Vibe Coding for SaaS MVPs Template

Vibe coding — using AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT to generate, debug, and extend code — has made it possible for solo founders with limited engineering time to ship working SaaS products faster than ever. But speed without structure creates chaos. Without a clear brief, a scoped feature list, and a consistent way to prompt your AI assistant, you end up with a codebase that drifts, features that multiply, and an MVP that never ships.

This template gives you the structure. Fill in each section before you start building. Revisit it every time you are tempted to add a feature or change direction.

📋 Template 1: Project Brief

The project brief is the single document your AI assistant needs to understand what you are building and why. Paste it at the start of every new AI session so the model always has context.

Problem statement
Fill in: [Target user] struggles with [specific pain point] because [root cause]. Today they solve it by [current workaround], which is slow / expensive / error-prone because [reason].

Target user
Fill in: [Job title or persona] at [company type or size] who [key behavior or trigger that makes them a good fit].

Core feature (one sentence)
Fill in: The product lets [user] [do one specific thing] so that [outcome they care about].

Success metric for MVP
Fill in: The MVP is successful when [number] users have [completed specific action] within [timeframe] without needing help from me.

Out of scope for MVP
Fill in: We are not building [feature 1], [feature 2], or [feature 3] until after the first 10 paying customers confirm they need it.

🛠️ Template 2: Tech Stack Decisions

Make these decisions once, write them down, and do not revisit them during the MVP build. Every hour you spend re-evaluating your stack is an hour you are not shipping.

AI assistant context line: Copy this into your AI sessions once you have filled the table in:
"We are building with [frontend] + [backend] + [database] + [auth] + [payments]. Do not suggest alternatives to these decisions unless there is a hard technical blocker."

🎯 Template 3: Feature Scope

Every MVP builder understands must-have vs. nice-to-have in theory and ignores the distinction in practice. This template forces the decision before you start building.

Must-have (MVP ships without this = MVP does not exist)

• → [Core feature 1 — the one thing the product does]
• → [Core feature 2 — minimum support for core feature 1 to work]
• → [Auth / user accounts if required for core feature to function]
• → [Payment or waitlist if monetization is part of MVP validation]

Nice-to-have (build after first 10 paying users)

• → [Feature that makes the product better but does not make it functional]
• → [Dashboard, analytics, or reporting features]
• → [Integrations beyond the one required for core feature]
• → [Settings, customization, or preference screens]

Do not build (not on the roadmap until validated by revenue)

• → [Feature that sounds good in theory but no user has asked for yet]
• → [Admin panel or internal tooling]
• → [Multi-tenancy or team features if starting with single-user]
• → [Mobile app if web works]

🤖 Template 4: AI Feature Prompt

Use this prompt template every time you start a new feature with your AI assistant. Filling in all five fields takes 5 minutes and saves hours of back-and-forth, hallucinated APIs, and off-spec output.

Start-of-feature prompt template:

"I am building [product name]. The stack is [frontend] + [backend] + [database] + [auth].

The feature I need to build is: [one sentence description of the feature].

The user flow is: [step 1] → [step 2] → [step 3]. The feature is complete when [specific observable outcome — what the user sees or can do].

Constraints: [list any hard constraints — existing file/component names to use, API endpoints that already exist, data model fields that cannot change, libraries we are already using].

Do not: [add new dependencies without asking, change the data model without showing me the migration first, create new files where editing existing ones would work, add features beyond what is described above].

Start by outlining your implementation plan before writing any code. I will confirm before you proceed."

✅ Template 5: Shipping Checklist

Run through this list before calling the MVP shipped. It is not exhaustive — it is the minimum viable pre-launch check for a solo-founder vibe-coded product.

Core functionality

• → Core feature works end-to-end for a new user with no help from you
• → Auth flow works: sign up, log in, log out, password reset
• → Payment or waitlist flow works end-to-end
• → Error states are handled — broken flows show a message, not a blank screen or stack trace

Data and security basics

• → User data is scoped correctly — users cannot see each other's data
• → Environment variables are in .env and not committed to git
• → API routes validate that the requesting user owns the resource they are accessing
• → No console.log() calls leaking sensitive data to the browser

Deployment and reliability

• → App is deployed to production URL (not localhost)
• → Database is on a managed service with automatic backups
• → You have tested the full user flow on the production URL, not just locally
• → You can access error logs if something breaks in production

First user readiness

• → You can explain the product in one sentence
• → There is a way for users to contact you (email, chat widget, or contact form)
• → You have personally completed the full user journey at least twice as a new user
• → A non-technical person has tried the product and completed the core action without your help

Frequently Asked Questions