nWave Tutorial Index
A prioritized roadmap of tutorials, organized by learning paths. Each tutorial is mapped to a real job users are hiring nWave to do.
Legend: Published | Planned
Learning Path 1: Getting Started
The minimum path from zero to productive. Start here.
| # | Tutorial | Description | JTBD | Time | Level | Prerequisites | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your First Delivery | Clone a starter project, run /nw-deliver, watch tests go green |
"Ship a feature fast with quality" | ~13 min | Beginner | Python 3.10+, Claude Code + nWave | Published |
| 2 | Writing Acceptance Tests That Guide Delivery | Write your own tests from scratch (not a starter repo) and deliver against them | "Define what 'done' means, then let AI build it" | ~15 min | Beginner | Tutorial 1 | Published |
| 3 | Understanding the Delivery Pipeline | What happens inside /nw-deliver — roadmap, execute, review, mutation test, finalize — and how to read the output |
"Know what the tool is doing so I can trust it" | ~16 min | Beginner | Tutorial 1 | Published |
Learning Path 2: Full Product Workflow
The complete nWave lifecycle: from idea to production. These tutorials follow the 7-wave sequence (DISCOVER, DIVERGE, DISCUSS, DESIGN, DEVOPS, DISTILL, DELIVER) and can be done as a series on a single project.
| # | Tutorial | Description | JTBD | Time | Level | Prerequisites | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | From Idea to Validated Problem | Run product discovery — identify assumptions, validate a problem exists before writing any code | "Make sure I'm building the right thing" | ~15 min | Intermediate | Tutorials 1-3 | Published |
| 5 | Exploring Design Directions | Run design exploration — evaluate multiple solution approaches and make an informed architecture recommendation | "Choose between competing design approaches" | ~15 min | Intermediate | Tutorial 4 | Planned |
| 6 | Requirements and UX Journey | Turn a validated problem into user stories with acceptance criteria using the AI product owner | "Get clear, testable requirements without a PM" | ~15 min | Intermediate | Tutorial 5 | Published |
| 7 | Architecture Design (/nw-design + /nw-diagram) |
Design system architecture and generate visual diagrams from requirements | "Make the right architecture decisions early" | ~15 min | Intermediate | Tutorial 6 | Published |
| 8 | Generating Acceptance Tests (/nw-distill) |
Auto-generate BDD acceptance tests from user stories and architecture docs | "Turn requirements into executable specs" | ~12 min | Intermediate | Tutorial 7 | Published |
| 9 | Delivering the Feature (/nw-deliver) |
Full delivery with architecture-guided roadmap on a real multi-component feature | "Ship a non-trivial feature end-to-end" | ~20 min | Intermediate | Tutorial 8 | Published |
| 10 | Production Readiness (/nw-devops) |
Set up CI/CD, infrastructure design, and deployment strategy for the delivered feature | "Get to production with confidence" | ~15 min | Intermediate | Tutorial 9 | Published |
Learning Path 3: Everyday Tasks
Standalone tutorials for common jobs. No specific order required.
| # | Tutorial | Description | JTBD | Time | Level | Prerequisites | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Safe Refactoring with Mikado (/nw-refactor + /nw-mikado) |
Untangle a messy codebase using progressive refactoring levels and the Mikado Method for dependency graphs | "Safely improve legacy code without breaking things" | ~20 min | Intermediate | Tutorial 1 | Published |
| 12 | Debugging with 5 Whys (/nw-root-why) |
Investigate a production bug using systematic root cause analysis | "Find the real cause, not just the symptom" | ~12 min | Intermediate | Tutorial 1 | Published |
| 13 | Evidence-Based Research (/nw-research) |
Research a technology choice with verified sources and structured output | "Make informed decisions backed by evidence" | ~10 min | Beginner | Claude Code + nWave | Published |
| 14 | Validating Your Test Suite (/nw-mutation-test) |
Run mutation testing to find gaps in your test coverage | "Know if my tests actually catch bugs" | ~12 min | Intermediate | Tutorial 1 | Published |
| 15 | Creating Quality Documentation (/nw-document) |
Generate DIVIO-compliant docs (tutorial, how-to, reference, explanation) from existing code | "Keep documentation accurate and useful" | ~12 min | Beginner | Claude Code + nWave | Published |
Learning Path 4: Power User
For users who want to extend nWave itself.
| # | Tutorial | Description | JTBD | Time | Level | Prerequisites | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Building Custom Agents (/nw-forge) |
Create a domain-specific agent with skills, reviewer, and test harness | "Extend nWave with agents for my domain" | ~25 min | Advanced | Tutorials 1-3, familiarity with agent architecture | Planned |
| 17 | Functional TDD Workflow | Use the functional software crafter for FP-first projects (F#, Haskell, Scala, Elixir) | "Use nWave with my functional codebase" | ~15 min | Advanced | Tutorial 1, experience with FP language | Planned |
Legacy Tutorials
Earlier tutorials superseded by the current learning paths. Preserved for reference.
| # | Tutorial | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Quick Start: Hello nWave | Build a feature in 5 minutes with three commands | Legacy |
| L2 | Your First Feature | End-to-end feature using the four-command workflow | Legacy |
Recommended Reading Order
If you have 15 minutes: Tutorial 1 only. You will ship a feature and understand the core value.
If you have 1 hour: Tutorials 1, 2, 3. You will be self-sufficient for day-to-day delivery.
If you have a day: Tutorials 1-10 in order. You will know the complete product lifecycle.
Pick-and-choose: Tutorials 11-15 are standalone — jump to whichever job you need done today.
JTBD Summary
| Job | Primary Persona | nWave Command | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ship a feature fast with quality | Solo Dev | /nw-deliver |
1, 9 |
| Define "done" and let AI build it | Solo Dev, Tech Lead | Tests + /nw-deliver |
2 |
| Understand what the tool is doing | New Team Member | — | 3 |
| Validate a product idea | Product-Minded Dev | /nw-discover |
4 |
| Explore design directions | Tech Lead | /nw-diverge |
5 |
| Get clear requirements without a PM | Solo Dev, Tech Lead | /nw-discuss |
6 |
| Make architecture decisions early | Tech Lead | /nw-design |
7 |
| Turn requirements into test specs | Tech Lead | /nw-distill |
8 |
| Get to production | Solo Dev, Tech Lead | /nw-devops |
10 |
| Safely improve legacy code | Legacy Maintainer | /nw-refactor, /nw-mikado |
11 |
| Debug hard production issues | Solo Dev | /nw-root-why |
12 |
| Make evidence-based tech decisions | Tech Lead | /nw-research |
13 |
| Verify test suite catches real bugs | Tech Lead | /nw-mutation-test |
14 |
| Keep docs accurate and useful | Tech Lead | /nw-document |
15 |
| Extend nWave for my domain | Power User | /nw-forge |
16 |
| Get help with methodology or commands | Any | /nw-buddy |
-- |
Tip: At any point, type
/nw-buddyfollowed by your question to get contextual help about nWave methodology, commands, project state, or migration.
Last Updated: 2026-05-03