Create a public home

Every journey needs an address

Social feeds are good at moving information. They are poor at preserving context. A public home gives every update somewhere stable to point.

For a technical project, begin with a GitHub repository and README. For a service or product, a simple landing page may be clearer. For research or writing, use a personal site, public document, or newsletter archive.

Do not build all of them at once.

What the page must answer

A first-time visitor should understand five things:

1. What is this? Use one literal sentence.
2. Who is it for? Name a recognizable person or situation.
3. What exists today? Show the current artifact, not the imagined future.
4. What are you testing? State the open question.
5. How can someone respond? Give one clear action.

A minimum README

# Project name

One sentence explaining what this is and who it helps.

## Current state

What works today, even if it is very small.

## Why I am building it

The problem, observation, or question behind the project.

## What I am testing now

The next assumption you need evidence for.

## Progress

- YYYY-MM-DD: first public version
- YYYY-MM-DD: changed X after learning Y

## Try it or respond

A link, issue, email address, or focused question.

Remove every heading you cannot fill honestly. “Coming soon” is less useful than “The form works; saving does not exist yet.”

A minimum landing page

Use the same information in a shorter order:

• a literal headline;
• one sentence about the person and problem;
• a screenshot or working demo;
• current status;
• one action: try, follow, join, or respond.

Avoid collecting email addresses unless you know what you will send and when. A waiting list is not evidence that the product works.

Make changes visible

Add a small progress section or changelog. Each entry should say what changed and, when useful, why.

July 14: Removed account creation from the prototype.
Five testers wanted to try the workflow before creating an account.

This is more valuable than “Exciting update shipped today” because it preserves a decision.

Publish before polishing

Your first public home does not need a logo, elaborate navigation, testimonials, or a perfect domain. It needs a working URL and accurate words.

Use the smallest tool you can maintain. The page should make building easier, not become a second product that delays the first.

Public home checklist

• [ ] The URL works without an account.
• [ ] The first sentence explains the project literally.
• [ ] The page distinguishes what exists from what is planned.
• [ ] There is one real artifact or screenshot.
• [ ] There is one focused way to respond.
• [ ] No secret, private data, or unapproved work is visible.

Once this address exists, you can write a first update that points to something real.