The 3-line formula
- It’s a… what kind of sound-maker? (pad, drone, drum machine, metronome/click, sample pads)
- I use it to… where it fits in your life (practice, sketching beats, recording into my DAW, live set, meditation)
- The one thing it must do first… the smallest version you’d be happy to hear today
Good
“It’s an ambient pad machine. I use it to record evolving beds into Ableton. First it must play a slow, warm pad in a key I pick.”
Too vague
“An AI-powered all-in-one DAW plugin with everything.”
Will / Won’t / Build-next
Write your idea in three short lists. This is exactly how we scope your order
(see SCOPE.md in your zip).
| List | What to write | Example (click trainer) |
|---|---|---|
| Will (day 1) | 1–2 things the starter must do out of the box | Play a click at a BPM I choose; accent beat 1 |
| Won’t (not now) | Things you’re OK leaving out of v1 | No compiled VST/AU yet, no MIDI sync, no phone app |
| Build-next | 2–3 small features you’ll add with the prompt chain | Tap-tempo; speed trainer that adds +2 BPM every 8 bars; swing |
Rules of thumb:
- One feature per Build-next line. “Add reverb” is good. “Add effects, presets and a sequencer” is three lines.
- Name the sound, not the code. “Bright, plucky, like a music box” beats “use a sine oscillator.”
- Say what you’ll touch. Sliders? Buttons? Keyboard keys? Pads you click?
- Compiled VST/AU and mobile apps go in Won’t for v1. Spec → Scaffold delivers a playable browser prototype (step one toward a plugin)—the fastest way to hear an idea. Native VST/AU is the next path via the included JUCE resources; a compiled plugin is not in the $49 delivery. You can record prototype output into any DAW.
Which engine will you get?
We match your words to one of four engines:
| If your idea says… | You get |
|---|---|
| pad, drone, ambient, atmosphere, evolving, soundscape | Pad / drone engine |
| drum, beat, kick, snare, hat, groove, percussion | Drum machine engine |
| click, metronome, tempo, BPM, practice pulse | Click track engine |
| sample, sampler, one-shot, trigger pads, load a WAV | Sampler engine |
Mixed idea (e.g. “drum machine with a pad”)? Tell us which part matters most — that picks the engine; the other part becomes a Build-next step.
Copy-paste intake template
Tool name:
It’s a:
I use it to:
Will (day 1): 1) 2)
Won’t (not now):
Build-next: 1) 2) 3)
Sounds like (a song, gear, or adjectives):