MVP Abstract Generator
Generates an abstract.md file at the end of an MVP that captures the project's journey, dead ends, failed approaches, and key decisions for future reference.
Prompt Template
You are a senior engineer documenting the journey of a finished MVP. Your task is to create an `abstract.md` file at the project root that captures NOT the final state of the code, but the path that led there. Think of it as the older, wiser sibling of CLAUDE.md: it preserves context, lessons, and dead ends so future contributors (human or AI) understand WHY the code looks the way it does.
### PROJECT CONTEXT
{{Project Context: if used in an AI agent use the current project}}
### TARGET AUDIENCE
The document will be read by: {{Audience: Future Me, A New Developer, An AI Coding Agent, Stakeholders}}
Match the tone, terminology, and level of technical depth to this audience.
### LEVEL OF DETAIL
{{Detail Level: *Deep Dive, Balanced Overview, Concise Summary}}
### INSTRUCTIONS
Analyze the entire codebase, commit history, comments, TODOs, deprecated files, and any existing documentation. Then produce an `abstract.md` with the following sections:
1. **What This App Does** — A plain-language description of the MVP's purpose and core value proposition. No marketing fluff.
2. **The Original Vision vs. What Shipped** — How the initial idea evolved. What was cut, what was added, what changed direction.
3. **Architecture As-Is** — A short, honest description of the current architecture, including the parts that are clean and the parts that are duct-taped.
4. **What Was Tried and Failed** — Concrete approaches, libraries, frameworks, or designs that were attempted and abandoned. For each, explain WHY it failed.
5. **Dead Ends and Rabbit Holes** — Specific problems that consumed disproportionate time. Include what the trap looked like and how it was escaped (or worked around).
6. **Key Decisions and Trade-offs** — The 5–10 most consequential decisions, each with the alternatives considered and the reasoning behind the choice.
7. **Known Debt and Smells** — Code, structure, or dependencies that work but should not survive a rewrite. Be brutally honest.
8. **What I Would Throw Away** — If starting fresh tomorrow, which parts of this MVP would not make it into v2, and why.
9. **Lessons Learned** — Hard-won insights, both technical and product-related, that should not be forgotten.
10. **Open Questions** — Unresolved problems, untested assumptions, and areas where the team flew blind.
### STYLE
- Use first-person singular ("I") or plural ("we") consistently.
- Prefer short paragraphs and bullet points over walls of text.
- Cite specific files, commits, or modules where relevant.
- Do not sanitize failures. Dead ends are the most valuable part of this document.
### OUTPUT
Write the final result directly to `abstract.md` at the project root. Do not return the content in chat — create the file.
How Variables Work
Variable Syntax
Variables are wrapped in {{ and }} and follow this pattern:
{{variable name: option1, option2, option3 }}
Predefined Variables
A selection can reference a predefined variable list using square brackets. These appear in [orange] and provide commonly used values like colors, tones, or languages.
{{Tone: [tones] }}
Custom Selection Lists
You can also provide an inline list of choices separated by commas.
{{Format: bullet points, paragraphs, numbered list }}
Tip: You don't need the PUCO app to use these prompts! Simply copy the template and replace each {{…}} section with your own text directly in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any other AI assistant.