setup
Agreement checklist
What belongs in a pilot agreement before kickoff.
Must-haves
Problem statement and in/out of scope. Three to five measurable criteria. Named champion, economic buyer, and key users. Start and end dates with compelling-event rationale. Commercial decision meeting and intended phase-two shape.
Nice-to-haves
Reference rights if criteria are hit. Midpoint review date. Escalation path for scope requests. Data-handling summary.
Kickoff depends on this
Kickoff is realignment, not negotiation. If the agreement is hollow, you will renegotiate while the clock burns.
Claims and patterns on this page are paraphrased from practitioner session notes and the Startup Bible pilots page. See Sources.