The Finished Project Closer

Protocol

The Finished Project Closer

Stop starting. Start finishing. A behavioral operating system to crush the '90% Stuck' phenomenon and ship your work.

Does this sound familiar?

  • You have a graveyard of 10+ projects that are 'almost done' but abandoned.
  • You equate 'researching' and 'planning' with actual work, trapped in Tutorial Hell.
  • The moment a project gets hard (The Dip), you suddenly have a 'better idea' for a new one.
  • You polish pixels for weeks (Gold-Plating) to avoid the vulnerability of hitting 'Publish'.
  • You believe you need 'motivation' to work, rather than a system that makes work automatic.
  • You fear that finishing means judgment, so you stay in the safety of 'WIP' forever.
Old Way
  • Wait for inspiration (The Muse)
  • Endless feature creep and 'nice-to-haves'
  • Abandon project when it gets boring
  • Hide work until it's 'perfect'
  • Identify as a 'Creative' or 'Visionary'
  • Dread the launch and potential failure
New Way
  • Work on a schedule (The Professional)
  • Ruthless Minimal Lovable Product (MLP)
  • Rely on discipline when novelty fades
  • Ship 'ugly' and iterate live
  • Identify as a 'Shipper' and 'Finisher'
  • Fear regret more than failure
Myth

Common Myth

I just need more time/motivation to finish.

"

Real artists ship. The only purpose of starting is to finish, and while the projects we do are never perfect, they must be done.

Seth Godin

Mechanism

The Four Systems of Completion

Click a system to explore its habits

Pre-Mortem Scoping

Pre-Mortem Scoping

Define 'Done' before you start. Use Kill Dates, Thrashing Sessions, and the MLP framework to lock the scope and prevent creep.

Momentum Maintenance

Momentum Maintenance

Habits to survive 'The Dip'. Starting rituals, deep work blocks, and 'park it' protocols that make resuming work automatic.

Last Mile Execution

Last Mile Execution

Tactics for the final 10%. The 1% Audit, Fear Compass, and Ship It Button. Overcoming the paralysis of perfection.

Closer Identity

Closer Identity

Forging the self-image of a Professional. Rejection inoculation, distraction purging, and the ruthlessness to say 'No'.

The Protocol

  • The Thrashing

    Phase 1

    High chaos. Everyone argues. Scope is defined. Features are cut. The 'Project Charter' is signed. No changes allowed after this.

  • The Honeymoon

    Phase 2

    High energy. Rapid prototyping. The 'Trace Bullet' is fired to prove the architecture. Dopamine is high.

  • The Dip

    Phase 3

    The novelty wears off. Things break. It becomes 'work'. Most people quit here. You engage Momentum Maintenance.

  • The Last Mile

    Phase 4

    The finish line is visible, so fear spikes. Resistance tries to stop you with Gold-Plating. You engage Last Mile Execution.

  • The Shipping

    Phase 5

    The button is pressed. The artifact is public. You do not wait for applause. You schedule the Crash.

  • The Void

    Phase 6

    Post-launch emptiness. You accept it as part of the cycle. You rest, then you reload for the next project.

Progression

Habit Tiers

Tier 1

Foundation

The basics of professional work: Defining scope, starting rituals, and removing obvious distractions.

Tier 2

Growth

Active management of psychology: Dealing with fear, public accountability, and preventing scope creep.

Tier 3

Mastery

High-performance execution: Deep work flow states, ruthless prioritization, and emotional detachment from results.

Tier 4Peak

Titan

The nuclear option: Burning boats, public stakes, and shipping before you are ready. Total commitment.

Glossary

01

Zeigarnik Effect

The psychological tension caused by unfinished tasks. We use this to our advantage by 'parking' tasks effectively.

02

The Resistance

(Pressfield) The internal force of self-sabotage that increases in strength the closer you get to shipping.

03

MLP

Minimum Lovable Product. The smallest version of the project that users will love, not just 'viably' use.

04

Gold-Plating

Adding polish/features that provide diminishing returns, solely to avoid the risk of finishing.

05

Trace Bullet

Building a single feature end-to-end (DB to UI) first to validate the entire system architecture.

