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First project

Best first projects to build with Cursor in week one.

The first project should build confidence and teach workflow. It should not bury the user under authentication, payments, frameworks, and deployment drama.

Best option: one-page landing site

A landing page is the best first build because it tests layout, copy, buttons, mobile behavior, and deployment without forcing backend complexity.

Second option: small business automation

A file renamer, CSV cleaner, or email-template generator teaches prompts, command-line safety, and debugging. It is less flashy but often more useful.

Third option: tiny app

A calculator, habit tracker, checklist, or quote organizer can work if you keep it local and avoid login systems.

Projects to avoid in week one

  • A marketplace with payments.
  • A social network.
  • A mobile app with push notifications.
  • Anything requiring sensitive user data.
  • Anything where you cannot describe done in one sentence.

Prompt to start

Use this: “Inspect this folder and propose the smallest first version of [project]. Do not edit files yet. Give me a plan, the file list, and the first command I should run.”

FAQ

Why not start with a full SaaS?

Because beginners need fast feedback. A full SaaS creates too many failure points before the user learns the Cursor loop.

Can Cursor build a real app later?

Yes. The point is to earn that complexity after you can review changes and debug errors.

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