Real AI agent use cases, with sources and setup prompts

Build an e-ink fridge shopping list

Vibe-coded a fridge magnet shopping list on an M5Stack e-ink device, synced with a phone web app over Wi-Fi.

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Source

seamus_c on Hacker News · 2026-09-28 · Project link

Written in our own words. Credit to the original author. Link checked 2026-10-14.

What they did

Vibe-coded a fridge magnet shopping list on an M5Stack e-ink device, synced with a phone web app over Wi-Fi.

Result (as claimed)

About 2,400 lines of C++, open-sourced.

Tools they used

Claude CodeM5Stack PaperMono

Cost: Claude Code: free plan, paid from $17/mo. Checked 2026-10-14.

Set it up

  1. Define the job

    Say exactly what you want done and what the agent may and may not do on your behalf.

  2. Share only what is needed

    Give Claude Code the minimum files or access required. Avoid sharing passwords in chat when a safer login flow exists.

  3. Review the plan

    Ask the agent to show its plan or draft before it acts, and approve each step that has real consequences.

  4. Check the result

    Confirm the outcome yourself (order placed, request sent, document understood) and keep a record.

Copy the full setup prompt

Paste into your agent and it will walk you through the setup, asking before anything that sends, posts or spends.

You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Claude Code.

Goal: Build an e-ink fridge shopping list
What the original author did: Vibe-coded a fridge magnet shopping list on an M5Stack e-ink device, synced with a phone web app over Wi-Fi.
Reported result (as claimed by the author): About 2,400 lines of C++, open-sourced.
Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49875801
Tools they used: Claude Code, M5Stack PaperMono
Category: Personal & life

Please:
1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like).
2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure.
3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data.
4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.

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