Prototype before production

The one idea

Prototype before production. Use a fast mock — clickable screens, a Codex Site, or paper sketches — to learn whether the workflow makes sense before you ask AI to scaffold a full repo.

Prototypes answer: Do labels make sense? Is anything missing? Would a real user finish the happy path?

Production code answers: Does it persist data safely? Does auth work? Can we deploy and maintain it?

When to stop prototyping

When two people can walk through the happy path without confusion, convert prototype feedback into a build spec: screens, states, and acceptance criteria.

Your win today

Describe a prototype prompt for your app brief — screens, sample data, and one confusing edge case to test.