Template · version 1
Side Project Before Winter
Ship a small thing before winter turns it into a thought experiment.
A constrained project brief for choosing a useful scope, testing it, and finishing.
- Structure
- 4 sections
- Maintenance defaults
- 3 recurring sections
- Section budget total
- $24 configured per run
These are template settings, not a price quote. Review the document budget and update behavior during setup.
Document sections
Project bet
Name the audience, problem, and smallest credible outcome.
- Identifies a real user or use case
- Sets a deliberately narrow scope
Scope and risks
Protect the finish line by making trade-offs visible.
- Lists exclusions
- Names technical, time, or access risks
Shipping plan
Move from first task to public release in visible steps.
- Uses dated milestones
- Ends with a real release or handoff
User signals
Gather evidence that the project is useful enough to continue.
- Separates observation from interpretation
- Identifies the next decision