Springboard

Version 2.5.0 — A template system for building software projects with a Lead Dev AI assistant.

How It Works

You provide the vision and make decisions. Your Lead Dev handles the technical implementation, documentation, and code. Think of it as having an experienced developer on your team who needs you to define what to build.

Your Role: Project Owner

• Describe what you want to build
• Answer questions about your vision
• Make decisions when options are presented
• Test the software and provide feedback
• Approve the project framework before development begins

Lead Dev's Role

• Ask questions to fully understand your project
• Identify gaps you might not have thought of
• Suggest improvements and better approaches
• Write all code and documentation
• Keep you informed of progress at all times

Before You Start

What You Need

1. An AI assistant tool — You'll need one of the compatible tools listed below (they handle terminal commands for you)
2. A place for your project — A folder on your computer where your project will live

Compatible Tools

This system requires an AI assistant that can read/write files, examine your codebase, and run Git commands:

| Tool | Notes | |------|-------| | Claude Code | Anthropic's CLI — full file and Git access | | Codex CLI | OpenAI's CLI — full file and Git access | | Cursor | AI-powered editor — has file access built in |

These tools can autonomously read your project, make changes, run commands, and manage Git — which is essential for this workflow.

What to Expect

Time Investment

• Bootstrap (discovery) phase: 1-3 sessions depending on project complexity
• Simple project: May complete bootstrap in one conversation
• Complex project: May take several sessions over days or weeks
• Development: Varies widely based on what you're building

The Process is Iterative

Software development isn't linear. Expect:

• Back-and-forth discussion to clarify ideas
• Changes to the plan as you learn more
• Testing, finding issues, and fixing them
• Multiple rounds of feedback and refinement

This is normal. Good software comes from iteration, not getting everything right the first time.

You Don't Need Technical Knowledge

The Lead Dev will:

• Explain technical concepts in plain language
• Make recommendations and explain why
• Handle all the code and technical decisions
• Ask your permission before doing anything major

Your job is to know what you want — the Lead Dev figures out how to build it.

The Process at a Glance

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         START HERE                               │
│                    "Read START.md"                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │  New or Existing │
                    │     Project?     │
                    └─────────────────┘
                     │               │
            New      │               │    Existing
                     ▼               ▼
        ┌─────────────────┐   ┌─────────────────┐
        │    BOOTSTRAP    │   │    ONBOARDING   │
        │   (10 phases)   │   │   (7 phases)    │
        │                 │   │                 │
        │ Git setup first │   │ Git setup first │
        │ 1. Vision       │   │ 1. Examine Code │
        │ 2. Features     │   │ 2. Interview    │
        │ 3. Technical    │   │ 3. Assess State │
        │ 4. Platform     │   │ 4. Gap Analysis │
        │ 5. Constraints  │   │ 5. Framework    │
        │ 6. Gap Analysis │   │ 6. Approval     │
        │ 7. Recommend    │   │ 7. Create Docs  │
        │ 8. Framework    │   └────────┬────────┘
        │ 9. Approval     │            │
        │ 10. Create Docs │            │
        └────────┬────────┘            │
                 │                     │
                 └──────────┬──────────┘
                            │
                            ▼
              ┌─────────────────────────┐
              │   PROJECT_FRAMEWORK.md   │
              │   + docs/ folder ready   │
              └─────────────────────────┘
                            │
                            ▼
              ┌─────────────────────────┐
              │      DEVELOPMENT        │
              │   "Read rules.md"       │
              │                         │
              │  Build → Test → Iterate │
              │                         │
              │  Sessions end with:     │
              │  - SESSION_LOG update   │
              │  - ROADMAP update       │
              │  - Git commit           │
              └─────────────────────────┘
                            │
                            ▼
              ┌─────────────────────────┐
              │      MVP COMPLETE!      │
              │                         │
              │  Working software +     │
              │  User documentation     │
              └─────────────────────────┘
                            │
                            ▼
              ┌─────────────────────────┐
              │     FINALIZATION        │
              │     (optional)          │
              │                         │
              │  Clean up scaffolding   │
              │  Create project README  │
              │  Ready for delivery     │
              └─────────────────────────┘

