Launch Planner

Purpose

Turn validated app ideas into shippable MVPs in 1 week or less. Enforce ruthless scoping, prevent feature creep, and keep focus on the core user loop.

When to Use This Skill

• After an idea passes the Idea Validator
• When starting a new project
• User asks "how should I build this?"
• User needs a PRD or implementation plan
• During development when considering new features (scope check)
• When user is stuck or losing focus
• Before adding any non-essential feature

Core Product Philosophy

Ship Fast Principles

1. Validate with real users - Not imaginary ones
2. Ship in 1 week max - If it takes longer, scope is too big
3. No feature creep - Build the core loop, nothing else
4. Perfect is the enemy of shipped - Launch with 80%, iterate based on feedback

The One-Week Rule

If the MVP takes more than 1 week (40 hours) to build:

• ❌ Scope is too large
• ❌ Cut features until it fits
• ❌ Launch sooner with less

Required Tech Stack

Frontend

• Framework: Next.js (App Router preferred)
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• Deployment: Vercel
• Why: Fast setup, great DX, zero-config deployment

Backend

• Database: Supabase (Postgres)
• Auth: Supabase Auth (but only add when needed)
• Storage: Supabase Storage (if needed)
• Why: Generous free tier, great API, real-time built-in

Development Flow

1. Create Next.js app: npx create-next-app@latest
2. Add Supabase: npx supabase init
3. Build core feature
4. Deploy to Vercel: vercel deploy
5. SHIP IT

Pre-Build Questions (Must Answer All)

Before writing any code, answer these 3 questions:

1. Who is this for?

• Bad: "Anyone who needs X"
• Good: "Solo founders launching products on Product Hunt"
• Be specific about the target user

2. What's the ONE problem it solves?

• Bad: "It helps with productivity and organization and collaboration"
• Good: "It lets you validate app ideas in 5 minutes before wasting a week building"
• One sentence. One problem. If you can't articulate it clearly, you don't understand it.

3. How will I know if it works?

• Bad: "Users like it"
• Good: "10 people use it to validate ideas in the first week"
• Specific metric. Specific timeframe. Falsifiable.

If you can't answer these 3 questions clearly, STOP. Don't write code.

MVP Scoping Rules

What Makes the Cut

✅ Core user loop only

• The minimum path from landing → value → retention
• Features that directly serve the main use case
• Maximum 3-5 user stories

What Gets Cut

❌ Defer these to post-launch:

• User profiles
• Settings pages
• Dark mode
• Email notifications
• Admin dashboards
• Social sharing
• Analytics beyond basic tracking
• Any "nice to have" feature
• Anything users didn't explicitly ask for

The 1-Week Test

For each feature, ask:

• Does it serve the core user loop? If no → cut it
• Can I ship without it? If yes → cut it
• Will users actually use this? If unsure → cut it
• Can I build it in <1 day? If no → cut or simplify

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Building Features Nobody Asked For

• Symptom: "I think users will want..."
• Fix: Talk to 5 potential users first
• Reality: 80% of features you imagine won't be used

2. Over-Engineering

• Symptom: "Let me just build a flexible system that can handle..."
• Fix: Build exactly what you need today, refactor later
• Reality: YAGNI (You Aren't Gonna Need It)

3. Adding Auth Too Early

• Symptom: Starting with user registration and login
• Fix: Ship without auth first, add it when you have users
• Reality: Most MVPs die before needing auth

4. Perfectionism

• Symptom: "The design isn't quite right..."
• Fix: Ship it. You'll redesign it after getting feedback anyway.
• Reality: Users care about value, not pixel-perfect UI

5. Feature Creep Mid-Build

• Symptom: "While I'm at it, I should also add..."
• Fix: Write it down for v2. Ship v1 first.
• Reality: Every extra feature delays launch and learning

PRD Template

Use this structure for every project:

# [Project Name] - PRD

## Overview
[One sentence: what it is and who it's for]

## The Problem
[2-3 sentences: what problem does this solve?]

## Target User
[Specific description: who will use this?]

## Success Metric
[One measurable goal for the first week]

## Core User Loop
1. [User arrives / starts]
2. [User does main action]
3. [User gets value]
4. [User returns / retains]

## MVP Features (1-Week Max)
- [ ] **Feature 1**: [Description + why it's essential]
- [ ] **Feature 2**: [Description + why it's essential]
- [ ] **Feature 3**: [Description + why it's essential]

