Last week I shared the one-page test I use to shrink an app idea before building it with AI. Three readers on Indie Hackers replied with points I hadn't thought of. They were good enough that I changed my guide. Here's what changed and why.
1. Who pays, and how much?
The test had five questions: who is it for, what problem do they have, what is the one thing they do in your app, what do they see afterwards, and how will you know it works.
simonzsy pointed out that an app can pass all five and still sell nothing. So there's now a sixth question:
Who pays, and how much? A guess is enough, like "freelancers, $5 a month".
You don't need a pricing page. You need one honest sentence. If you can't name who would pay, better to find out before the weekend than after.
2. Which parts did you reuse?
When the AI finishes a change, I ask it to explain what it did in three plain bullets, so I understand my own app without reading code. hyunjoong suggested adding one more line, and I now use it every time:
Explain what you changed in three plain bullets, and tell me which existing parts you reused. No code.
Why it helps: AI tools sometimes build a fresh copy of something your app already has, like a second save button or a second place to store users. Asking what it reused shows you when it started from scratch. If the answer is "nothing", ask why.
And one exception
My "leave out of version one" list says no notifications or emails. usewello replied that some apps are pointless without them. A salon booking app that never reminds anyone about their appointment isn't much of a booking app.
Fair. The rule now reads: leave out notifications and emails, unless the app is pointless without them. If the reminder is the product, it stays. Everything else on the list still waits.
The updated test
- Who is it for?
- What problem do they have?
- What is the one thing they do in your app?
- What do they see afterwards?
- How will you know it works?
- Who pays, and how much?
If an answer needs more than two lines, the idea is still too big.
Thanks to simonzsy, hyunjoong and usewello for taking the time to reply.
This is from Live by Sunday, a 42-page guide for people who don't code: build your first app with AI in one weekend and put it live on your own domain by Sunday night. 30 copy-paste prompts are included. More at livebysunday.app.
Top comments (0)