1. Sketch & remove features (usually fit in a page or 2, 3) until I have something minimal. While sketching, I also figure out the main features and then the ma

1. Sketch & remove features (usually fit in a page or 2, 3) until I have something minimal. While sketching, I also figure out the main features and then the main db tables and methods/functions. Sometimes the sketch paper has some competitors there, ideas around how to make money, user experience notes etc... Often a little supersimple objectmodel or db scheme too. Always fits on 1 page. 1.5 Put that sketch on my "ideas" wall. Most ideas never make it. But for the ones that do: 2. Set up local domain mynewsite.peter, and optionally put codeigniter on it. 3. Put 1 or 2 html pages up. 4. Create a database table or two, code some functions that call it, and get something working. Now I have something working, I iterate on it finetuning it for a while. And if I still like it, I might improve it a little and put it online for friends to play with. I've done projects that I launched but only ever used myself.