Development Playbook

A structured, repeatable development process for building apps from concept to post-launch. Each phase produces two deliverables: a reusable process template (lives here) and a project-specific output (lives in the project repo).

See It in Action

Visit thedevplaybook.com to see 9 real projects built with this Playbook, documented from concept to launch. The dev journal shows every phase working on real code, with real decisions, pivots, and mistakes included.

Who This Is For

Solo developers and small teams who want a professional, documented development process without enterprise overhead. Every step is designed to be actionable — not bureaucratic.

How It Works

Phases

Phase	Name	Purpose	Exit Criteria
0	Concept	Define what you're building and why	Concept Document approved
1	Pre-Production	Plan how you'll build it	Architecture, design system, and project plan complete
2	Production	Build it	Feature-complete, integrated codebase
3	Testing & QA	Prove it works	All acceptance criteria met, no critical bugs
4	Launch	Ship it	Live in app stores and/or on the web
5	Post-Launch	Grow and maintain it	Ongoing — metrics, iteration, support

See TRANSITIONS.md for readiness checklists and common mistakes when moving between phases.

Two Deliverables Per Step

Every step within a phase produces:

1. Process Template (Playbook/phase-X/steps/ and templates/)

   • The "how" — reusable instructions and blank templates
   • Platform-agnostic, project-agnostic
   • Improves over time as you run more projects through it

2. Project Output (YourProject/docs/phase-X/)

   • The "what" — completed deliverables for a specific project
   • References the Playbook step it was created from
   • Lives in the project repo alongside the code

Using This Playbook

1. Starting a new project: Begin at Phase 0, Step 1. Work through each step sequentially.
2. Copy templates: Each phase has a templates/ directory with blank documents to copy into your project's docs/ folder.
3. Follow the steps: Each step file in steps/ explains what to do, why it matters, and what "done" looks like.
4. Adapt as needed: Not every project needs every step. Scale up or down based on complexity. Mark steps as "N/A" with a reason rather than silently skipping them.

Integration with Claude Code

This Playbook is designed to work alongside Claude Code skills and CLAUDE.md configurations:

• Skills are created or updated when a phase reveals a repeatable capability (e.g., a competitive analysis workflow, a deployment checklist)
• CLAUDE.md project instructions reference the Playbook phase the project is currently in
• Memory files track which phase/step is active for session continuity

Token Optimization

AI-assisted development is powerful but token-expensive. The AI Token Optimization Guide covers universal techniques for reducing credit usage, plus phase-specific tips embedded in each phase README. Key principle: control what enters context — 99% of token cost is input, not output.

Directory Structure

Playbook/
├── README.md                           # This file
├── CONTRIBUTING.md                     # How to contribute
├── LICENSE                             # MIT License
├── TRANSITIONS.md                      # Phase transition readiness checklists
├── docs/
│   ├── ROADMAP.md                      # Playbook development roadmap
│   └── ai-token-optimization.md        # AI credit/token optimization guide
├── phase-0-concept/
│   ├── README.md                       # Phase overview, entry/exit criteria
│   ├── steps/
│   │   ├── 00-guided-concept-session.md  # Interactive Q&A shortcut for Steps 1-5
│   │   ├── 01-ideation-and-vision.md
│   │   ├── 02-discovery-questions.md
│   │   ├── 03-competitive-analysis.md
│   │   ├── 04-technical-feasibility.md
│   │   ├── 05-concept-document.md
│   │   ├── 06-app-naming.md
│   │   └── 07-phase-retrospective.md
│   └── templates/
│       ├── concept-brief.md
│       ├── concept-document.md
│       ├── competitor-matrix.md
│       ├── discovery-questionnaire.md
│       ├── technical-feasibility.md
│       └── vision-statement.md
├── phase-1-pre-production/
│   ├── README.md
│   ├── steps/
│   │   ├── 01-requirements-specification.md
│   │   ├── 02-technical-spikes.md
│   │   ├── 03-architecture-design.md
│   │   ├── 04-uiux-design.md
│   │   ├── 05-design-system.md          # Includes asset planning pipeline
│   │   ├── 06-api-data-design.md
│   │   ├── 07-project-plan.md
│   │   ├── 08-dev-environment-setup.md
│   │   └── 09-phase-retrospective.md
│   ├── templates/
│   │   ├── api-spec.md
│   │   ├── architecture-document.md
│   │   ├── content-authoring-brief.md   # Content planning for content-dependent apps
│   │   ├── design-system-spec.md
│   │   ├── dev-environment-setup.md
│   │   ├── phase-retrospective.md
│   │   ├── project-plan.md
│   │   ├── requirements-document.md
│   │   ├── spike-report.md
│   │   └── uiux-spec.md
│   └── references/
│       ├── ai-design-pipeline.md        # AI-assisted design workflows
│       ├── app-store-compliance-checklist.md  # iOS App Store submission requirements
│       ├── asset-pipeline.md            # Asset creation tools and workflows
│       └── platform-adaptation-guide.md # Web + game adaptations for each step
├── phase-2-production/
│   ├── README.md
│   ├── steps/
│   │   ├── 01-sprint-execution.md       # Includes code review + 3-tier testing
│   │   └── 02-retrospective.md
│   └── templates/
│       ├── retro-tracker.md
│       ├── sprint-0-spike-tracker.md    # Spike-driven first sprint template
│       └── sprint-tracker.md
├── phase-3-testing-qa/
│   ├── README.md
│   ├── steps/
│   │   ├── 01-test-plan.md
│   │   ├── 02-functional-testing.md
│   │   ├── 03-platform-testing.md
│   │   ├── 04-performance-testing.md
│   │   ├── 05-security-privacy-audit.md
│   │   ├── 06-beta-testing.md
│   │   └── 07-bug-fix-sprint.md
│   └── templates/
│       ├── test-plan.md
│       └── bug-tracker.md
├── phase-4-launch/
│   ├── README.md
│   ├── steps/
│   │   ├── 01-store-preparation.md
│   │   ├── 02-store-marketing-assets.md  # AppShot + BatchSnap references
│   │   ├── 03-compliance-final-check.md
│   │   ├── 04-submission.md
│   │   ├── 05-launch-marketing.md
│   │   ├── 06-launch-day.md
│   │   └── 07-web-deployment.md
│   └── templates/
│       └── store-asset-checklist.md
└── phase-5-post-launch/
    ├── README.md
    ├── steps/
    │   ├── 01-monitoring-setup.md
    │   ├── 02-user-feedback-loop.md
    │   ├── 03-iteration-planning.md
    │   ├── 04-update-cycle.md
    │   ├── 05-growth-retention.md
    │   └── 06-retrospective.md
    └── templates/
        ├── feedback-log.md
        └── project-retrospective.md

Principles

• Always have a working deliverable — Each step ends with something concrete, not just notes
• Document decisions, not just outcomes — Capture the "why" so future-you understands the reasoning
• Smallest viable process — Only add process steps that earn their keep. If a step doesn't produce value, cut it
• Phase gates are checkpoints, not gates — Review exit criteria honestly, but don't let process block momentum
• Improve the Playbook as you go — After each project, update templates and steps with lessons learned