How to prevent losing money resulting from poor pre-sales scoping

Discussion topics

• Clients expect discovery to be done for free without realizing how it affects scoping quality and subsequent delivery quality. 

• Clients collect pitches and force multiple shops doing the same scoping effort for them upfront. 

• How can we consistently sell discovery? 

  • Holistic estimating to set projects up for success? 

  • Poor scoping is a double-edge sword that doesn’t only damage provider business, but also trickles down to client. 

  • Paid discovery as a risk management tool. 

• How can we improve the market environment where discovery is expected to cost money, regardless of what shop clients go with? 

• What is discovery-done-right? 

  • What should the result of discovery look like?

  • Prototyping as part of discovery?

  • What is the required level of detail in discovery?

  • Grades of discovery: what should be done for free and what needs to be paid? 

  • Value engineering in discovery.

• Terms to rebrand discovery, make it sound more useful? 

  • Solution Engineering

  • Sprint Zero

Who will be interested? 

• Feels like this is a global topic that should attract both engineers and business. Solution Engineers, Sales, Founders, Producers/PMs.