The Overnight Build Experiment
A simple overnight handoff showed me that clear instructions create usable momentum by morning.
I wanted to see what would happen if my best work did not require my best hours.
So I set up a simple experiment. Before bed, I queued a set of build tasks: summarize the day's research, draft two options for a feature spec, and prep a morning checklist. No magic. Just clear instructions and a tight handoff.
The next morning, I did not wake up to finished work. I woke up to usable momentum. The summaries were good enough to edit quickly. The specs were rough but pointed me in the right direction. The checklist saved me the decision fatigue I usually feel at 8am.
The real lesson was not about automation. It was about clarity. When I was forced to define the task precisely, I understood it better myself. The overnight run became a mirror for vague thinking.
Now I treat sleep like a shift change. I set up the work so the system can move it forward, and I pick it back up with a clearer head. It does not replace me. It extends me.
Takeaway: Overnight builds work best when your instructions are crisp and your handoffs are small.
If you could hand off one task while you sleep, what would it be?
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