Who this is for
Anyone past gut feel — especially before a free consult or a tool purchase. If you skipped Module 01, your brief will be guesses. Write them anyway, but label them “guess” so nobody scopes off fiction.
Fill the one-pager
About 20–30 min
Eleven fields. Every field gets something written — including “unknown.” The table below is an editable preview; the canonical copy is the print-ready PDF:
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Job name — one sentence | e.g. Log each after-hours inquiry with an owner and next step |
| When it breaks — day/time window or trigger | |
| Volume — rough count per week | |
| Who owns it today — name / role | |
| Inputs — systems, people, paper | |
| What “done” looks like — observable finish | |
| Pain — time, money, reputation, missed revenue (pick primary) | |
| Already tried — list, including “nothing” | |
| Constraints — tools you must keep, compliance, who can approve customer contact | |
| Smallest change candidate — from Module 01, or blank | |
| Ask — DIY / cheap stack / configured help / not sure |
Try this
Fill field 1 (job name) right now, in the table above or on paper. One sentence, with the finish.
You should see: a sentence a stranger could scope — “log each after-hours inquiry with an owner and next step.” If yours says “AI” anywhere, rewrite it as an operator task.
Write “we need AI” in any field. Name the operator job first — the tool comes in Module 08, if at all.
Do this week
Share the brief with one other person in the shop — or read it aloud to yourself. Ask: “What's missing?” Revise once. A brief that survives one other pair of eyes is already better than most vendor intake forms.
Decide the fork
About 5 min
Your brief points at exactly one next step:
- Lead / after-hours / “we need a chatbot” → Module 04 · Cheap Stack
- Writing / status / estimates eating the day → Module 05 · Draft With a Check
- Ready to talk money → Module 08 · What AI Costs
- Brief is enough and you won't spend → stop. No consult required. That's a valid outcome.
Success check
- Every template field has something written (including “unknown”)
- “Done” is observable, not “feel organized”
- You could explain the brief in under two minutes
Common failure modes
| Failure | Fix |
|---|---|
| Solution-first (“we need AI”) | Rewrite the job as an operator task |
| No owner | Assign a temporary owner for the trial |
| Inflated volume | Use last week's real count |
| Brief becomes a manifesto | Keep to one page |
When to stop / don't buy yet
If you cannot name volume or done-state, do not buy software and do not book a build. Revisit Module 01. A consult is optional; a vague brief wastes everyone's time — including yours.
A filled brief makes a free 30-minute call twice as useful. Attach it when you book — or bring it and we'll read it together.