06

Ship

The act of making work public. If it's not shipped, it doesn't count. It doesn't exist.

The Shipping Protocol

Step01

Define the box

Don't just start coding. Define the MLP. Set the Kill Date. If it's not written down, it's a dream, not a project.

Step02

Build Momentum

Establish your Starting Ritual. Use 'When-Then' scripts. Get through the Dip by relying on habit, not motivation.

Step03

Kill the Creep

When new ideas come, put them in the Parking Lot. When you want to polish, run the 1% Audit.

Step04

Ship It

Press the button. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Welcome to the club of Finishers.

What Others Say

Testimonials

I spent 2 years on a game I never released. Using this stack, I shipped a smaller game in 3 months. It changes how you see yourself.

Alex D.

Indie Game Developer

Projects abandoned at 90%

80%

Time saved by defining Scope

40%

The 10,000 Hour Rule

10k hrs

Days to form a habit

66 days

Protocol Playbooks

Curated sequences of habits designed to be practiced together. Click a playbook to see its cards in the deck below.

The Pre-Mortem Sprint
5 cards

The Pre-Mortem Sprint

The first 48 hours of a project. Define scope, kill creep, and build the first tracer bullet.

Define the MLP
Set the Kill Date
The Thrashing Session

+2 more habits

Deep Work Protocol
5 cards

Deep Work Protocol

How to handle the middle grind. Rituals to enter flow and maintain momentum daily.

The Starting Ritual
The 'When-Then' Script
The Deep Work Block

+2 more habits

The Panic Button
4 cards

The Panic Button

When you are stuck, scared, or procrastinating. Break the deadlock immediately.

The 5-Minute Rule
The Fear Compass
The Professional's Vow

+1 more habits

The Last Mile
5 cards

The Last Mile

The final descent. Ruthless auditing, code freezes, and the act of shipping.

The 1% Value Audit
The Code Freeze
The 'Ship It' Button

+2 more habits

Quests

Challenges to accelerate your transformation. Click a quest to see its target cards.

Initiation

The Scoping Sprint

Define your project clearly. If you can't write it down in 3 bullets, you aren't ready to build.

"Measure twice, cut once. The battle is won before the first line of code is written."

3 Pre-Mortem Scoping system habits
3 cards
View Quest Cards
System Mastery

The Momentum Builder

Prove you can work when it's boring. Maintain the chain for 7 days.

"Amateurs stop when it's hard. Professionals treat boredom as a signal to push harder."

5 Momentum Maintenance system habits
5 cards
View Quest Cards
Titan Trial

The Ship It Challenge

Press the button. Release your work to the world, flaws and all.

"There is no heavier weight than an unfinished project. Drop it."

1 Titan tier habits
1 cards
View Quest Cards

The Full Deck

29 habits across 4 core systems

Systems:
Playbooks:
Define the MLPfoundation

Define the MLP

Write down the 3 core features that make the product 'Lovable'. Cut everything else.
⏱ 30m⚡ Medium
Pre-Mortem Scoping
Set the Kill Datefoundation

Set the Kill Date

Pick a launch date. Tell a friend. This date is immovable.
⏱ 5m⚡ Low
Pre-Mortem Scoping
The Thrashing Sessiongrowth

The Thrashing Session

Spend one hour listing every possible risk, fear, and feature. Then lock the scope.
⏱ 1h⚡ High
Pre-Mortem Scoping
Fire the Trace Bulletgrowth

Fire the Trace Bullet

Build one single feature from database to UI in the first 48 hours.
⏱ 48h⚡ High
Pre-Mortem Scoping
The Stack Simplificationmastery

The Stack Simplification

Remove one major library, tool, or dependency from your stack plan.
⏱ 15m⚡ Medium
Pre-Mortem Scoping
The Pre-Sales Commitmenttitan

The Pre-Sales Commitment

Get one person to pay $1 (or commit email) before you build.
⏱ 24h⚡ Very High
Pre-Mortem Scoping
User Story Mappingfoundation

User Story Mapping

Map the user's journey from 'Start' to 'Success' in <5 steps.
⏱ 20m⚡ Medium
Pre-Mortem Scoping
The Starting Ritualfoundation

