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Things people have asked

Real questions from people building software. Real answers. No fluff.

All Building Getting Started Growth Launching Philosophy Pricing Process Quality Strategy Working Together

November 19, 2025 4 min read

Question from Lisa M.

"What actually makes a good v1? Is it supposed to be ugly or crappy?"

Quality Strategy

Some people will say "yes" here. I don't agree. A v1 is not about being beautiful or finished. It's about offering real value. That doesn't give you permission to be sloppy or careless. Especially if you're asking people for money. The Trade Has to Be Worth It If someone is going to switch...

David R. • Nov 19

"How do I know when my app is "ready" to launch?"

Launching Strategy

When is it right to throw away work and start over?

It's simple. It's right to throw work away when that's the most efficient way to get to the next place you need to be. If transforming the existing code is slower and messier than writing it again, th...

Building

Anonymous • Nov 19, 2025

3 min read

November 19, 2025 4 min read

Question from Chris L.

"Should I care which tech stack we use?"

I'll care a lot more than you need to. I know certain technologies better. I'm faster and more reliable with them. At the end of the day, the best stack is the one that gets you from zero to one the most efficiently. From Zero to One, Stack Doesn't M...

Building

November 19, 2025 4 min read

Question from Anonymous

"What kinds of projects are a good fit for you?"

Working Together Getting Started

Zero to one ideas. People who have a real need but may struggle to articulate it clearly. People who care deeply about the result, and are less attached to the exact technical details of how we get there. How I Work Best I want to drive the tech choices. I want to handle the integrations. The same w...

Mark T. • Nov 19

"What kinds of projects do you say no to?"

Philosophy Working Together

What happens if you think my idea doesn't make sense?

Then that's the first thing we talk about. I won't build something I don't think makes sense. If the idea doesn't add up after we dig into it, that's not a failure. That's a useful outcome. We talked,...

Philosophy Working Together

Anonymous • Nov 19, 2025

3 min read

November 19, 2025 4 min read

Question from Alex M.

"What does "craftsmanship" mean in software, beyond clean code?"

It means caring about whether the thing actually works for real people, not just whether it compiles. Clean code is part of it. But I've seen beautifully architected systems that were terrible products. And I've seen messy codebases that solved real...

Philosophy Quality

November 19, 2025 4 min read

Question from Jennifer K.

"Will I be locked into you or your tools?"

Working Together

You will definitely not be locked into me. That's one of the reasons I like small commitments. If at any point this is not working for either of us, we stop. This is also why I like fixed contracts and small buckets of work: Small deliverables Small commitments Small risks It keeps things clean. T...

Paul S. • Nov 19

"Who owns the code, infrastructure, and accounts?"

Working Together