New Project Playbook

Step-by-step guide for starting a new software project.

Overview

This playbook covers everything needed to go from idea to first commit.

Checklist

Phase 1: Planning

• Define the problem (Phase 1: Capture)
• Validate the idea (Phase 2: Validate)
• Create initial designs (Phase 3: Design)
• Write PRD (Phase 4: Spec)

Phase 2: Setup

• Choose tech stack
• Set up repository
• Configure development environment
• Set up CI/CD
• Configure deployment

Phase 3: Foundation

• Create project structure
• Set up database
• Implement authentication
• Create base UI components

Tech Stack Decision

Before starting, decide on:

Layer	Options	Decision
Frontend	Next.js, React, Vue
Backend	Node, Python, Go
Database	PostgreSQL, MongoDB
Hosting	Vercel, AWS, GCP
Auth	Clerk, Auth0, Custom

Document decisions in ADRs.

Repository Setup

# Create new repository
gh repo create [name] --private

# Clone and setup
git clone [repo-url]
cd [name]

# Initialize project (example for Next.js)
npx create-next-app@latest . --typescript

# Initial commit
git add .
git commit -m "Initial project setup"
git push

Project Structure

Recommended structure:

project/
├── src/
│   ├── app/           # Pages/routes
│   ├── components/    # UI components
│   ├── lib/           # Utilities
│   ├── services/      # API/external services
│   └── types/         # TypeScript types
├── tests/
├── docs/              # Project documentation
├── .env.example       # Environment template
├── README.md
└── package.json

Environment Setup

1. Create .env.example with all required variables
2. Copy to .env.local for local development
3. Configure production secrets in hosting platform

CI/CD Setup

Minimum CI pipeline:

• Lint check
• Type check
• Unit tests
• Build verification

Next Steps

After setup is complete:

1. Start building core features
2. Follow the Add Feature Playbook
3. Prepare for Deployment