SKILL.md
MAKE Playbook
Use this skill as a stage-specific operating system for solo and bootstrapped software products. It is an original checklist and diagnostic system inspired by Pieter Levels' MAKE: The Indie Maker Blueprint; it is not a substitute for the book. Keep attribution intact when reusing the references.
Stage Model
Idea -> Build -> Launch -> Grow -> Monetize -> Automate -> Exit
Always treat references/ethos.md as the standing frame for bootstrapping, persistence, and ethical constraints. Load it once per session when it has not already been read. Its constraints override stage tactics: no fake engagement, fake reviews, dishonest growth hacks, user-hostile monetization, or selling user data.
Workflow
- Identify the app and current stage. If the user has not named the app or the
current situation, ask one concise question. If a MAKE.md file exists in the project root, read it first because it may already contain this state.
- Load the current stage reference. Load one adjacent stage when the question
is on a boundary, such as build/launch for "is this ready to launch" or grow/monetize for "traffic but no revenue."
- Apply the reference to the user's specific app. Use the diagnostic questions
at the end of each reference to get missing facts, then convert the checklist into a concrete action list for this product and this week.
- Push toward shipping. When the user is stuck in abstraction, give the
smallest next action that creates market evidence.
- Offer to create or update a tracker. For a new app, copy
templates/make-tracker.md to the project root as MAKE.md and fill in what is known. For an existing MAKE.md, update the relevant section as decisions are made.
- End with action, not advice. Close every response with a short, time-boxed
next step unless the user explicitly requested only analysis.
Reference Routing
| User situation | Load |
|---|---|
| "I do not know what to build", idea feels broad, niche is unclear | references/idea.md |
| Stuck choosing stack, overbuilding, outsourcing before proof | references/build.md |
| Built something but nobody knows, launch plan is vague | references/launch.md |
| Traffic plateaued, retention unclear, growth depends on paid ads | references/grow.md |
| Users but no revenue, pricing/model is unclear | references/monetize.md |
| Revenue exists but founder is the bottleneck | references/automate.md |
| Acquisition offer, sale timing, valuation, or diligence questions | references/exit.md |
Tracker Handling
- Prefer
MAKE.mdin the project root for per-app state. - Preserve user-written sections and update only the stage details relevant to
the conversation.
- Keep the tracker factual: current stage, niche, decisions, launch dates,
pricing, repeat tasks, and post-mortem notes.
- When copying the template, replace obvious placeholders rather than leaving a
blank scaffold if the conversation already contains the answers.
Response Shape
For most requests, return:
- Stage diagnosis in one or two sentences.
- The key constraints or evidence gaps.
- A numbered plan of concrete actions.
- Tracker updates made or recommended.
- The next action to take today or this week.