Define what to ship first before scope creep makes the decision for you
A structured engagement that produces a build-ready MVP scope document — what's in, what's deliberately out, and why — so your team starts building the right thing instead of everything.
Every feature sounds important until you run out of runway
Most MVP failures aren't execution failures. They're scope failures. The team built too much, took too long, and shipped something that couldn't be validated quickly enough to learn anything useful.
The scope keeps growing every week
Every planning conversation ends with "well, we also need…" There's no clear cut for what's in v1. The feature list is a negotiation, not a decision — and without a framework for making tradeoffs, the default is to add, not remove.
Your team is building, but you're not sure it's the right thing
Work is happening. Sprints are running. But the nagging question — "is this actually what we should be shipping first?" — hasn't been answered with any rigor. You're building on instinct because there wasn't a structured decision point before the build started.
You need to ship something fundable or defensible
Whether you're raising, hiring, or trying to get your first paying customer, you need a version of the product that demonstrates the core value clearly. That requires a scope small enough to ship fast and specific enough to show what the product is really about.
A scope document your team can build against
Not a feature list. Not a wishlist with priorities. A build-ready MVP definition with explicit inclusions, explicit exclusions, and the rationale behind every tradeoff — so your team builds with confidence instead of second-guessing the scope mid-sprint.
Pre-Session Questionnaire & Review
You complete a structured intake covering your product concept, your current feature list or build plan, your target customer, and your launch constraints (timeline, team size, runway). I review your materials — including any existing specs, wireframes, or roadmap docs — before we meet.
Kickoff + Delivery
A 30-minute kickoff call to align on scope, constraints, and what decisions need to get made. I then work through the tradeoff analysis between calls. A 60-minute delivery call to walk through the recommended MVP cut, the rationale, and the sequencing plan for what comes after v1.
Build-Ready Scope Document
A written document your team can use as a build contract: what's in v1, what's explicitly out of v1 and why, the minimum success criteria for the first release, and a sequencing recommendation for v2. Session transcript included.
Three steps to a scope your team can ship
Two calls bracketing the analysis work. From kickoff to scope document in under two weeks.
You share what you're planning to build
After booking, you complete a structured questionnaire and share any existing materials — feature lists, wireframes, specs, roadmap docs. I review everything before we meet so the kickoff call goes straight into decisions, not explanations.
We align on scope and constraints
A 30-minute kickoff call to confirm what you're trying to accomplish with v1, surface any constraints I didn't catch in the materials, and agree on the tradeoff framework we'll use to make the scope decision. I then do the analysis between calls.
You get a scope your team can build against
A 60-minute delivery call to walk through the recommended MVP cut and the rationale for every major tradeoff. The written scope document follows within 48 hours — what's in, what's out, minimum success criteria, and sequencing for v2.
Sound like your situation?
Scope work is most valuable right before the build begins — but it's also useful when a build has started and the scope has drifted. Here are the most common situations.
"We know what we want to build but we can't agree on what's in v1"
You have a product vision and a feature list, but every conversation about scope ends in a stalemate. You need a structured decision framework and a third-party perspective to make the call — not another planning session where everyone digs in on their priorities.
"I know how to build it but I'm not sure I'm building the right things first"
You have the technical skills to build anything. What you're missing is the product discipline to decide what to build first given who the first customer is and what they actually need to get value. This engagement gives you that framework, applied to your specific product.
"We started building and the scope has crept — we need to reset"
The build started without a clean scope decision, and now you're three months in with too much half-built and not enough shipped. A scope reset — deciding what to finish, what to cut, and what to defer — is faster than continuing on the current trajectory.
"We need to show investors something real before the next round"
Investors want to see a product that demonstrates the core value clearly. That means a scope tight enough to ship in a fundable timeline and specific enough to make the value prop obvious. This engagement defines that scope and the rationale behind it.
One engagement. A scope your team can ship.
This engagement produces a written scope document — not advice, not a conversation, a document. That requires reviewing your materials, working through the tradeoffs, and writing something your team can build against. The price reflects that.
Product Scope & MVP Definition
30-min kickoff + 60-min delivery call
- Pre-session questionnaire + review of your existing materials
- 30-minute kickoff call to align on scope, constraints, and tradeoff framework
- Async tradeoff analysis between calls
- 60-minute delivery call to walk through the recommended cut and rationale
- Build-ready scope document: explicit inclusions, explicit exclusions with rationale, minimum success criteria for v1
- Sequencing recommendation for v2 and beyond
- Session transcript included
Frequently asked questions
What makes you qualified to define MVP scope?
I've shipped MVPs across B2B SaaS categories — building the 3dcart platform from scratch, scoping the initial AI Agent capabilities at Gorgias, and defining the D2C mobile vault MVP at Jewelers Mutual. The common thread across each was making explicit decisions about what not to build before the build started. That's what this engagement is designed to replicate: a structured cut, not an opinion.
Can we sign a mutual NDA before you review our materials?
Yes — happy to sign a standard mutual NDA before you share specs, wireframes, or product plans. I can send a short one if you don't have one, or sign yours if it's reasonable. Just request it during scheduling.
What materials should I share before the kickoff call?
Whatever you have — even rough notes help. Common inputs include: a feature list or wish list, wireframes or mockups, a one-pager or pitch deck, any customer feedback or discovery interview notes, and a rough sense of your build constraints (team size, timeline, runway). The more concrete your starting point, the more specific the scope document will be.
What if we don't have wireframes or specs yet?
You don't need them. A written description of what you're trying to build, who it's for, and what you're worried about is enough to start. The questionnaire is designed to surface the right information regardless of how far along you are.
Can the scope document serve as a brief for our engineering team or a contractor?
Yes. That's often exactly how it's used. The scope document is written to be handed to an engineering team as a build contract — it defines what's in, what's out, and the rationale. It reduces scope negotiation during the build and gives the team a decision framework for edge cases.
Can I schedule follow-up help once we're building?
Yes. If questions come up during the build — edge cases, technical tradeoffs, scope creep — the most efficient path is B2B SaaS Advisory, starting at $1,000/month for the Founder Advisory tier. It's designed for exactly this kind of ongoing input without a heavy time commitment.
How soon can we meet after I book?
Usually within one to two weeks. I schedule the kickoff call within 5–10 days of receiving your completed questionnaire and materials. The delivery call follows 5–7 days after the kickoff.
Stop planning and start building the right thing
One engagement. A scope document your team can build against.