KDBM Lite · 04 / 10

Spec → Build → Check → Ship

Learn the four-step KDBM Lite loop that keeps an AI build small, checkable, and ready to share.

Goal

Learn the KDBM Lite loop: Spec, Build, Check, Ship.

Do now

Follow the loop and notice where each file, check, and proof step belongs.

Output

A mental model for moving from idea to checked build.

Stop when

You can explain the four loop stages without reading the page.

The loop

Spec → Build → Check → Ship

One small loop, repeated. Each pass finishes one Work Card, not the whole product.

Spec

Say what good means

Build

One Work Card

Check

Test the main action

Ship

Save the proof

↺ Then repeat for the next Work Card, not the whole product.

Spec → Build → Check → Ship

What this is

KDBM Lite uses one repeatable loop.

Step	What you do	What it produces
Spec	Say what good means.	A target you can test against.
Build	Complete one Work Card.	One small, finished change.
Check	Test the main action yourself.	Proof it works, or a named problem.
Ship	Save a screenshot or link, and explain it.	Proof you can show.

Then you repeat the loop for the next Work Card. The loop works for a content-led website and for a browser-local tool. The details differ; the method stays the same.

Why it matters

A small spec gives both you and the AI a target. Without it, each prompt can pull the project in a new direction and make the next session harder to resume.

KDBM Lite stores decisions in project files, not only in chat. That makes the work easier to continue, review, and hand over.

What to do

Do this now

Memorise the four words in order: Spec → Build → Check → Ship. When you feel lost later today, you are always in one of those four steps.

Use this when something goes wrong:

What happened	Where to go
The result is wrong	Check: describe the wrong behaviour, do not ask for a rewrite
The instruction was unclear	Spec: say what good means, then try again
It is too big to finish	Scope down: cut it to one main action
An account or install is blocked	Fallback proof: a screenshot still counts, keep moving

During this three-hour session the rhythm is:

Time	Outcome
0:00–0:18	Understand AI building and how coding changed
0:18–0:28	Take the architect role and learn this loop
0:28–0:43	Learn the workspace and the AI helper
0:43–0:55	Download, open, and pass setup
0:55–2:25	Save a clear spec, then build Work Cards
2:25–3:00	Check, fix the smallest useful thing, and ship proof

Check yourself

I can say the four steps in order without looking.
I know I build one Work Card at a time, not several at once.
I know where to go when the result is wrong (Check) and when my instruction was unclear (Spec).

You are ready when

You can repeat the loop from memory and explain why finishing one Work Card beats starting three.

Common mistakes

Writing a vague spec that cannot be tested.
Building several cards at once.
Shipping a preview that was never checked.

Next step

You now have the method. Before downloading anything, learn the cockpit you will build in: Your Builder Workspace.