# Break my first coding project into small buildable steps

A milestone plan where every step leaves you with a working program and tells you what to learn next.

- Topic: Software Development
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Coding, Brainstorm, Code, Fill-in Template, Interactive, Step-by-step
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/break-my-first-coding-project-into-small-buildable-steps

## Prompt

```text
Break my first coding project into small steps I can build and test one at a time.

**Project idea and first version:** [PASTE FROM STEP 1, or describe what the program should do]
**Language and tools:** [e.g. "Python in VS Code"]
**What I already know:** [e.g. "variables, if statements, basic loops"]
**Time per week:** [HOURS]

Rules:
- 8-15 milestones. Each one must end with a program that runs, even if it does very little (e.g. "prints the menu" before "saves data to a file").
- Introduce new concepts just in time: only what the current milestone needs.
- Hard-code things at first and replace them later, so I see progress early.
- Include saving my work with version control (git) from milestone 1, explained simply.
- Do not write the code for me. Describe what to build and what to learn.

Return:
1. A table: Milestone | What it does when finished | New concepts to learn | How to check it works | Estimated time.
2. For the first milestone only: a short explanation of each concept and a hint for how to start.
3. A list of features to deliberately leave out of the first version.
4. Signs I'm stuck vs. normal struggle, and when to ask for help.

This is step 2 of the "Learn to code by building your first project" pack. It works on its own, and can use the project chosen in step 1. When I hit errors, step 3 helps me get unstuck.
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE FROM STEP 1, or describe what the program should do
- e.g. "Python in VS Code"
- e.g. "variables, if statements, basic loops"
- HOURS

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.