The smallest useful thing
Before building anything, check what people use today and choose the one small thing that would help most. Today you write a one-page product idea.
What you will leave with
- What people already use, including doing nothing
- How to check the sources the AI gives you
- A one-line value proposition
- One screen described in plain words
YOU LEAVE WITH · A one-page product idea
What do people use today?
- DOING NOTHINGPutting up with it is always an option, and often the most common one
- PAPER AND TALKA printed sheet, a whiteboard, a phone call
- EVERYDAY TOOLSA group chat, a shared spreadsheet, a calendar
- READY-MADE PRODUCTSApps built for this job, free or paid
These alternatives are your real competition. If one already works well, use it and save yourself the build.
Check the sources
What the AI may do
- Name a product that does not exist
- Give a link that goes nowhere
- Mix up old and new information
- Lean towards what is common online, not your community
What you do
- Open every link yourself
- Look for the product’s own website
- Ask “who might this leave out?”
- Mark anything you could not check
A source is where a fact comes from. If you cannot open it, do not trust it.
A value proposition in one line
- FORwho it helps
- WHOwhat they struggle with
- OURthe simple thing you offer
- HELPS THEMthe result they get
- UNLIKEwhat they use today
For [who] who [struggle], our [thing] helps them [result], unlike [what they use today].
The smallest useful thing
In: what helps most
- See this week’s shifts on one screen
- See which shifts still need someone
- Tap “I can cover” to fill a gap
Not yet
- Logins and passwords
- Text message reminders
- Reports for the trustees
- Donations or payments
Small enough to build today, useful enough to learn from.
Riverside Café (fictional): a one-page idea
Today: a paper rota on the café wall, plus a busy group chat where swaps get lost.
Idea: a one-screen rota for shift leads. It shows this week’s shifts, marks gaps in orange, and has an “I can cover” button. Not yet: logins, reminders, reports.
Ask
- Is this smaller than you expected?
- Would the paper rota still be needed?
- Who at the café might not use a screen?
Live demo: find what people use today
I am exploring this problem: [PASTE YOUR PROBLEM STATEMENT, WITH NO REAL NAMES]. List up to six ways people deal with it today, including doing nothing, paper and everyday tools. For any product you name, give its official website. Say clearly if you are unsure whether something exists or is still available. Then, for each option, tell me who might be left out.
Check the response
- Doing nothing and a non-digital option are on the list
- You opened every link, and crossed out any that failed
- The AI said where it was unsure
- You noted who might be left out
Your tutorial: 35 minutes
Work through the Lesson 3 tutorial. Each step is a short prompt, then a “Did you…?” check.
- Find what people use today, and check every source
- Write your one-line value proposition
- Choose the smallest useful thing: what is in, and what is not yet
- Describe one screen in plain words: what it shows and what you can tap
A one-page product idea
Before you move on
- I have checked every source the AI gave me
- I have a one-line value proposition
- I can say what is in and what is not yet
- I have described one screen in plain words
NEXT · Lesson 4: Build it by prompting
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