Getting Started

Step 1: Create Your Project

The easiest way is to use the CLI:

npx create-springboard

Or, skip the name prompt by passing a project name:

npx create-springboard my-app

This will:

• Use the project name you pass (or ask you for one)
• Ask where to create it
• Set up all the files you need

Alternative: Manual Setup

If you prefer, you can manually copy the template:

git clone https://github.com/victorysightsound/springboard.git ~/projects/my-app-name
cd ~/projects/my-app-name
rm -rf .git

Step 2: Start the Conversation

Open your AI assistant (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) and say:

Read START.md

The Lead Dev will guide you from there.

The Lead Dev will introduce themselves and ask whether you're starting a new project or have existing code. Based on your answer, they'll guide you through the appropriate process.

Step 3: Answer Questions

The Lead Dev will guide you through a discovery process:

1. Vision & Problem — What are you building and why?
2. Core Functionality — What features do you need?
3. Technical Context — Where will it run? What data does it need?
4. Constraints — Any limitations or preferences?
5. Gap Analysis — Lead Dev identifies things you may have missed
6. Recommendations — Lead Dev suggests improvements

Answer honestly. Say "I don't know" if you're unsure — the Lead Dev will help you figure it out.

Step 4: Review the Framework

After discovery, the Lead Dev will create a Project Framework document. This becomes the "blueprint" for your software. Review it carefully and request changes if needed.

Once you approve the framework, development begins.

Step 5: Build and Test

The Lead Dev will:

• Build features according to the roadmap
• Explain what they're doing and why
• Ask you to test things in the real world
• Iterate based on your feedback

Your job is to test the software and report back:

• "This works as expected"
• "This doesn't work because..."
• "I want to change..."

Step 6: Continue Across Sessions

When you return after a break, just say:

Read rules.md and let's continue

The Lead Dev will catch up on where you left off and summarize the current state.

To end a session, say:

Wrap up

The Lead Dev will update all documentation and save progress.

Step 7: Finalize Your Project (Optional)

When your MVP is complete and you're ready to share or deliver your software, you can clean up the project:

Finalize the project

The Lead Dev will offer two options:

1. Full Cleanup — Removes all development scaffolding. Best for sharing with others.
2. Development Archive — Keeps development docs for future work. Best for projects you'll continue.

This removes template files, bootstrap documents, and other development-only files, leaving you with a clean project directory containing just your software and user-facing documentation.

Have an Existing Project?

No problem! When you start with START.md, the Lead Dev will ask whether you're starting fresh or have existing code. Just tell them you have an existing project.

What Happens for Existing Projects

The Lead Dev will:

1. Set up version control — Check existing git, configure if needed, offer GitHub backup
2. Examine your existing code — Understand the structure and technology
3. Interview you — Learn what works, what's planned, what's missing
4. Document what exists — Create the framework based on reality
5. Identify remaining work — Create a roadmap for completion

Adding to an Existing Project Folder

If your code is already in a folder and you want to add the template system to it:

1. Copy these files into your existing project:

   • START.md, ONBOARD_EXISTING.md, ONBOARD_STATUS.md, rules.md
   • The templates/ folder
   • Create an empty docs/ folder

2. Tell the Lead Dev:

   Read START.md in ~/projects/my-existing-app

3. When asked, say you have an existing project

New vs Existing — Quick Reference

| Situation | What to Tell Lead Dev | |-----------|----------------------| | Starting a brand new project | "New project" | | Have existing code, even partial | "Existing project" | | Have a working app, want to add features | "Existing project" | | Inherited someone else's code | "Existing project" | | Restarting an abandoned project | "Existing project" |

Pausing and Resuming

You Can Stop Anytime

It's completely fine to:

• Stop mid-conversation and come back later
• Take days or weeks between sessions
• Think about a question before answering

The project files save your progress. When you return, just tell the Lead Dev to read the status files and they'll catch up.

How to Pause

Mid-setup (bootstrap or onboarding): Just stop. When you return, say:

Read START.md and continue

The Lead Dev will check the status files, see where you left off, and provide a summary before continuing.

