Write your plan

01What this module is about

Before anything gets built, write down what you want. A short plan stops you and the AI from heading off in different directions.

This plan is your project plan. AI tools call it a PRD, and so does this course. It stands for "product requirements document". Don't let the name put you off. It's a plain description of what you want built, on one or two pages.

You don't write it alone. The AI interviews you, one question at a time, and then writes it for you. Your job is to answer honestly and then check what it wrote.

By the end of this module, your project will have a plan that every chat can read.

02Why a plan helps

• The AI stops guessing the big things. Your project files say who you are and what you're working on. The plan says where you're going and when you'll stop.
• You find the gaps early. The interview asks questions you hadn't thought about. It's far cheaper to answer them now than halfway through.
• "Finished" means something. Without a plan, projects drift and never end. With one, you can point at a list and say "done".

Write a plan for anything that will take more than one sitting. Skip it for a quick task, like a single email.

03What goes in it

A plan has six short parts.

1. Purpose. What you're making and why.
2. Who it is for. The people who'll use or read it.
3. Must do. The things it has to do or include.
4. Must not do. The things it must avoid. This part is often the most useful.
5. Finished when. How you'll know it's done.
6. Open questions. What isn't decided yet. It's fine for this list to be long at the start.

04Text to copy

This is the prompt the setup tool gives you. It's the same one used to plan this course.

Help me write a short PRD for this project. A PRD is a plain description of what I want built.
Interview me first. Ask one question at a time and wait for my answer. About eight questions in all.
Cover: what I am building and why, who will use it, what it must do, what it must not do, how I will know it is finished, and anything already decided.
Then write the PRD in plain English, on one or two pages, under these headings: Purpose. Who it is for. Must do. Must not do. Finished when. Open questions.
If you can save files, save it as PRD.md in this project's folder. If not, give it to me as text I can save as PRD.md.
Do not plan or build anything yet.

Here is part of a finished plan for the walking club newsletter:

Purpose
A monthly newsletter for Hillside Walkers, so members know the walks and club news.

Must not do
Make up dates, routes or meeting points.
Go over 300 words.
Use jargon or hype.

Finished when
Three issues are written and sent: March, April and May.
Each one has been checked against the walks calendar.

06Common problems

• The AI writes the PRD straight away, without asking questions. Reply: "Stop. Interview me first, one question at a time."
• It asks too many questions. Say: "Ask the three that matter most, then write it."
• The PRD is long and vague. Ask: "Cut this to one page. Make every line in Must do and Finished when something I can check."
• The AI ignores the PRD in later chats. Check that PRD.md is in your project's files, and that CONTEXT.md has the line from Step 3. Then start a new chat.

07Keeping it current

• When you make a decision, update the PRD. Move it out of Open questions and into the right part.
• When the plan changes, change the file first. Then upload it again and start a new chat.
• Watch the Open questions list. It should get shorter as the project goes on.