Book 3 · Chapter 4: The Art of the Brief
This page builds a clear build brief from your answers, with a worksheet and four template briefs.
This page assumes you've read the chapter. It hands you the tools, not the lessons.
Build-Brief Builder
Answer the five parts and the tool writes the brief. Paste it into Claude as your first message, and the first version lands close.
Your build brief
PURPOSE: A rental property ROI calculator that helps me compare potential investment properties. I'll use it on my own when evaluating listings, and I might share it with a potential investment partner. LAYOUT: Three sections stacked vertically. At the top: input fields for the property details. In the middle: a results panel showing the key financial metrics. At the bottom: a comparison table so I can save and compare multiple properties side by side. ACTIONS: When I fill in the purchase price, down payment, interest rate, and expected rent, calculate monthly mortgage payment, monthly cash flow, annual ROI, and cap rate automatically. When I click "Save to Comparison," add the current property to the comparison table. Let me remove properties from the comparison table. Highlight any property with negative cash flow in red. DATA: Inputs: property address, purchase price, down payment percentage, interest rate, loan term (default 30 years), expected monthly rent, estimated monthly expenses (insurance, taxes, maintenance, management). Outputs: monthly mortgage payment, monthly cash flow, annual cash flow, cash-on-cash ROI, cap rate. Save comparison data between sessions. STYLE: Professional and clean. I might share this with a potential investment partner, so it should look polished. Use green for positive cash flow and red for negative.
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Brief Worksheet
Answer these five before you build. The more you fill in, the closer the first version lands.
Purpose: What and Who
What this tool does, and who will use it.
Layout: How It Looks
Where things go on the screen.
Actions: What Happens When You Use It
What happens when someone does something.
Data: What Goes In, What Comes Out
What fields it tracks, where the data comes from, how it relates, and whether it persists.
Style: How Polished It Needs to Be
How polished it needs to be.
From the Five Parts of a Build Brief section.
4 template briefs
- Template 1: Tracker
Build me a [thing] tracker for [audience]. I need to track: [list fields]. Sort by [default sort]. Highlight [condition] in [color]. Include a search bar and a count of total items at the top. Save data between sessions. [Style level].
- Template 2: Calculator
Build me a [thing] calculator for [audience]. Inputs: [list inputs with expected ranges]. Calculation: [describe the logic]. Output: [what the result should show]. [Style level].
- Template 3: Dashboard
Build me a [topic] dashboard for [audience]. Data: [describe what data and where it comes from]. Key metrics at the top: [list 3-5 headline numbers]. Main view: [chart type or table]. Filters: [what to filter by]. Time period: [default range]. [Style level].
- Template 4: Form
Build me a [thing] form for [audience]. Fields: [list fields with types]. Validation: [what rules apply]. On submit: [what happens]. [Style level].