From Annoyance to Public Tool

You will produce a one-page Tool Opportunity Brief, a paper prototype, a working vertical slice, and a verification receipt.

Smart nondevelopers and AI-assisted builders who can describe a workflow but need a dependable path from idea to product.

• One annoyance observed at least three times
• One synthetic or rights-cleared example
• A local site builder or coding agent
• Permission to make local files
• No deployment authority is required

1. 1. Capture the repeated moment

   Write three specific occurrences. Note trigger, current workaround, visible cost, and who feels it. Choose the one with the clearest repeat pattern.

2. 2. Write the transformation

   Complete: Given [input], help [person] turn it into [output] so they can [decision or action]. Remove features, accounts, and technology from this sentence.

3. 3. Run the paper method

   Transform the synthetic example by hand. Mark deterministic steps, judgment calls, missing information, and failure states. This becomes the product logic.

4. 4. Build the smallest vertical slice

   Create only the inputs needed for the method, one build action, one readable result, clear validation, a sample, and copy or export. Keep entered data local when possible.

5. 5. Add trust surfaces

   Explain the outcome first, disclose storage and network behavior, name limitations, and create a receipt covering inputs, AI role, human role, checks, and what remains unproven.

6. 6. Demonstrate completion

   Run transformation tests, empty and malformed inputs, save and reload, copy and export, keyboard navigation, reduced motion, responsive widths, production build, route check, and rendered browser QA.

7. 7. Decide whether to publish

   Use a cold reader and the evidence receipt. If the tool requires private examples, unsupported claims, or unresolved naming, keep it local and record the next gate.

Synthetic example

Scenario

A strategist repeatedly rewrites fuzzy project requests before assigning them to an agent.

Input

Synthetic request: 'Clean up our resource site and make it feel finished.'

Result

A Goal Definition Builder that asks for outcome, audience, deliverable, evidence, criteria, boundaries, and stop conditions, then exports a copy-ready assignment. It does not run the assignment or claim the evidence is true.

• Building a dashboard before proving one transformation
• Using an AI call where a deterministic template is clearer
• Testing code paths but not the rendered experience
• Publishing a private example or implying deployment from a local build
• Adding features because the original problem was not specific

• □The tool opportunity can be stated in one transformation sentence
• □The paper method works on the synthetic example
• □The vertical slice includes input, result, failure, portability, and limitation
• □Entered data behavior is disclosed and tested
• □A production build and rendered route pass
• □The receipt names the remaining release gate

tool-opportunity-brief.md

# Tool Opportunity Brief

## Repeated annoyance
When [situation], [person] repeatedly [manual workaround], causing [visible cost].

## Core transformation
Given [input], turn it into [output] so the user can [decision or action].

## Synthetic example
- Input:
- Expected output:
- Important failure:

## Smallest credible interface
- Required inputs:
- Build action:
- Result:
- Copy/export:
- Reset/persistence:

## Boundaries
- Private data:
- Network behavior:
- Authority:
- Deployment:

## Verification
- [ ] Normal sample
- [ ] Empty and invalid input
- [ ] Copy/export/reset
- [ ] Keyboard and reduced motion
- [ ] Mobile, tablet, desktop
- [ ] Production build and route check
- [ ] Public receipt

## Release decision
[Keep local / Revise / Ready for separate publication approval]

1. 0:00 Show the finished artifact and the annoyance it removes
2. 0:40 Write the one-sentence transformation
3. 1:20 Run the paper method on synthetic input
4. 2:10 Show the smallest vertical slice
5. 3:10 Trigger one failure and explain local data behavior
6. 4:00 Run the verification checklist and show the receipt
7. 4:40 State the separate publication gate