Making Your Side Project Live Before It Dies

Why side projects die

Side projects do not die because people run out of ideas. They die because the idea is still fuzzy when work starts, so every session becomes a new planning session instead of a building session.

The fix is brutal clarity before the first line of code or the first word of copy. You need to know exactly what is in scope, exactly what is not, and exactly what done looks like.

This guide does that in two steps. First, an AI interview sharpens the idea to its core. Then an MVP planner turns that core into a day-by-day launch schedule.

You will end up with:

• A 3-sentence description of the real idea (not the dream version)
• A hard list of what is in and out of scope
• A numbered step plan with a specific launch date

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Step 1 — Clarify the idea before you plan it

Do not write an MVP plan for a fuzzy idea. You will just plan the wrong thing and discover it weeks later.

Run the interview first. It asks 5 questions. It will surface the part of your idea that actually matters to actual people.

Use this skill: Idea Refinement Interview

What to prepare:

• One sentence: what is the side project?

What you get back: After 5 questions: who it is for, what problem it solves right now, what success looks like in 30 days, the smallest version that proves it works, and the biggest untested assumption. Save this output — paste it into Step 2.

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Step 2 — Turn the idea into a ship plan

Now use your refined idea to build the MVP plan. Paste the output from Step 1 into the relevant fields.

Use this skill: Ship Fast Mindset — MVP Planner

What to fill in:

• My idea: [paste the 3-sentence summary from Step 1]
• Who it is for: [from Step 1]
• My goal: [from Step 1 — what success looks like in 30 days]
• My constraint: [be honest — how many hours do you actually have this week?]

What you get back: A plan with four sections: what is in scope, what is out of scope, a numbered step-by-step launch sequence, and a timeline with a launch date marked.

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What to do with the plan

Keep it somewhere visible. Every time you sit down to work on the project, read the scope first. If you are about to do something not on the step list, stop and ask whether it is necessary before the launch date.

The goal is not a perfect product. The goal is a live product that real people can use, even if it is rough.

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Run both steps in one session

Use the combined flow prompt below to run both steps back-to-back in a single AI session. The interview happens first, then the MVP plan is built from your answers automatically.

I want to refine an idea through a structured interview. Ask me one question at a time. After each answer, ask the next. Do not ask multiple questions at once.

For each question:
- Ask one clear question about my idea
- Offer 3–4 labeled options (A, B, C, D) as possible answers
- Allow a free-text answer if none of the options fit
- Wait for my reply before continuing

Start with: "What is the core idea you want to refine? Give me a one-sentence version."

After I answer, continue through these areas in order:
1. Who is this for? (the specific person it helps)
2. What problem does it solve right now?
3. What does success look like in 30 days?
4. What is the smallest version that proves this works?
5. What is the biggest assumption you have not tested yet?

At the end, summarize the refined idea in 3 sentences: the who, the what, and the first step.

Create an MVP plan for the following:

My idea: [DESCRIBE WHAT YOU WANT TO BUILD OR LAUNCH IN 1–3 SENTENCES]
Who it is for: [THE SPECIFIC TYPE OF PERSON THIS HELPS]
My goal: [WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN 30 DAYS]
My constraint: [TIME, BUDGET, OR SKILL LIMIT]

Return a plan with four sections:

1. MVP scope — what IS included
A bulleted list of the minimum features or deliverables to prove the idea works. Max 5 items. If it is not essential for launch, it is not on this list.

2. Hard boundary — what is NOT included
A bulleted list of things that are explicitly out of scope for this version.

3. Step-by-step launch plan
Numbered steps from now to shipped. Each step should take no more than one day. Include the specific output of each step, not just a task name.

4. Timeline
A simple day-by-day or week-by-week schedule based on my constraint. Mark the launch date clearly.

If the idea cannot ship within my constraint, say so and suggest what can.

You are running a 2-step chained workflow. Complete each step in order, label your output clearly, and use each output as context for the next step.

━━━ STEP 1: Idea Refinement Interview ━━━
I want to refine an idea through a structured interview. Ask me one question at a time. After each answer, ask the next. Do not ask multiple questions at once.

For each question:
- Ask one clear question about my idea
- Offer 3–4 labeled options (A, B, C, D) as possible answers
- Allow a free-text answer if none of the options fit
- Wait for my reply before continuing

Start with: "What is the core idea you want to refine? Give me a one-sentence version."

After I answer, continue through these areas in order:
1. Who is this for? (the specific person it helps)
2. What problem does it solve right now?
3. What does success look like in 30 days?
4. What is the smallest version that proves this works?
5. What is the biggest assumption you have not tested yet?

At the end, summarize the refined idea in 3 sentences: the who, the what, and the first step.

━━━ STEP 2: MVP Planner ━━━
Create an MVP plan for the following:

My idea: [DESCRIBE WHAT YOU WANT TO BUILD OR LAUNCH IN 1–3 SENTENCES]
Who it is for: [THE SPECIFIC TYPE OF PERSON THIS HELPS]
My goal: [WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN 30 DAYS]
My constraint: [TIME, BUDGET, OR SKILL LIMIT]

Return a plan with four sections:

1. MVP scope — what IS included
A bulleted list of the minimum features or deliverables to prove the idea works. Max 5 items. If it is not essential for launch, it is not on this list.

2. Hard boundary — what is NOT included
A bulleted list of things that are explicitly out of scope for this version.

3. Step-by-step launch plan
Numbered steps from now to shipped. Each step should take no more than one day. Include the specific output of each step, not just a task name.

4. Timeline
A simple day-by-day or week-by-week schedule based on my constraint. Mark the launch date clearly.

If the idea cannot ship within my constraint, say so and suggest what can.