Introduction

This handbook serves as a guide to turn ideas into products people use. It’s for engineers, designers, and solo founders who can build but want steady momentum, early validation, and clear feedback. The approach stays simple on purpose: small steps, fast learning, steady progress.

It comes from over 15 years shipping software and more than 60 side projects. Most stopped at prototype. The pattern was the same: build, polish, launch quietly, see little usage, move on. Skill wasn’t the problem. Process, feedback, and momentum were.

TenK 6 breaks that pattern. It’s a simple loop: focus effort, get real feedback, keep building. No over‑engineering. No quiet launches.

The TenK 6 Loop

1. List: Write a small set of concrete ideas.
2. Pick: Choose exactly one to do next.
3. Ship: Deliver the smallest testable slice.
4. Ask: Put it in front of real people.
5. Measure: Track a few clear signals.
6. Share: Say what happened and what’s next.

Repeat. Keep cycles short so the next step stays obvious. The goal isn’t more code. It’s clear signals and steady momentum.

Why this matters: most indie projects fail from weak user contact, not lack of skill. TenK 6 makes user contact part of every cycle.

Notes on the Steps

• List: Capture a few specific ideas you can do in days.
• Pick: Commit to one. Cut context switching. Set a finish line.
• Ship: Release the smallest version that gets real feedback. Skip gold‑plating.
• Ask: Watch what people do. Don’t pitch. Look for behavior, not opinions.
• Measure: Choose a few signals up front. Prefer sharper tests over bigger scope.
• Share: Note what happened and what changes next. Keep it brief and honest.

Principles

• Ship beats polish: visible progress > invisible perfection.
• Small boxes force choices: tight time and scope surface priorities.
• Test conviction: treat enthusiasm as a hypothesis.
• Share often: updates reduce isolation and invite help.

Who It’s For

For independent builders and small teams who want a simple operating rhythm. It fits side projects with limited hours and early product phases where demand is the main risk.

How to Use This Handbook

• Read once to see the loop.
• Pick a small idea and run one cycle end to end.
• Note the plan, changes, and what you learned.
• Share a short update at the end of each cycle.
• Repeat. Tune scope to keep cadence.

What to Expect

Early cycles bring small wins and strong learning. Over time, shipping, asking, and measuring cut guesswork and focus effort on what works. Retire weak ideas early to save time for the ones with traction.

Indie10k

Indie10k came from using these principles again and again. Aim for sustainability, not perfection. TenK 6 is the operating rhythm behind that work. This handbook distills it so you can use it in any domain or stack.

Closing

If you start strong and abandon quietly, you’re not alone. Cadence and process separate code that piles up from products that grow. TenK 6 gives you a small, dependable loop for both.

By the end, you’ll plan and run TenK 6 cycles, judge outcomes with evidence, and decide when to persevere, adapt, or stop. Move steadily toward products people value.