John Lee — Playground

Exploring by building.

Experiments, prototypes, and product ideas I use to sharpen product thinking through making.

Hand-drawn loop of idea, test, learn, and refine with the note test small, learn fast
Calmo Cafe homepage hero — brunch and coffee on Dundas West
Calmo request-a-table reservation form

Featured · PROTOTYPE · 4 WEEK BUILD

Calmo Cafe — a reservation flow that skips the early SaaS bill

I built a branded site and request-to-confirm booking flow for a friend opening a café in Toronto, both to keep him off OpenTable fees before the room was proven and to learn a real stack end to end.

ProductPrototypeOps
View project →Try prototype ↗

Experiment

AI-assisted decision log

A lightweight framework for turning rough product thinking into reusable decision records.

ProcessesAI

Prototype

Portfolio experimentation system

Testing modular layouts, storytelling, and signal design for a product portfolio.

PortfolioDesign System

Prototype

Joist Trust Sandbox

Voice-to-invoice for contractors — verified when matching is solid, amber review when it isn’t.

ProductPrototypeAI

Tool

Field research capture template

A reusable structure for synthesizing interview notes into product actions.

ResearchTemplates

Small bets. Fast feedback. Useful artifacts.

This is where I explore, de-risk, and learn in the open.