You only get 1 hour a day to build. What do you let go of — and what do you fight to keep?
Let’s play this out.
You’re not full-time.
You’re not VC-backed.
Life’s already happening.
And your calendar hands you exactly 60 minutes a day to build something meaningful.
So now what?
No time for endless roadmap debates
No energy for shiny launches
No space for “maybe someday” features
What do you drop first?
What do you defend with everything you’ve got?
For me, this question hit harder than expected.
Because it’s not really about time management.
It’s about:
Focus
Values
What actually moves the needle
What feels like progress but isn’t
So I’m asking the community:
If you had just 1 hour a day to build — what would you cut?
And what would you never sacrifice?
👇 I’d love to hear how you’d play it.
Replies
From my own experience, when I still had some spare time to work on my projects, I applied those principles:
Avoid focusing on complex UI designs, keep things simple first (except if it's a core part of your app)
Focus only on your niche people needs, on your product market fit. Don't go too generalistic, you would lose the real value of your product. Don't try to sell a screwdriver to a painter.
Discard the "feature checklist" syndrom and prefer to solve a problem first. We don't care about your workout app having a new shiny drag and drop if it does not count calories correctly...
Keep it technically simple, you don't want to spend too much time on maintenance and setup, in particular when you only have 1 hour straight
@scorbutics Brice, this is a mini masterclass.
“Don’t try to sell a screwdriver to a painter” needs to be framed and hung.
Totally agree on skipping the feature checklist syndrome,it’s tempting, but a time sink when you’ve only got an hour.
Appreciate the clarity here.
As someone who's just starting out with limited time (and resources), I totally resonate with this. If I only had one hour a day to build, I’d cut out any distractions—like endless research or tweaking designs that don’t directly impact user experience. I'd focus on building a simple, functional MVP and getting feedback fast. I’d never sacrifice user feedback or iteration because I believe that's what helps me grow as a maker and stay focused on what truly matters. Progress isn't about perfect features but solving real problems for real people.
@kartikeya_ Exactly. Feedback is the only thing that actually pulls you forward when time’s tight.
I’ve wasted way too many hours polishing things no one asked for,shipping fast cuts through that quick.
Appreciate you sharing this, Kartikeya. It’s a mindset I’m trying to lock in too.
I will run the 1 hour as product sprints, let's say over multiple weeks.
1) Write down the idea on a lean canvas
2) Validate the idea on Reddit/ HN/ PH and friends/ known networks.
3) Use no-code or AI tools to build the MVP
4) Ship the MVP to the market for validation and feedback
5) Only if Step 4 works, invest time and money to build further.
@bismayy_mohapatra Really like how you’ve framed this, Bismayy.
Turning that 1 hour into focused, repeatable sprints is a smart approach; especially the filter at Step 4.
Too easy to default to building more without real validation. This is a great reminder to stay disciplined.
Appreciate you sharing it so clearly.
I’d talk to users first to find out what value I need to create for them. That will drive what I focus on.
@reid_kimball Totally fair.
If I only had 1 hour, I think I'd still burn at least 15 mins just listening.
Because without that, everything else risks being "noise".
Appreciate this ; grounded me back to first principles.
Maybe it's a mistake, but I really want to take all my work experience and create something truly beautiful from it. The thing is, I'm a perfectionist and it's killing me to put out anything less than flawless. I've been stuck in 'make it perfect' mode for so long that I'm struggling to ship something that's just... good enough. Anyone else out there feel like they're paralyzed by their own high standards? I'm hoping that by sharing my project here, I can finally break free from the cycle of overthinking and just get it out into the world.
@nataliia_makota Absolutely! Perfectionism has this sneaky way of feeling like progress, but it usually just keeps things stuck. You’re definitely not alone in that spiral. Honestly, the toughest part is hitting publish when it still feels unfinished. But sharing your project is such a solid move to break that cycle.
minimalist phone: creating folders
I am just here to read the comments section to see how people are creative :)
@busmark_w_nika Glad you’re here; honestly, the creativity in the replies has blown me away too.
This thread wouldn’t be half as valuable without the way people are showing up and sharing.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@ambika_vaish I could see the processes – I would also be curious about whether they build a different product under such circumstances or remain building the same as they build now.
Well I have 2 kids, 3 yr old and 8 month old. So I literally don't even have any time for myself. My wife still has trouble understanding what I do.
I started vibe coding to save time. My prompts are based on my architectural design. Everything is modularized so I can build it piece by piece, little at a time. Putting everything into a plan that you can stick to with fine details gives you the freedom to do other things.
This also lets your organize your idea and pick out what gives the biggest impact as a solution to a problem. I find it easier to decide which is a nice to have once it's all organized.
I also don't believe in working alone when it comes to building. I can be taking on the all the roles. I rather focus on what I am best at. So I try to find friends who are interested or use AI for research. Why spend the time to read everything out there when you can get it summarized. You just need to ask the right questions to get the important information.
If feel you need to move fast when you want to start a business. I try to find everyway possible to optimize my workflow. I am actually about to launch an MVP very soon. I literally worked on in for 5 days total but spread out to 3 weeks. I have tons of projects in my github that I abandoned after several months. No more of that for me.
@smlee This is incredibly grounded and real — building while raising two young kids and holding your vision together is no small thing. Massive respect.
I love how you’ve structured everything around modular thinking and clarity. The way you’ve turned limited time into an asset — by organizing, optimizing, and cutting noise — is something I’m still working on.
That shift from “I can do it all” to “I’ll focus on what I’m best at” really hit. It’s not just smarter — it’s more sustainable.
Wishing you all the momentum as you launch. And honestly? No more abandoned GitHub ghosts sounds like a great milestone in itself. 👊
I imagined taking our product into this situation, and it does seem like a tricky scenario. However, I think it can be simplified into the following steps:
1. Starting the Project (Before Doing Any Work): Spend time every day talking to potential users to truly understand how much they need this product. Group their needs into three categories: "Essential," "Good to Have," and "Future Ideas." This stage is mainly about figuring out how much users are willing to pay for the solution.
2. Building the Product: Focus only on the "Essential" features to make sure the main functions work well.
3. Launching the First Version: Go back to the users and check if the features actually solve their problems.
I think this method might help avoid creating unnecessary features—things we think are important or interesting but don’t really matter to users.
@gin_6078 I really like how you’ve distilled this, especially the focus on user input before and after the build. That loop alone can save months of wasted effort.
For me, the hard part isn’t identifying what’s “essential”, it’s resisting the urge to over-deliver even when I know what’s enough. I’ve learned that in a 1-hour-a-day rhythm, clarity is leverage. And your framework reinforces that.
@ambika_vaish I'm glad to hear that you find my ideas helpful.❤️
"You know what feature you should have ..."
A safe working build, Landing Page, collaboration time.
Everything else is cut.
@yakuraapp You nailed it, Lou.
It’s wild how often we overbuild before we even have a stable version or a clear offer.Cutting everything down to “Does it work? Can people see it? Can I build with others?” — that’s real momentum.