Scope Your Project
Turn your idea into a buildable plan.
By the end of today
- Set up your project folder
- Learn to reference files instead of pasting
- Use Claude to scope your project
- Get honest feedback, not agreement
Video coming soon
No code today. That's intentional.
You don't know what you need until you talk it through. The model asks questions you wouldn't ask yourself.
Claude as Thinking Partner
Not just for building. For scoping, planning, deciding.
Today you won't write a single line of code. You'll have a conversation that shapes what you build for the rest of the week.
Planning catches mistakes before they become code. Changing a plan is free. Changing code costs time.
Reference Files, Don't Paste
Your context lives in markdown files. Instead of pasting everything into every message, tell Claude to read the file.
This sounds small. It adds up fast.
As your project grows, you'll have multiple context files. Claude manages them. You don't have to.
Set Up Your Folder
- 1.Create a new folder for your project
- 2.Move project-idea.md into it
- 3.Create an empty src/ folder
What happens: Your workspace is ready.
Your folder should look like:
my-project/
├── project-idea.md # From Day 0
├── project-scope.md # You'll create this today
└── src/ # Empty for nowThe Scoping Conversation
- 1.Open Claude in your project folder
- 2.Enter plan mode (type /plan in terminal)
- 3.Start with the prompt below
- 4.Answer Claude's questions honestly
- 5.Push back when something doesn't feel right
What happens: A conversation that surfaces what you actually need to build.
Questions to answer
- What's the ONE thing this must do?
- What would be nice but isn't essential?
- Does it need to save data?
- Does it need user accounts?
- What's the simplest version that's still useful?
Capture the Scope
- 1.When you have clarity, ask Claude to write the scope file
What happens: A project-scope.md file you can reference tomorrow.
Make Claude Disagree
Models agree with humans. This is a problem when you need honest feedback.
Try these:
- "What's wrong with this plan?"
- "If this fails, what's probably why?"
- "What am I not seeing?"
The goal: surface problems now, not on Day 5.
Signs it's too big
- 5+ major features you "need"
- Multiple user types
- Data that syncs between devices
- The phrase "and then it would also..."
Ask Claude: "This feels too big. What's the smallest version that would still be useful?"
Capture Your Progress
What did you figure out today?
Checklist
Tomorrow: Create your CLAUDE.md file—persistent memory that makes Claude understand your project.
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