1-line "why" each.
2. **Migration order** — which files to change first so the build never breaks.
3. **Per-file diff** — unified diff for each file, in migration order.
4. **One thing I should NOT change** — even if it looks tempting in this diff.

Constraints:
- Match existing style (imports, naming, error handling).
- No new dependencies unless explicitly necessary.
- If you spot a real bug while reading the repo, mention it at the END as "Side observation", do not silently fix it.
```

### 3. Surgical edits with Claude (Claude)

Once Gemini gives you the cross-cutting plan, switch to Claude for individual file edits and bug fixes. Cheaper per turn, faster for local work.

### 4. Voice mode for debugging (Gemini)

Same as the recommended stack. Gemini's voice mode is fine here; the value is thinking out loud, not the LLM.

### 5. Ship (Gemini)

Deploy to Vercel. First sale before bedtime.

## What it produced

**Indie hacker rewriting auth in one session**

Swapped JWT-in-cookie for Postgres-backed sessions across 22 files in 90 minutes by pasting the whole repo into Gemini once and following its migration order. The Claude-led approach took 4 hours on a previous similar refactor because each file needed its own context paste.

## Pitfalls

- **Pasting secrets into the context window** — `git ls-files | xargs cat` will happily include any .env files you committed. Audit before pasting; better, use `git ls-files -- ':!*.env*' ':!.git/*'`.
- **Long-context drift on edits** — Gemini occasionally rewrites unrelated files when given the whole repo. Diff before you commit; reject any change you didn't ask for.
- **Cost spikes at the API tier** — 2M-token contexts get expensive fast on the API. Stay on the $20 chat tier for repos under ~150k LOC; switch to API only for bulk processing.

## Other ways to do this

- [Indie SaaS](https://aistack.sh/stack/indie-saas): Claude-led pair programming — $75/mo

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Curated by alex-w on aistack.sh. Last updated 2026-05-05.