Side projects tend to begin as platforms. The idea is exciting, the edges are still soft, and every adjacent feature feels essential. Soon, the project has roles, plugins, providers, and no users.
The smaller version is not simply the same roadmap with fewer items. It is a tighter promise. One kind of person, one recurring problem, one useful outcome. A narrow product gives you something concrete to test and a reason to finish.
Scope is a design material
Constraints are not an apology. They shape the product. Deciding what the software refuses to do can make the intended workflow clearer and the code easier to understand.
This is sample content for the prototype. The finished article will include lessons from building workflow products and infrastructure experiments on the side.