# project

Source: https://career-ops.org/docs/reference/modes/project (canonical HTML, identical content)

> Builders accumulate ideas faster than they can ship. project mode scores a portfolio project idea against your target roles, your existing portfolio, and the time investment, surfacing whether it is worth building.



## What it does [#what-it-does]

project mode reads the project idea description, your target archetypes from config/profile.yml, and your existing portfolio context, then scores the project on three dimensions: signal value for target roles, differentiation from your existing portfolio, and estimated time-to-shippable.

## When to use it [#when-to-use-it]

Use project when you have three or four side-project ideas and want to pick the one that actually moves your job search forward. It is the side-project equivalent of the oferta mode.

## Example [#example]

```
`/career-ops project` + project description — output is a scored evaluation with a build/skip recommendation.
```

## What a run looks like [#what-a-run-looks-like]

A project run returns a legitimacy read, a weighted score across six dimensions, and one clear verdict. You hand the mode an idea, and it grades that idea the way a hiring manager would read it off your portfolio rather than judging whether the code will compile.

```txt title="Example"
Portfolio Project Evaluation
URL: (idea only, no repo yet)
Legitimacy: High Confidence

Dimension                 Weight  Score
Signal for target roles     25%     5   Directly demonstrates a JD skill
Uniqueness                  20%     3
Demo ability                20%     5   Live demo in 2 min
Metrics potential           15%     4   latency, cost, accuracy
Time to MVP                 10%     4   ~1 week
STAR story potential        10%     4   trade-offs worth narrating

Verdict: BUILD
  Week 1 -> MVP with the core metric
  Week 2 -> polish + interview pack
```

The verdict is always one of three: BUILD, with weekly milestones; SKIP, with what to do instead; or PIVOT TO an alternative that carries more signal for the roles you are chasing. The six dimensions are weighted, so a project that demos well and produces clean metrics can outrank a more novel idea that has no visible payoff.

## The interview pack [#the-interview-pack]

Every approved project ships with an interview pack, because the story is the deliverable, not the repository. The pack has three parts: a one-pager covering product, architecture, metrics, and evaluation plan; a demo, either a live URL or a two-minute recorded walkthrough; and a postmortem of what worked, what did not, and how you mitigated it. A built project with no narrative attached rarely moves a job search, while a modest project with a crisp trade-off story often does. The 80/20 plan reflects this: week one is the MVP with its core metric, week two is polish plus the pack itself.

## Gotchas [#gotchas]

The mode does not validate technical feasibility, only career signal value. Run a separate technical scoping pass.

## Related [#related]

* [training](https://career-ops.org/docs/reference/modes/training.md)