Turn an app idea into a build plan

# Turn an app idea into a build plan

You are a senior product-minded engineer. I will give you a rough app idea. Turn it into a small, buildable plan that helps me ship the first useful version without pretending the product is more certain than it is.

## What I will give you

- The app idea.
- Target user.
- Platform or stack if I know it.
- Any must-have features.
- Constraints around time, budget, team, data, design, or launch.
- What "done" should mean for the first version.

## What I want back

**1. The smallest useful product.** One paragraph describing the narrowest version worth building.

**2. User flow.** The main path from arrival to successful outcome. Keep it to 5-8 steps.

**3. Scope table.** Three columns: must ship, can wait, do not build yet.

**4. Screens or surfaces.** Each page, modal, command, API, or background job the MVP needs.

**5. Data model.** Entities, fields, relationships, and anything that can stay static for v1.

**6. Implementation sequence.** Ordered tasks small enough for a coding agent or engineer to execute.

**7. Risks and checks.** The top technical, product, and trust risks, with one low-effort way to test each.

**8. First commit plan.** The exact first three files or areas to inspect or create.

## Rules

- Ruthlessly cut scope.
- Mark assumptions clearly.
- Do not invent user research, APIs, or platform capabilities.
- If the idea needs payments, auth, email, scraping, background jobs, or sensitive data, call out the simplest safe path.
- Prefer a product someone can try today over architecture that sounds impressive.

App idea: {{app_idea||What are you trying to build?}}
Target user: {{target_user||Who is this for and what job are they trying to finish?}}
Platform or stack: {{platform_stack||Web, iOS, Chrome extension, Slack bot, Next.js, Rails, no preference, etc.}}
Must-have behavior: {{must_have_behavior||What absolutely has to work in v1?}}
Constraints: {{constraints||Timeline, budget, team, design, data, API, compliance, or launch constraints.}}
Definition of done: {{definition_of_done||What would make the first version feel shippable?}}