The Starting Ritual

Perform the exact same sequence (e.g., coffee, music, sit) to start work.
⏱ 5m⚡ Low
Momentum Maintenance
The 'When-Then' Scriptfoundation

The 'When-Then' Script

Write: 'When it is [Time/Cue], I will [Action]' for the next work session.
⏱ 2m⚡ Low
Momentum Maintenance
The 'Park It' Notegrowth

The 'Park It' Note

Stop mid-sentence/mid-code. Write exactly what to do next to resume.
⏱ 2m⚡ Low
Momentum Maintenance
Just-in-Time Learninggrowth

Just-in-Time Learning

Only research the specific problem blocking you right now. No general courses.
⏱ varies⚡ Medium
Momentum Maintenance
The Deep Work Blockmastery

The Deep Work Block

Work for 4 hours with zero notifications, phone away, internet off if possible.
⏱ 4h⚡ High
Momentum Maintenance
The 'Boring' Daytitan

The 'Boring' Day

Eliminate high-dopamine leisure. Make work the most interesting thing you do.
⏱ 24h⚡ Very High
Momentum Maintenance
The 5-Minute Rulefoundation

The 5-Minute Rule

Commit to working for just 5 minutes. Then you can quit.
⏱ 5m⚡ Low
Momentum Maintenance
The Environment Resetfoundation

The Environment Reset

Clean your physical and digital workspace at the end of every session.
⏱ 5m⚡ Low
Momentum Maintenance
The Idea Parking Lotfoundation

The Idea Parking Lot

When a new idea strikes, write it in a notebook. Close the notebook.
⏱ 2m⚡ Low
Last Mile Execution
The 1% Value Auditfoundation

The 1% Value Audit

Ask: 'Will fixing this pixel increase user value by 1%?' If no, ship it.
⏱ 5m⚡ Low
Last Mile Execution
The 'Ugly' Sharegrowth

The 'Ugly' Share

Post a screenshot of your unfinished, ugly work to social media.
⏱ 5m⚡ Medium
Last Mile Execution
The Fear Compassgrowth

The Fear Compass

Identify the task you fear most. Do that task first.
⏱ varies⚡ High
Last Mile Execution
The Code Freezemastery

The Code Freeze

72 hours before launch, stop all feature coding. Only fix critical bugs.
⏱ 72h⚡ High
Last Mile Execution
The 'Ship It' Buttontitan

The 'Ship It' Button

Press 'Publish' / 'Deploy' before you feel 100% ready.
⏱ 1s⚡ Very High
Last Mile Execution
The Professional's Vowfoundation

The Professional's Vow

Affirm: 'I am a pro. I don't wait for inspiration. I work.'
⏱ 1m⚡ Low
Closer Identity
The Distraction Purgefoundation

The Distraction Purge

Delete distracting apps (social/news) during the 'Last Mile' sprint.
⏱ 10m⚡ Medium
Closer Identity
Rejection Inoculationgrowth

Rejection Inoculation

Read 1-star reviews of your favorite products. Realize they survived.
⏱ 15m⚡ Low
Closer Identity
The 'No' Defaultmastery

The 'No' Default

Decline all non-essential social/business requests during the final sprint.
⏱ 1m⚡ High
Closer Identity
The Sunk Cost Ignorertitan

The Sunk Cost Ignorer

If a feature sucks, delete it instantly, no matter how long it took to build.
⏱ 1m⚡ Very High
Closer Identity
The Public Staketitan

The Public Stake

Tell your audience/friends you will pay a penalty if you don't ship by date X.
⏱ 5m⚡ Very High
Closer Identity
The Input Deprivationmastery

The Input Deprivation

Consume NO content (podcasts, blogs, videos) until you have produced X amount of work.
⏱ varies⚡ High
Momentum Maintenance
The Post-Ship Restgrowth

The Post-Ship Rest

Schedule a full day of absolutely nothing for the day AFTER launch.
⏱ 24h⚡ Medium
Closer Identity

Sources & References

External reading that informed this stack.

4 links

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