Write down exactly how you'll know it worked

Before I call a tool finished, I write one plain sentence describing exactly how I'll know it worked. Not "it runs," but something specific, like the file lands in the right folder with the right name.

Vague success feels good in the moment but leaves you guessing later, especially if someone else on your team starts relying on the tool without knowing what "working" was supposed to mean. A specific, written sentence gives everyone the same bar to check against, and it turns a fuzzy feeling of confidence into something you can actually verify with your own eyes.

Try this today: write one specific sentence describing what proof looks like for your current tool, then check that exact proof yourself before telling anyone it's ready.

• name the exact file, message, or result you expect
• check it yourself, not just the process that produced it
• write it down before you look, not after