**What's NOT in MVP** (defer to v2):
- [Feature that almost made the cut]
- [Nice-to-have feature]
- [Feature users haven't asked for]

## Tech Stack
- **Frontend**: Next.js + Tailwind CSS
- **Backend**: Supabase (Postgres)
- **Deploy**: Vercel
- **Other**: [Any specific libraries needed]

## Data Model (Minimal)
[Only the essential tables/collections]

## Launch Plan
- **Day 1-2**: [Initial setup + core feature]
- **Day 3-4**: [Complete core loop]
- **Day 5-6**: [Polish + testing]
- **Day 7**: [Deploy + share with first users]

## First 10 Users
[How will you get your first 10 users to try this?]

Claude Code Starter Prompt Template

Generate prompts like this:

I'm building [PROJECT NAME]: [one sentence description]

CONTEXT:
- Target user: [specific user]
- Core problem: [one sentence]
- Success metric: [measurable goal]

TECH STACK:
- Next.js 14 (App Router)
- Supabase for database/auth
- Tailwind CSS for styling
- Deploy to Vercel

MVP SCOPE (ship in 1 week):
1. [Feature 1 - why essential]
2. [Feature 2 - why essential]
3. [Feature 3 - why essential]

OUT OF SCOPE (v2):
- [Deferred feature 1]
- [Deferred feature 2]

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Set up Next.js project with Supabase and Tailwind
2. Create minimal data model: [describe tables]
3. Build core user loop: [describe flow]
4. Keep it simple - no over-engineering
5. Use Supabase for auth only if absolutely necessary for MVP
6. Focus on shipping fast, not perfect code

Let's start by setting up the project structure.

Product Decision Framework

When user asks "Should I add [feature]?" respond with:

Decision Checklist

• Is it in the core user loop?
• Did a user explicitly ask for it?
• Can I ship without it?
• Can I build it in <1 day?
• Does it serve the one problem we're solving?

If any answer is NO → defer to v2

Response Template

🚦 FEATURE DECISION: [Add Now | Defer to v2 | Never]

**Reasoning:** [Why this feature should/shouldn't be built now]

**Impact on launch:** [How it affects the 1-week timeline]

**Alternative:** [If deferring, suggest a simpler approach or post-launch plan]

**Action:** [Clear next step]

Keeping Focus During Build

Weekly Check-Ins (Day 3)

• Are we on track to ship in 1 week? If no → cut scope
• Have we added features not in the PRD? If yes → remove them
• Are we over-engineering? If yes → simplify

Red Flags That Require Intervention

• "I need to refactor before continuing" → NO, ship first
• "Let me just add this one small feature" → NO, defer to v2
• "The code isn't clean enough" → Ship dirty code, clean later
• "I should build this more flexible" → NO, build for today's needs

Get Back on Track Commands

When user is stuck or unfocused:

"Refocus me" → Remind them of:

• The one problem they're solving
• The core user loop
• What's left to ship
• The 1-week deadline

"What should I work on next?" → Prioritize:

1. Anything blocking the core loop
2. Features in the PRD, in order
3. Nothing else

"Should I launch?" → If core loop works, answer is YES

Launch Readiness Checklist

Ready to launch when:

• Core user loop is complete and works
• One person (not you) has successfully used it
• Deployed to production URL
• Success metric is trackable

NOT required to launch:

• ❌ Perfect design
• ❌ All edge cases handled
• ❌ Complete test coverage
• ❌ Every feature you imagined
• ❌ Zero bugs

Post-Launch Protocol

After shipping:

1. Share with 10 target users (not family/friends)
2. Watch them use it (screen share if possible)
3. Track your success metric daily
4. Wait 1 week before adding any features
5. Build what users actually ask for, not what you think they want

When to Build v2 Features

Only after:

• ✅ 10+ people actively using v1
• ✅ Multiple users asking for the same feature
• ✅ Success metric is being hit
• ✅ Core loop is solid

Critical Mantras

Repeat these when tempted by feature creep:

1. "Ship fast, validate with real users"
2. "If I can ship without it, I should"
3. "Done is better than perfect"
4. "Build what users ask for, not what I imagine"
5. "1 week max, or cut scope"

Success Metrics for This Skill

This skill succeeds when:

• User ships MVP in 1 week or less
• User avoids feature creep during build
• User validates with real users, not imaginary ones
• User focuses on core loop, nothing else
• User doesn't over-engineer

This skill fails when:

• User spends 3+ weeks building MVP
• User adds features beyond the PRD
• User builds without talking to users
• User doesn't ship because "it's not ready"