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A product blueprint
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playbook we roll out with client
Look, there's two sides to this: Yes, you can now build faster than ever with AI coding tools. And yes, some experienced devs can ship clean code straight from idea to product. But here's where it gets interesting:
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why prototype first
Not about making it pretty - it's about not building the wrong thing
AI can write code fast, but it can't tell you if your users will hate it
Moving pixels is cheaper than moving features
Each early pivot costs you hours instead of weeks
Your engineers should build solutions, not figure out problems
when you can skip prototyping
Internal tools where you know exactly what you need
Super technical products where UX isn't the main thing
When your team has built something very similar before
Small features in existing products
When speed > perfect solution
when to absolutely prototype
New market you don't fully get
Complex user flows
Anything involving money/payments
Features that can't fail
When multiple stakeholders need to align
Products where UX is make-or-break
ergo: hybrid
Use AI tools for quick code experiments
Prototype only the risky parts
Build simple stuff directly
Design complex flows first
Let engineers challenge your assumptions early
why prototype first
Not about making it pretty - it's about not building the wrong thing
AI can write code fast, but it can't tell you if your users will hate it
Moving pixels is cheaper than moving features
Each early pivot costs you hours instead of weeks
Your engineers should build solutions, not figure out problems
when you can skip prototyping
Internal tools where you know exactly what you need
Super technical products where UX isn't the main thing
When your team has built something very similar before
Small features in existing products
When speed > perfect solution
when to absolutely prototype
New market you don't fully get
Complex user flows
Anything involving money/payments
Features that can't fail
When multiple stakeholders need to align
Products where UX is make-or-break
ergo: hybrid
Use AI tools for quick code experiments
Prototype only the risky parts
Build simple stuff directly
Design complex flows first
Let engineers challenge your assumptions early
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