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Expand Up @@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ Try to "polish the prototype into the MVP later" and you spend much longer on it

Three screens is the constraint - not five, not ten - because each extra screen multiplies the build effort without sharpening the validation signal.

![Wireframe of a passing 3-screen prototype: Screen 1 entry point with a fake file list and a Match transactions button, Screen 2 core action showing a Stripe-vs-QuickBooks match table where testers stall, and Screen 3 result with a summary card and Download report - the screen a passing tester reaches without coaching](wireframe-strip.svg)

> **The two caps that replace "spend a weekend on it".** (1) **Stop at 3 screens.** The fourth screen is the prototype turning into the MVP - exactly the failure mode this chapter prevents. (2) **Aim for a navigable 3-screen prototype within your first ~10 Lovable exchanges.** If after 10 messages the screens still aren't navigable, the hypothesis or the prompt is too vague - sharpen the prompt (or go back to Ch 1.1) before continuing. Do NOT keep adding messages hoping to brute-force coherence.

### Screen 1 - The entry point
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Expand Up @@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ related_posts: false

If you're stuck, start here. These are the questions founders ask most often - read the 2-3 that match your situation and get back to the build. If your question isn't here, try the course's [Quickstart path](/course/tech-for-non-technical-founders-2026/quickstart/) or the [How This Course Works](/course/tech-for-non-technical-founders-2026/how-this-course-works/) overview.

![Module map for this FAQ: a General group followed by Module 1 Hypothesis and smoke test, Module 2 Validate the problem, Module 3 Design from evidence, Module 4 Build it yourself, and Module 5 First paying customer - questions below are grouped in this order.](module-strip.svg)

---

## Module 1 - Hypothesis & Smoke Test
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## The 7 questions at a glance

| # | Question (compressed) | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Workflow: Jira ticket to merged code, with AI in the loop | Tools named by version, real PR from last week |
| 2 | Cost: $/dev/month on AI tokens, who pays it | Specific dollar range, pulled before the call |
| 3 | Verification: what the senior reviewer checks on AI PRs | Opens a real PR on screen, names line-level checks |
| 4 | Slopsquatting: how do you stop a hallucinated package | Named defense, uses the word, cites the source |
| 5 | Accountability: last AI-generated-code incident you owned | Date in last 6 months, root cause, workflow change after |
| 6 | Refactor: last one you led, what stayed/changed/broke | Named system, kept-changed-broke-safety-net structure |
| 7 | Disagreement: PR review where you said no to the AI | Real PR on screen, specific technical reason, one of many |
Keep this card open during the call or print it: what to listen for (Pass) sits beside what to walk away from (Fail), question by question. The full criteria for each are in the sections below.

![The 7 hiring questions on one card - the pass signal beside the fail signal for each, with a checkbox to score in real time](scorecard-at-a-glance.svg)

## Why this exists

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