1 min lesson
Timebox it like the real thing
Walk through "Timebox it like the real thing" in order, then name the proof that tells you it worked.
Step 1 of 2
Timebox it like the real thingPlan, build, check-in, polish, present
- 1Plan (45 min). Lock the whoa moment, the surface you'll use and a definition of done you can actually hit. Write the README's first paragraph now, before any code, so the teaching frame drives the build.
- 2Build the spine (3-4 hrs). Get the happy path working end to end before polishing anything. A runnable ugly version beats a beautiful half.
- 3Check-in (15 min). Cursor's trial gives you a Slack channel for questions. Use it: ask one sharp scoping question, the way you would on the job. Silence is not a virtue here.
- 4Polish and verify (1.5-2 hrs). Clean the code, write the teaching artifact and run it on a clean checkout. Verify every claim against the actual SDK or CLI behavior, not your memory of it.
- 5Prep the present (45 min). Build the five-minute story and stage a fallback in case the live run stalls.