Knowing it still works: the morning check

⏱ 10 min4 steps

A fix isn't done when you make it. It's done when you've seen it work in real life, usually the next day.

I've learned to trust a fix only after the next morning's run has proved it. Things that look fine at night have a way of not being fine at 7am: something ran overnight and failed, a page that worked on my computer doesn't on a phone, a change fixed one thing and broke another.

So the morning after any change, before you start anything new, run the check.

Before this, you'll want:

Prove it, don't believe it

Steps

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Start Claude Code in your my-idea folder
1. Open (Cmd+SpaceWindows key, type Terminal, press Enter).
2. Go to your my-idea . Type this and press Enter:
  cd ~/Backyard/my-idea
  cd ~\Backyard\my-idea
3. Check the says my-idea.
4. Start . Type this and press Enter:
  claude
Terminal An app on your Mac where you type instructions instead of clicking on things. Claude Code works inside it. All wordsfolder A place on your computer that holds files and other folders, like a drawer in a filing cabinet. All wordsprompt line The line in Terminal that ends with a % sign. The word right before the % is the folder you're in. All wordsClaude Code Claude, working inside Terminal. It can make files and run things on your Mac, with a safety checker watching what it does. All words
You should see:
Claude Code's name and version at the top, a line starting with ❯ where you type, and ⏵⏵ on in the bar at the bottom.
auto mode Claude works without asking, and a separate safety checker blocks anything risky. All words
That's not what I see
It says "cd: no such file or directoryCannot find path … because it does not exist".
The my-idea folder isn't there. It comes from Check the idea first and The three files, so do those first, then come back.
It says "zsh: command not found: claudeThe term 'claude' is not recognized".
This Terminal window doesn't know about Claude Code. Close the window with Cmd+WCtrl+Shift+W, open a new one and try again. If it still says that, go back to Claude Code and .install Put a new program on your computer so you can use it. All wordssign in Tell Claude Code which Claude account is yours, so it knows you've paid for it. All words
Run the morning check the day after a change
This asks Claude to find that yesterday's change works, check nothing else broke, and update status.md. What you changed goes at the end.
1. Copy the prompt below.
```
Check whether yesterday's change actually works today. 1. For each change, find the evidence it worked: the live page, a result, a line in a log. "It was merged" isn't enough. Show me what proves it. 2. Check that nothing else stopped working because of it. 3. For anything that isn't right, say whether it's a real problem, a one-off blip, or an old alarm about something already fixed. 4. Update status.md with what you found, with today's date. Give me the answer in this order: what worked, what's broken, and what needs me. Yesterday we changed:
```
1. Paste it into Claude Code with Cmd+VCtrl+V.
2. Type a space, then what you changed, like the sign-up button on the home page.
3. Press Enter.
The answer comes in three parts: what worked, what's broken, and what needs you. Read the "what needs you" part first.
prompt What you type to Claude. A good one says what you want, how to work and what never to do. All wordsproof Something you or Claude actually saw, like the page loading or the line in the result. Not "it should work". All words
You should see:
Claude checks each change and answers in three parts: what worked, what's broken and what needs you. Then it updates status.md.
That's not what I see
I don't remember exactly what we changed yesterday.
Ask Claude: What did we change in this project yesterday? Use to show me. If you set up in Branches and pull requests, every change is saved there with its date.git A tool that saves a snapshot of your project every time you ask, so you can always go back. All wordsGitHub A website that keeps a copy of your git project, with every version saved. Your backup, and where changes get reviewed. All words
It says everything worked, but I'm not sure.
Ask: Show me the proof for each one. Then open the real thing yourself, the way you did in Prove it, don't believe it.
Open the real thing yourself
1. Open whatever changed, the way the people it's for will.
2. Open it on your phone too.
That's not what I see
It works on my computer but I haven't tried my phone.
Try your phone. Most of the people you build for will.
Write down anything that isn't fixed yet
Anything still broken goes in status.md, under Open problems, with what you saw. This message asks Claude to show you that list and fill in anything missing.
1. Copy the message below, paste it into Claude Code and press Enter.
```
Show me the Open problems section of status.md. Make sure everything that's still broken is on it, with what we saw. Add anything that's missing.
```
1. Read the list. If something you saw this morning isn't on it, tell Claude.
Later in the course you'll move these into , where every problem stays open until a real fix is seen working.
Linear A website for keeping track of tasks and problems, one issue each, so nothing lives only in your head. All words
You should see:
Claude shows you the Open problems list from status.md, and adds anything that was missing.
That's not what I see
Something's broken but I don't have time to fix it today.
That's fine. Make sure it's in Open problems in status.md, with what you saw. A problem written down waits for you. A problem you only remember gets forgotten.

Your challenge

The morning after your next change, run the morning check before you start anything new. Do it three mornings in a row.

Last checked 2026-10-17

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