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the path

Most products walk the same path. Make it yours.

Six phases, from a spark in your head to something real and live. This is the shape most products follow, and a good place to start. The first three are walked through in depth; the last three stay light until you reach them.

a shape, not a rulebook

These phases are not hard gates you have to pass. Think for yourself about what each one means, what it is for, and what done looks like for your project. Read widely, build, and write your own definition. There is no single right answer here, and the more you do it the more it becomes yours.

Read first, build your own view

Before the phases below, get a few real views in your head. This is one lens on the lifecycle, not the only one. Start with one of these, you do not need all of them.

The Mom TestRob Fitzpatrickhow to talk to people about your idea without fooling yourself. Best thing to read for Spark.InspiredMarty Caganhow strong product teams actually decide what to build.Continuous Discovery HabitsTeresa Torreskeeping real users in the loop while you build, not just before.The Lean StartupEric Riesthe build, measure, learn loop. Where the idea of shipping small to learn comes from.Shape UpBasecampshaping rough ideas and betting on them. Free to read online.Lenny's NewsletterLenny Rachitskypractical, current product writing, every week.

No time to read? Ask your AI to walk you through any of these and talk it over with you. A conversation counts too.

links open elsewhere. Titles are a starting point, not a syllabus.

0.1building by vibes
  1. 1Sparkguidedfind a real problem worth solving
  2. 2Shapeguideddesign it on paper before code
  3. 3Buildguidedmake it actually work
  4. 4Launchlaterput it in front of people, carefully
  5. 5Growlaterlearn from how they really use it
  6. 6Scalelaterrepeat it across many, once earned
1a shipped thing, and your own way of working

then it loops: what you learn in Grow becomes the next Spark, a little sharper each time.