The Value of Rules: Every Rule Solves a Real Problem
We've finished all 14 chapters. This ruleset has exactly one source: every time AI was found repeating the same mistake, a new rule was added. In this finale, we lay out the full panoramic map and use a self-audit wizard to help you adapt it as your own.
All 14 chapters are grouped into five pillars. Click any pillar to expand the chapter details, a one-line summary for each, and which lesson in this course covered it.
STEP 1Place in the rules directory
Put the .mdc file into your project's .cursor/rules/ directory; Cursor will auto-detect it.
STEP 2Configure activation mode
Set alwaysApply: true in frontmatter for global activation; set false to require manual @ reference — better for writing style rules.
STEP 3Replace environment facts
Swap in your own model config, tech stack, and port rules; use placeholder values for secrets files and exclude them from git.
This ruleset is not a plug-and-play template. Answer the 4 questions below, corresponding to the four actions — Delete, Swap, Tune, Add — and finish to generate your own customized recommendation list.
The course has 11 lessons in total. Click a card to flip it open and see the one-sentence summary for each lesson.
60 minutes · Deliverable: your own rules repository. Starting from xs_vibe_rules, apply the four actions — Delete, Swap, Tune, Add — to produce your first version of the rule files. Use it in a real project for a full week; record which rules got triggered and which never fired. Delete the ones that never fired, write new rules for new pitfalls you encountered, then open-source your version.
itshen/xs_vibe_rules · Open-source repo for this course
Your final assignment starts here. Fork it (MIT License), apply the four actions — Delete, Swap, Tune, Add — to adapt it as your own, use it for a week, then open-source your version.
AI handles speed; rules handle stability. The value of rules is not in quantity — every rule must solve a real problem. Curating 5 well-chosen chapters beats copying all 14. Rules, like code, rot when no one maintains them.
Source: Complete materials for this course series are in the open-source repo itshen/xs_vibe_rules (MIT License), including the full rule-opensource.mdc and per-chapter design notes.