During development: Say "wrap up" to save progress, or just stop. When you return:

Read rules.md and continue

The Lead Dev will read the session log, roadmap, and framework, then summarize where things stand.

Taking Time to Think

If you need time to consider something:

• "Let me think about that"
• "I need to sleep on this"
• "Can we pause here? I'll get back to you"

The Lead Dev will note where you left off.

Useful Phrases

When you're stuck or need help, try these:

When You Don't Understand

• "Explain that in simpler terms"
• "Can you give me an example?"
• "What does [term] mean?"
• "I don't understand — can you try a different way?"

When You Need Time

• "Let me think about that"
• "I'm not sure yet"
• "Can we come back to this question?"
• "I need to sleep on this"

When You Want to Change Direction

• "Actually, I changed my mind about..."
• "Can we go back to [topic]?"
• "I want to reconsider..."
• "Let's take a different approach"

When Something Feels Wrong

• "This doesn't feel right"
• "I'm not comfortable with that"
• "Can we explore other options?"
• "What are the alternatives?"

When You're Overwhelmed

• "Slow down"
• "This is too much — can we focus on one thing?"
• "What's the most important thing right now?"
• "Let's simplify"

When Giving Feedback

• "Works as expected"
• "Doesn't work because..."
• "Change request — I want..."
• "This feels weird" (valid feedback!)
• "I like this, but..."

What's In This Folder

| File/Folder | Purpose | |-------------|---------| | README.md | You're reading it — quick start guide | | START.md | Entry point — Lead Dev reads this first | | BOOTSTRAP.md | Instructions for Lead Dev to run discovery (new projects) | | BOOTSTRAP_STATUS.md | Tracks progress through project setup | | ONBOARD_EXISTING.md | Instructions for Lead Dev to onboard existing projects | | ONBOARD_STATUS.md | Tracks progress through existing project onboarding | | rules.md | Session conventions and procedures | | TROUBLESHOOTING.md | Common problems and solutions | | CUSTOMIZING.md | How to adapt templates for your domain | | GITHUB_SETUP.md | Step-by-step guide to set up GitHub (for beginners) | | CHANGELOG.md | Version history and changes | | templates/ | Blank document templates (populated during setup) | | docs/ | Project documentation (created during setup) | | examples/ | Example projects for reference (4 different types) |

Progress Visibility

The Lead Dev will always show you where you are in the process. You'll see status updates like:

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
BOOTSTRAP PROGRESS                        [Phase 3/10]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
✓ Vision & Problem
✓ Core Functionality
► Technical Context  ← YOU ARE HERE
○ Platform Research
○ Constraints
○ Gap Analysis
○ Recommendations
○ Framework Draft
○ Owner Approval
○ Document Generation
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

You'll never have to wonder "where are we?" — the Lead Dev keeps you informed.

Tips for Success

1. Be honest about what you don't know — The Lead Dev can help fill gaps
2. Think about who will use your software — This shapes many decisions
3. Start small — Focus on core features first; you can always add more later
4. Test frequently — Real-world testing catches issues early
5. Ask questions — If you don't understand something, ask for clarification
6. Trust the process — Discovery takes time, but it prevents problems later
7. Your feedback matters — "This feels weird" is valuable input

If Things Go Wrong

Starting Over

To restart bootstrap from scratch:

1. Delete or rename BOOTSTRAP_STATUS.md
2. Delete PROJECT_FRAMEWORK.md if it exists
3. Tell Lead Dev: "Read BOOTSTRAP.md and start fresh"

To restart the entire project:

1. Delete the project folder
2. Copy the template again
3. Start over

Correcting Mistakes

If the Lead Dev misunderstood something:

"That's not quite right. What I meant was..."

If the framework has errors:

"I need to correct something in the framework: [what needs to change]"

If code isn't working:

"This doesn't work. Here's what's happening: [describe the problem]"

Rolling Back (if using git)

If git is initialized and you need to undo changes:

# See recent changes
git log --oneline -10

# Undo last commit (keeps files changed)
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Discard all uncommitted changes (careful!)
git checkout .

