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Field Notes

Notes from
the starting line.

Practical thinking on problems, prototypes, first users and the decisions that shape an early company.

Applied AI · 2 min read

What makes an early AI product worth returning to?

A striking output can win a first look. Reliability, context and a useful place in the workflow earn the second.

Maya Chen ·
Finding demand

Your first ten users are a learning system

At the beginning, a useful user relationship teaches you where the product belongs—not just how to increase a count.


2 min read · Theo Park
Building

A prototype should answer a question

The best early prototype is often smaller than the product you want to build—and more precise about what it needs to prove.


2 min read · Alex Reed
Early conviction

What we look for before there is traction

Before a dashboard can tell the story, the quality of a founder’s learning can still be visible.


3 min read · Maya Chen

You do not need every answer.
Start with the question.

Tell us what you’re building