tutorial.md - running 'cci task run retrieve_changes' throws 'The path "force-app", specified in sfdx-project.json, does not exist' error

[beAGoodQE]

I'm retrieving changes from my scratch org in the Codespaces environment, per the tutorial. When I run cci task run retrieve_changes (there was only 1 change so --include / --exclude were N/A) I receive the following error:

[10/26/23 20:20:47] Beginning task: RetrieveChanges                                                                                                                                                      
                    As user: [email protected]                                                                                                                                               
                    In org: 00DDH000000miaN                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                    Querying Salesforce for changed source members                                                                                                                                       
                    GlobalValueSet: Rugby_Positions                                                                                                                                                      
                    Retrieving components with command: sfdx force:source:retrieve -a 58.0 -x /tmp/tmpyltskrd8/package.xml -w 5                                                                          
(node:5696) Warning: Deprecated environment variable: SFDX_INSTANCE_URL. Please use SF_ORG_INSTANCE_URL instead.
(Use `node --trace-warnings ...` to show where the warning was created)
(node:5696) Warning: Deprecated environment variable: SFDX_DISABLE_TELEMETRY. Please use SF_DISABLE_TELEMETRY instead.
Warning: We plan to deprecate this command in the future. Try using the "project retrieve start" command instead.
Warning: The "-u" flag has been deprecated. Use "--target-org | -o" instead.
Error (1): The path "force-app", specified in sfdx-project.json, does not exist. Be sure this directory is included in your project root.
Preparing retrieve request... done

Error: Command exited with return code 1
Run this command for more information about debugging errors: cci error --help

[beAGoodQE]

I got around this by first running mkdir force-app then the retrieve changes command.