Process
Make the work, decisions, and next steps clear.
Start with the problem, agree the scope, and inspect progress together. The details depend on the product and the people who will operate it.
Phases
From first conversation to handover
- 01Understand
Review the starting point
Clarify the product, users, current system, and the reason the work matters.
- 02Plan
Agree a workable scope
Set out deliverables, dependencies, assumptions, and how progress will be reviewed.
- 03Build
Implement and validate
Work through the agreed priorities, test the important behavior, and surface decisions as they arise.
- 04Handover
Prepare the next owner
Include deployment, operating notes, documentation, and support expectations in the scope.
Communication
Agree communication before starting
Set the contacts, working hours, and review cadence that fit the project.
- Project contact
- Who can answer product and technical questions
- Working overlap
- Hours that fit the people on the project
- Progress reviews
- A cadence suited to the scope
- Decisions
- Where changes and approvals are recorded
- Tools
- Repository, issue tracker, and communication channels
Legal
Settle access and ownership in writing
Confirm these requirements in the engagement agreement before work starts.
- Confirm who owns the repository and infrastructure.
- Agree any confidentiality and data-handling requirements before access.
- Record the deliverables, payment terms, and change process.
- Define handover requirements and any support after delivery.
Your side
Useful context for the first conversation
A short description is enough to begin.
- What the product does and who uses it.
- What is blocked or needs to change.
- Existing technical documentation, if available.
- Budget, deadlines, and dependencies we should understand.