One Verb, One Timeout: A Developer's Framework for Focused Weekend Builds

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A software developer has shared a structured approach to prevent weekend coding sessions from dissolving into unproductive AI chat loops. The method centers on defining a single action verb, a strict 90-second wall-clock timeout, and three plain text files on disk before any code is written. A minimal Python script demonstrates the concept by grouping pytest failures by file path without any model calls, producing a verifiable JSON output. The timeout itself is treated as the deliverable — if the job misses the window, it is logged as a failure rather than retried indefinitely. The framework argues that a shareable, paste-ready terminal command is a more honest demo than an imaginary UI built through endless prompt tweaking.

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