Module 1, Lesson 0: Module Intro
Before We Start
No prerequisites. No setup required yet. Just you and about 90 seconds of me setting the tone for how this whole course works.
By the end of this lesson, you'll:
- Understand why planning before building matters more than ever — not less — now that AI is fast
- Know the full process we're following together throughout the course and why it's in this order
- Be ready to move into Module 1, Lesson 1 with the right mindset
About This Lesson
Duration: ~2 minutes video
Skill Level: Beginner
What This Is: A short orientation before we get into the tools and process.
I recorded this intro last — after building the whole thing — so I could be specific about exactly where we're going and why. It's not fluff. It's 90 seconds that'll save you from making the most common mistake I see people make with AI-assisted development.
Watch the Lesson
What We're Covering
- The trap AI has created — why being able to build fast doesn't mean building fast is the right call
- The process we're following — a map of every phase in this course and how they connect
- Why the order matters — each phase produces the input for the next one
1. The Problem I Keep Seeing
Here's what I've watched happen over and over again.
Someone has a good idea. They open Cursor, or Claude, or Codex — whatever they're using. They write a prompt, something gets generated, it looks incredible, and then three weeks later they've built something nobody wants. No clear path forward. They have to start over.
That's not a tool problem. That's a process problem.
AI hasn't made planning optional. It's made skipping it more expensive than ever. You can now build the wrong thing in a single afternoon. That's not progress — that's a faster way to waste your time.
2. What This Module Is For
So in Module 1, I'm going to slow us down — just for a moment. Not to be precious about it. Just enough so that everything we do from here moves fast and in the right direction.
Think of it like cooking. You don't walk into the kitchen and start throwing things in the pot hoping for the best. A good chef preps before they cook. Every ingredient is ready before the heat goes on.
That's what this module is. It's our prep phase.
We'll cover:
- What you need to have in place before you start (Module 1, Lesson 1)
- The full process we're following and why it's ordered the way it is (Module 1, Lesson 2)
And then we build.
3. The Full Process — Your Map
Here's the complete picture of what we're doing in this course, in order:
| Phase | What We Do |
|---|---|
| Market Research | Validate the market before investing in the product |
| Documentation | Turn the research into structured product docs |
| User Journey Mapping | Map the full user flow before writing a single spec |
| Feature Requirements | Write testable specs, score and prioritise features |
| Project Planning | Translate specs into a dev-ready Agile board |
| Build | Code issue by issue until the board is clear |
Every phase produces output that feeds directly into the next one. That's not accidental — it's the whole architecture of the process.
The Short Version
Here's what I want you to carry into the rest of this module:
- AI makes it faster to build the wrong thing. Planning upfront isn't old-fashioned — it's protective.
- Every phase feeds the next. This process isn't arbitrary. Each output is the input for what follows.
- We slow down here so we can move fast everywhere else. That's the trade-off, and it's worth it.
💬 Stuck? Come Talk to Us
Build What Ships community → https://discord.gg/RFXRf9yg
Drop a message in the intro channel. I check in there too.
Glossary
Vibe coding: Jumping straight into building with AI without a plan — prompting until something looks right and hoping for the best. Fast to start, expensive to fix. (first came up in Module 1, Lesson 0 — Module Intro)