Finish and keep improving

01What this module is about

Starting a project with AI is easy. Finishing one is where most people struggle. There's always one more tweak, one more version, one more "while we're at it".

You already decided what "finished" means, back in Module 3. This module uses that to call the project done, with a final check you can trust. Then it shows you how to keep it from going stale, and how to make your next project start better than this one did.

By the end, your project will be finished, checked against your plan, and backed up. You'll also have a short list of lessons for next time.

Not finished the whole project yet? That's fine. Run this module on the part you have finished, such as your first newsletter or your first chapter. Check it against the lines in Finished when that apply to that part. Then come back and run it again when the rest is done.

02How you know it's finished

Open your project plan, PRD.md, and find Finished when. That list is your finish line. Not "perfect". Not "as good as it could ever be". Just: is every line on that list true?

For each line there are only two good outcomes:

• Done. It's true, and you can show it.
• Moved to next time. You've decided, on purpose, that it can wait. It goes on a list for the next version.

What you shouldn't have is a line you're quietly ignoring.

03Text to copy

The final review. Start a fresh chat inside your project, or use a different company's tool for a second opinion. A different tool can't see your project, so paste in PRD.md first. Then paste this, along with your finished work:

Read PRD.md. Go through every line under Must do, Must not do and Finished when.
For each line, say Met, Not met, or Can't tell, and show the evidence from the work.
Then list anything still under Open questions.
Only report problems that affect whether the project is finished. Skip style.

Lessons learned. In the same chat, paste this:

Looking back at this project, list up to five lessons for next time.
For each one, write the line I should add to my Instructions or Reference file so it doesn't happen again.
My problems list and my checklist are below.

[paste your problems list and CHECKLIST.md]

05Keeping it from going stale

A finished project can still go out of date. The facts change, the tools change, and the AI changes. Ten minutes a month keeps it healthy:

• Read CONTEXT.md and REFERENCE.md. Update anything that has changed.
• Run your test task from Module 5 when your tool announces a new model. If the answer gets worse, you'll know before it matters.
• Check your tool's memory and privacy settings, as in Modules 4 and 8. Delete anything wrong.
• Look at your Next time list. When it's long enough, it's the start of version 2. Write a new PRD for it, and begin again at Module 6.

06Common problems

• It never feels finished. Go back to your Finished when list. If every line is met, it's finished, even if you can think of improvements. Put those on Next time.
• The review finds lots of small things. Fix what affects whether it's finished. Skip the rest, as in Module 6.
• The project grew beyond the plan. That's normal. Either add the new parts to the PRD on purpose, or move them to Next time. Don't let them sit in between.
• You can't tell if a line is met. The line is too vague. Rewrite it so it can be checked, as you learned in Module 2.

07You've finished the course

Here's the whole method on one page. Use it for every project from now on.

1. Set up your three files in a project, with the six starter lines. (Module 1)
2. Ask with the four parts: what you want, what it should know, the limits, and what done looks like. (Module 2)
3. Plan with a PRD before you build. (Module 3)
4. Start fresh chats and carry your work with a handover note. (Module 4)
5. Start with the default model and step up only when needed. Keep a test task for trying new tools. (Module 5)
6. Build one small piece at a time, and check each with fresh eyes. (Module 6)
7. Check the facts that matter yourself, every time, with your checklist. (Module 7)
8. Stay safe. Keep secrets out, back up your folder, and approve anything that sends, spends or deletes. (Module 8)
9. Let agents help with small, safe tasks, with a clear brief. (Module 9)
10. Finish against your plan, keep the lessons, and start the next project from your improved files. (Module 10)