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STEP 1 · SKETCH

Stage 1 — Sketch

Stage 1 — Sketch

Stop relying on memory and give your idea the courtesy of being written. This is where the first honest version lands — rough, incomplete, and real.

Stop relying on memory and give your idea the courtesy of being written. This is where the first honest version lands — rough, incomplete, and real.

Start sketching

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PROJECT 1 — KICKSTART YOUR IDEAS

Some ideas arrive quietly. A phrase. An image. A thought that drifts in while you are doing something else. You tell yourself you will remember it, and you don’t. This stage is where you stop relying on memory and start treating the idea as something that deserves to land.

Some ideas arrive quietly. A phrase. An image. A thought that drifts in while you are doing something else. You tell yourself you will remember it, and you don’t. This stage is where you stop relying on memory and start treating the idea as something that deserves to land.

Some ideas arrive quietly. A phrase. An image. A thought that drifts in while you are doing something else. You tell yourself you will remember it, and you don’t. This stage is where you stop relying on memory and start treating the idea as something that deserves to land.

You are not trying to be smart here. You are trying to be honest. Write down what you have, as it is, not as you wish it were. Rough, incomplete and slightly chaotic is fine. The point is not to impress yourself. The point is to catch the spark before it fades into the background again.

You are not trying to be smart here. You are trying to be honest. Write down what you have, as it is, not as you wish it were. Rough, incomplete and slightly chaotic is fine. The point is not to impress yourself. The point is to catch the spark before it fades into the background again.

You are not trying to be smart here. You are trying to be honest. Write down what you have, as it is, not as you wish it were. Rough, incomplete and slightly chaotic is fine. The point is not to impress yourself. The point is to catch the spark before it fades into the background again.

You are not deciding yet if this is “good enough” or “big enough.” You are simply giving your idea the courtesy of being written. That alone already separates it from the thousands you forgot.

You are not deciding yet if this is “good enough” or “big enough.” You are simply giving your idea the courtesy of being written. That alone already separates it from the thousands you forgot.

You are not deciding yet if this is “good enough” or “big enough.” You are simply giving your idea the courtesy of being written. That alone already separates it from the thousands you forgot.

How the workbook works

How the workbook works

Every project starts with a loose idea. First, you catch it in the Idea Bank. When one idea keeps pulling at you, you choose it and turn it into a project. From there, the From Scratch method guides the work through seven stages.

Every project starts with a loose idea. First, you catch it in the Idea Bank. When one idea keeps pulling at you, you choose it and turn it into a project. From there, the From Scratch method guides the work through seven stages.

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Scratch path

Catch loose ideas before they disappear. One line is enough.

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Choose one idea

Pick the idea that keeps pulling at you. Once you choose it, it becomes your project.

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Work the project

Move through seven stages. Left pages guide the thinking; right pages give you space to sketch, write, map, and shape the work.

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Checkpoints

Reality checks along the way. They show whether the work has enough shape and body to continue — or needs more attention first.

The first honest version

12 min

01

Name the idea

Write down what you have, as it is, not as you wish it were. One plain sentence is enough.

02

Find the friction

Look for the moment, problem, or feeling that first sparked the idea. Don’t make it bigger yet.

03

Draw the first version

Sketch, map, list, or scribble the rough shape. The point is to catch the spark before it fades.

Questions to ground yourself

01

01

What is the first honest version of this idea that you can write down right now?

What is the first honest version of this idea that you can write down right now?

02

02

What moment, problem, or feeling first sparked this idea?

What moment, problem, or feeling first sparked this idea?

03

03

What about this idea makes you curious enough to want to start?

What about this idea makes you curious enough to want to start?

Want the next step?

Step 2 is Clarify. For now, keep your sketch close — the next move is deciding what the idea is really for.

Step 2 is Clarify. For now, keep your sketch close — the next move is deciding what the idea is really for.

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