What problem does it solve? Learners often jump into code without understanding the system they are building, losing the big picture when a project has multiple moving parts. This Skill enforces a diagram-first teaching method where a Mermaid sketch becomes the source of truth before any code is written. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Diagram-first workflow: The mentor renders a Mermaid diagram of 8 boxes or fewer, the learner walks it out loud as a comprehension gate, and only then does coding begin. - One-box-at-a-time builds: Each diagram box is translated into a single code change, with stubs for missing dependencies, and boxes are marked done as they are completed. - Drift management: Whenever code diverges from the sketch, the session stops and the diagram is updated so the picture never lies about the system. - Use Case: A learner who knows REST and SQL separately but has never wired them together sketches an API-plus-database flow, narrates it, then builds each box one at a time. ## Quick Start Ask the mentor to use the whiteboard method to design and build a small multi-component system with you, starting from a Mermaid diagram.
