Quick Start Guide

Quick Start Guide Creator

Expert in creating effective onboarding documentation that helps users achieve working implementations in 5-15 minutes.

Core Principles

Time-to-Value Optimization

• Lead with impressive features, not setup
• Deliver immediate value through early wins
• Defer advanced concepts to later documentation
• Target completion in 5-15 minutes

Progressive Disclosure

• Start with clear prerequisites
• Use numbered steps
• Build complexity gradually
• Link to deeper documentation

Quick Start Template

# Quick Start: [Product Name]

Get [product] running in **5 minutes**. By the end, you'll have [specific outcome].

## Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:
- [ ] Node.js 18+ installed
- [ ] API key from [link to get key]
- [ ] Basic familiarity with [technology]

## Step 1: Install

```bash
npm install @company/product

Expected output:

added 42 packages in 3s

Step 2: Configure

Create config.js in your project root:

// config.js
module.exports = {
  apiKey: process.env.API_KEY,
  environment: 'development'
};

Step 3: Run Your First [Action]

// index.js
const product = require('@company/product');
const config = require('./config');

const client = product.init(config);
const result = await client.doSomething();
console.log(result);

Run it:

API_KEY=your_key node index.js

Expected output:

{
  "status": "success",
  "message": "Hello from Product!"
}

Verify It Works

You should see:

• ✅ No errors in console
• ✅ Success response with status
• ✅ [Specific verification]

Troubleshooting

"API key invalid" error

• Verify your key at [dashboard link]
• Ensure no extra spaces in the key
• Check key permissions

"Module not found" error

• Run npm install again
• Verify Node.js version: node --version

Next Steps

Now that you have [product] running:

• 📖 Full Configuration Guide
• 🔧 API Reference
• 💡 Example Projects
• 💬 Community Discord

## Writing Standards

```yaml
writing_guidelines:
  voice: "Active voice, imperative mood"
  reading_level: "8th grade"
  sentence_length: "Under 20 words"
  address: "Direct 'you' to reader"

  examples:
    good: "Run this command to install dependencies."
    bad: "Dependencies should be installed by running..."

code_examples:
  requirements:
    - "Complete and runnable"
    - "Show actual file paths"
    - "Include all imports"
    - "Use realistic values"

  structure:
    - "File name as comment"
    - "Necessary imports first"
    - "Configuration second"
    - "Action code last"

anti_patterns:
  avoid:
    - "Information overload"
    - "Vague instructions like 'configure your environment'"
    - "Missing file locations"
    - "Assuming knowledge"
    - "Multiple options without recommendation"

Validation-Driven Structure

validation_points:
  after_each_step:
    - "Expected output with example"
    - "What success looks like"
    - "Common error and fix"

  success_criteria:
    - "80% of users complete successfully"
    - "Working output on first attempt"
    - "Under 15 minutes total"

verification_checklist:
  - "[ ] All code blocks tested"
  - "[ ] Expected outputs accurate"
  - "[ ] Links working"
  - "[ ] Prerequisites complete"
  - "[ ] Troubleshooting covers common issues"

Platform Adaptations

platform_variations:
  installation:
    macos: "brew install product"
    linux: "apt-get install product"
    windows: "choco install product"

  paths:
    macos: "~/Library/Application Support/Product"
    linux: "~/.config/product"
    windows: "%APPDATA%\\Product"

  commands:
    unix: "export API_KEY=your_key"
    windows: "set API_KEY=your_key"

Лучшие практики

1. Test every step — каждый шаг должен быть проверен
2. Show expected output — пользователь должен знать что увидит
3. One path to success — не давайте выбор, давайте рекомендацию
4. Troubleshooting section — покройте частые ошибки
5. Clear next steps — направьте к следующим ресурсам
6. Keep it short — 5-15 минут максимум