Not comfortable with git? Just tell the Lead Dev: "Something went wrong. Can we look at what changed and fix it?"

Taking Screenshots (for Bug Reports)

When something doesn't look right, a screenshot helps the Lead Dev understand the problem.

On Mac:

• Entire screen: Press Cmd + Shift + 3
• Selected area: Press Cmd + Shift + 4, then drag to select
• Screenshots save to your Desktop

On Windows:

• Entire screen: Press Windows + Print Screen
• Selected area: Press Windows + Shift + S, then drag to select
• Screenshots save to Pictures > Screenshots (or clipboard)

On Chromebook:

• Press Ctrl + Show Windows (the rectangle with lines)

Then share it:

• Drag the screenshot file into your chat with the Lead Dev
• Or describe where to find it: "Screenshot is on my Desktop called Screenshot 2024-01-15"

Good First Projects

If this is your first software project, here are some ideas that are achievable and useful:

Personal Tools (Just for You)

| Project | Description | Complexity | |---------|-------------|------------| | Personal contact book | Store names, phones, emails | Simple | | Recipe organizer | Save and search your recipes | Simple | | Reading list tracker | Track books you want to read or have read | Simple | | Daily journal | Write and save daily entries | Simple | | Expense tracker | Log spending and see totals | Medium | | Habit tracker | Track daily habits with streaks | Medium |

Small Business / Ministry Tools

| Project | Description | Complexity | |---------|-------------|------------| | Member directory | Searchable list with contact info | Simple | | Event scheduler | Track upcoming events and details | Medium | | Inventory tracker | Track items and quantities | Medium | | Simple invoice generator | Create and save invoices | Medium |

What Makes a Good First Project

• Solves a real problem you have — You'll be motivated to finish it
• Has 3-5 core features — Not too simple, not overwhelming
• Single user — Skip accounts and logins for version 1
• Local data — Store data on your computer, not in the cloud
• One platform — Web OR desktop, not both

What to Avoid for Your First Project

• Apps that need real-time updates (chat, live feeds)
• Projects requiring payment processing
• Multi-platform (iOS + Android + Web)
• Social features (sharing, following, messaging)
• AI/machine learning features
• Complex integrations with other services

Start simple. You can always build something more complex once you've completed your first project.

FAQ

"What if I don't know the answer to a question?"

Say "I don't know" — the Lead Dev will help you figure it out or make a recommendation. You're not expected to have all the answers.

"What if I change my mind later?"

That's fine! The framework can be updated. Just tell the Lead Dev what you want to change and they'll update the documentation and adjust the plan.

"What if the Lead Dev suggests something I don't want?"

You're the Project Owner — you make the decisions. Say "No, I'd prefer..." or "Let's go with a different approach." The Lead Dev will respect your choices.

"What if I don't understand the technical stuff?"

You don't need to. The Lead Dev handles technical decisions and will explain anything you need to understand in plain language. Just ask for clarification.

"What if the Lead Dev seems confused or wrong?"

It can happen. Say:

• "That doesn't seem right"
• "Can you re-read the project framework?"
• "Let's step back and review where we are"

The Lead Dev is instructed to verify by re-reading the project files when uncertain.

"How long will this take?"

It depends on what you're building:

• Simple tool: Maybe a few sessions
• Full application: Weeks or months of iterative work
• Complex system: Could be an ongoing project

The Lead Dev can give estimates once they understand your project.

"What if I need to stop for a long time?"

No problem. The project files preserve everything. When you return — even months later — just tell the Lead Dev to read the status files and continue.

"Can I work with a different AI assistant mid-project?"

Yes. The project files contain all the context. Just have the new assistant read rules.md, PROJECT_FRAMEWORK.md, and docs/SESSION_LOG.md to get up to speed.

Need Help?

During any session, you can ask:

• "Where are we in the process?"
• "What's next?"
• "Explain that in simpler terms"
• "What are my options here?"
• "What do you recommend?"
• "I'm lost — can you summarize where we are?"

The Lead Dev is here to help you succeed.