Common Challenges and Solutions

a. Challenge: Memex Misunderstands Your Requirements

Symptoms

• The generated code doesn't match what you described

• Features are missing or implemented differently than expected

• The application structure doesn't align with your vision

Solutions

1. Be More Specific

   • Provide concrete examples of what you want

   • Use analogies to familiar applications: "Like Instagram, but for pet photos"

   • Specify not just what you want, but why you want it

   Instead of: "Add a login page"
   Try: "Add a login page with email and password fields, a 'forgot password' link, and social login options for Google and Facebook. We need this because some features will require user accounts."

2. Break Down Complex Requests

   • Split large features into smaller, more manageable pieces

   • Focus on one aspect at a time

   Instead of: "Build a complete e-commerce system"
   Try: "Let's start with the product catalog page. We need to display products in a grid with images, titles, prices, and an 'Add to Cart' button."

3. Use the Correction Pattern

   • Acknowledge what's working

   • Clearly identify what needs to change

   • Explain the desired outcome

   "The layout of the dashboard looks good, but the chart isn't showing the data correctly. The x-axis should show months, not days, and we need to display the cumulative total rather than daily values."

b. Challenge: Technical Errors in Generated Code

Symptoms

• Error messages when running the application

• Features that don't work as expected

• Console or terminal showing warnings or errors

Solutions

1. Share the Error Message

   • Copy and paste the exact error message to Memex

   • Include information about when the error occurs

   "When I click the submit button, I get this error in the console: TypeError: Cannot read property 'value' of undefined"

2. Ask for Explanation and Fix

   • Request an explanation of what's causing the error

   • Ask for a step-by-step solution

   "I'm seeing this error. Can you explain what's causing it in simple terms and how we can fix it?"

3. Use Version Control to Revert if Needed

   • If changes make things worse, use Git to go back to a working state

   • Create branches for experimental fixes

   "Let's create a new branch called 'fix-login-bug' to try solving this without affecting the main codebase."

4. Try Incremental Testing

   • Test small pieces of functionality in isolation

   • Add console logs or debugging statements

   "Can we add some console.log statements to track the flow of data through this function and see where it's breaking?"

c. Challenge: Performance Issues

Symptoms

• Application runs slowly

• High memory usage

• Long loading times

Solutions

1. Identify the Bottleneck

   • Ask Memex to help identify what's causing the slowdown

   • Focus on one performance issue at a time

   "The dashboard takes over 5 seconds to load. Can you help me identify what's causing the delay?"

2. Request Optimization Strategies

   • Ask for specific optimizations for your use case

   • Consider tradeoffs between features and performance

   "What are some ways we could make this image gallery load faster? We have about 50 high-resolution images."

3. Consider Architecture Changes

   • Sometimes performance requires rethinking the approach

   • Be open to structural changes if needed

   "Would a different database structure help with these slow query times? We're currently using MongoDB but open to alternatives."

d. Challenge: Integration Difficulties

Symptoms

• Problems connecting to external services or APIs

• Authentication failures

• Data not flowing between systems

Solutions

1. Check Credentials and Permissions

   • Verify API keys and access tokens

   • Ensure proper permissions are set up

   "I've set up the API key for Stripe, but I'm getting an authentication error. How can we troubleshoot this?"

2. Examine Request/Response Cycle

   • Look at what's being sent and received

   • Check for formatting or protocol issues

   "Can we log the exact request we're sending to the API and the response we're getting back to see what's wrong?"

3. Try a Simpler Test Case

   • Create a minimal example to test the integration

   • Build up complexity once the basics work

   "Let's create a simple test that just verifies we can connect to the service before trying to implement the full functionality."

e. Challenge: Deployment Issues

Symptoms

• Application works locally but not when deployed

• Configuration problems in production

• Environment-specific bugs

Solutions

1. Environment Comparison

   • Identify differences between local and production environments

   • Check for missing dependencies or configuration

   "The app works on my computer but fails when deployed to Vercel. What could be different between these environments?"

2. Review Environment Variables

   • Ensure all necessary environment variables are set

   • Check for typos or missing values

   "Let's list all the environment variables the application needs and verify they're correctly set in the production environment."

3. Incremental Deployment

   • Deploy a simplified version first

   • Add complexity once the basic deployment works

   "Let's deploy a minimal version of the app first to make sure the deployment process itself works, then add the more complex features."

f. Challenge: Memex Seems Stuck or Confused

Symptoms

• Circular suggestions that don't progress

• Inconsistent or contradictory advice

• Inability to solve a particular problem

Solutions

1. Reset the Approach

   • Start fresh with a clear, concise description of what you need

   • Try breaking the problem down differently

   "Let's take a step back. The core problem we're trying to solve is X. What's the simplest way to approach this?"

2. Provide Examples

   • Show examples of what you're trying to achieve

   • Reference existing solutions or patterns

   "Here's an example of the kind of data visualization I'm looking for: [description or link]. Can we create something similar for our data?"

3. Try a Different Session

   • Sometimes starting a fresh conversation helps

   • Bring the key context but approach from a new angle

   "I'm going to start a new session and try a different approach to this problem."