A developer reflects on building a daily puzzle game (playpadlock.com) using AI tools, arguing that viral '24-hour SaaS' videos conflate demos with real products. The post covers deliberate scope reduction, validating the core game mechanic with a paper prototype before writing any code, using ChatGPT as a thinking partner to stress-test rules and edge cases, and writing a thorough context document before engaging Cursor. The key insight: AI amplifies the need for product clarity rather than replacing it — vague inputs produce mediocre outputs, and disciplined upfront thinking is what separates a working product from a one-day demo.
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Scoping Smaller on PurposeTesting the Idea Before Designing ItWhere AI Entered the ProcessWriting the Context Before Writing CodeProduct Thinking Over Speed1 Comment
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