[Feature Name]

Appetite: [1-2 days / 1 week / 2 weeks]

Problem

Current situation: [Describe what users do today, what's painful]

Specific problem: [The exact problem we're solving, for whom]

Why now: [Why this matters, what's the cost of not solving it]

Appetite

Time budget: [X days/weeks]

This is NOT an estimate. It's how much time we're willing to spend on this problem.

Trade-offs accepted:

If it takes longer → we cut scope or cancel
If it takes less → great, we ship early

Solution

High-Level Approach

[Describe the solution in 2-3 paragraphs. What does it look like? How does it work?]

Breadboard (or Fat Marker Sketch)

[Draw ASCII breadboard or describe UI flow]

Example:
[ Main Screen ]
   |
   +-- [ Action Button ] --> [ New Screen ]
   |                             |
   |                             +-- [ Form Fields ]
   |                             +-- [ Save Button ] --> back to Main
   |
   +-- [ List View ]
         - Item 1
         - Item 2

Or link to sketch/whiteboard photo.

Key Elements

[Element 1]: What it does
[Element 2]: What it does
[Element 3]: What it does

Rabbit Holes

Potential risks we've identified:

Technical Unknowns

[Risk 1]: [Description]
- Mitigation: [How we'll handle it]
[Risk 2]: [Description]
- Mitigation: [How we'll handle it]

Scope Creep Risks

Watch out for: [Feature X that users might ask for]
- Decision: Out of scope for v1

No Gos

Explicitly OUT of scope for this cycle:

❌ [Feature A] — Nice to have, but not essential
❌ [Feature B] — Too complex, future version
❌ [Feature C] — Different use case
❌ [Feature D] — Low user demand

If users ask for these: Politely defer to future consideration.

Success Criteria

What does "done" look like?

[Specific, measurable outcome 1]
[Specific, measurable outcome 2]
[Specific, measurable outcome 3]

NOT: "Users are happy" (too vague) YES: "Users can export data in <2 clicks, works for 100+ records"

Data/Integration Notes

(For AI agents - be specific)

Data sources:

[Where data lives - database, API, etc.]

Data transformations:

[What needs to happen to data]

Integration points:

[What existing code this touches]
[APIs to call]
[Dependencies]

Example API response:

{
  "field1": "value",
  "field2": 123
}

Open Questions

(Answer these before betting)

Question 1: [Description]
- Answer: [Resolved or "still investigating"]
Question 2: [Description]
- Answer: [Resolved or "still investigating"]

If any critical questions remain → keep shaping, don't bet yet.

Ready to Bet?

Problem is clear and specific
Appetite is set (days/weeks)
Solution is rough but solved
Rabbit holes identified and mitigated
Boundaries defined (No Gos listed)
Success criteria are measurable
Technical integration is clear
No blocking open questions

If all checked → ready for betting table.

Notes

[Any additional context, references, or decisions made during shaping]

📖 Learn more: Shaping Guide | 🎯 Real example: Performance Dashboard

🚀 Next: Set up Basecamp to post your pitch

FilesExpand file tree

pitch-template.md

Latest commit

History