How to Read a Project Guide

the 8-lesson structure

Part of: How to Build with AI: The Playbook

Every build guide in this track has the same eight-lesson shape. Learn the shape and you always know where you are and what comes next. The arc of a project - Lessons 1 and 2, Setup: the smallest version that does one real thing. You get an early win. - Lessons 3 to 5, Core: the actual product logic, one piece at a time. - Lessons 6 and 7, Harden: the boring part that keeps it working: errors, edge cases, cost. - Lesson 8, Ship: package it, run it for real, and it lands in your Portfolio. The momentum is deliberate. A rough thing that works early, a real thing that works well by the end. What's in each lesson - Explanation : the concept and the plan, in plain language. Read this first. - Starter code : a scaffold with TODOs. You fill the gaps. - Solution code : the worked answer. Peek if stuck, but don't copy it blind. - Hints : nudges for when you're close but not quite there. - Challenge : a small graded problem that proves you understood before you move on. How to actually use it 1. Read the explanation once, top to bottom, no coding. 2. Open the starter and try the TODOs from memory. 3. Stuck for more than a few minutes? Read one hint, not the whole solution. 4. Run it. Broken