AI is quick to write code that looks right. Your job shifts: scoping the request, reviewing every change, testing, and deciding what ships to production.
AI helps software developers with tasks such as “Understand code you inherit,” “Fix a bug from a stack trace,” and “Scope a change before you code.” Start with a single task, in Claude Code: allow 20 minutes the first time, and always review the result before you use it.
For each task: how it goes today, then with the tool. And the time it takes the first time.
Claude Code · “Plan” mode
TodayTaking over a module someone else wrote means days of following calls from file to file before you dare touch anything.
With Claude CodeA map of the project: what does what, where a request goes, where the pitfalls are, and how to run the tests.
Cursor · The agent: ⌘ + I on Mac, Ctrl + I on Windows
TodayA fifty-line trace, a behavior you can reproduce only one time in three, and the morning is gone.
With CursorThe cause explained, a contained fix, and a test that keeps the bug from coming back.
Cursor · “Plan Mode”: Shift + Tab
TodayYou jump to a solution, and at the third file you discover it should have been done differently.
With CursorA detailed plan you have discussed and approved before the first line of code.
Also
GitHub Copilot · Agent mode, in VS Code
A readable set of tests for the module, already run, with the list of defects they revealed.
Codex · “Code Review”
A list of comments ranked by severity, to handle before you ask a colleague for a review.
GitHub Copilot · The cloud agent
A pull request ready to review, with its tests, while you move ahead on something else.
Codex · Codex Cloud: “Work in,” then “Cloud”
A branch where the upgrade is done, the tests run, and the list of what is left to check by hand.
Claude Code · “Manual” mode
An up-to-date README, with verified commands and the gray areas flagged.
Perplexity · “Research”
A sourced, dated comparison to attach to the team’s technical decision.
A structured incident report, readable by management and by the technical team alike.
All 10 use cases on this page are in Nova, each with its steps and its prompt.
Try the interactive demoWhat to check
Your code is sent to Anthropic for processing. For company code, use a Team or Enterprise workspace, where it isn’t used for training, and check that the folder contains no passwords or access keys.
Understand code you inheritClaude Code · “Plan” modeThe prompt to copy
You are exploring this repository with me. I’m taking over maintenance of [name of the module or service] and I need to [fix a bug, add a feature] in [the relevant part]. Go through the code and explain: the role of each folder, the path of a request from [entry point] to the database, the external dependencies, and how to run the tests. Refer to files and functions by name. End with the five fragile or surprising spots you noticed, and with the questions to ask the previous team. Don’t change anything.
In Nova, “My path” starts from your level: one next step at a time.
The first moves, with free tools.
In your jobFix a bug from a stack trace
In your jobUnderstand code you inherit
In your jobPrepare a version upgrade
In your jobScope a change before you code
For a team: everyone moves forward in their own job. You see the team’s progress, never one person’s activity.
It reads the whole repository, proposes a plan, edits the files, and runs the tests. You review the diffs line by line before you keep anything.
Recommended planPro, $20 per month ($17 per month if billed yearly). For company code: Team, $25 per user per month ($20 if billed yearly).
A code editor with a built-in agent: “Plan Mode” to approve the approach before the first line, and checkpoints to roll back.
Recommended planHobby, $0, to try it. Then: Pro, $20 per month. For a team: Teams, $40 per user per month, with “Privacy Mode” on by default.
If your code is on GitHub: code completes as you type, agent mode writes the tests, and the cloud agent handles an issue on its own.
Recommended planFree, $0: 2,000 code suggestions per month. At a company: Business, $19 per user per month.
OpenAI’s agent, included in ChatGPT. Useful for a review with “Code Review” and for background tasks handed to “Codex Cloud.”
Recommended planFree, $0, with limited usage. For Codex Cloud: Plus, $20 per month.
Compare two libraries, check that a project is still maintained, find the release note that breaks everything: answers with a link to the source.
Recommended planFree: 3 “Pro” searches per day and 1 “Research” report per month. Then: Pro, $20 per month (€22 on the French App Store).
Outside the editor: writing an incident report, an architecture memo, or a reply to a customer, from your notes and your files.
Recommended planFree to start. Pro, $20 per month ($17 per month if billed yearly): it’s the same subscription as Claude Code.
Prices taken from the vendors’ official pages, dated on each tool page. These subscriptions are not included in Nova. Brands are named to identify the tools. No affiliation.
Nova recommends 6 to start with: Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Perplexity, and Claude. 5 of them can be used for free to get started.
It reads the whole repository, proposes a plan, edits the files, and runs the tests. You review the diffs line by line before you keep anything. The plan to choose: Pro, $20 per month ($17 per month if billed yearly). For company code: Team, $25 per user per month ($20 if billed yearly).
With “Understand code you inherit,” in Claude Code (“Plan” mode). Allow 20 minutes the first time. A map of the project: what does what, where a request goes, where the pitfalls are, and how to run the tests.
No. Nova is software, not an accredited training provider: it issues no diploma or certification. It costs €19 per month for one person, and €129 per month for a team of up to ten people.