Define this phase before discussing the budget

Original sample guide for preparing a project discussion. It is not a fixed quotation, schedule commitment or service agreement.

One feature name can hide very different work

“Build a case center” might mean three articles, or it might include categories, search, detail templates, migration, bilingual content and editing permissions. A feature name alone can leave both parties believing the other understands more than they do. Before discussing a budget, describe the user’s task and how far this phase must support it.

Turn scenarios into reviewable scope

For a company website, separate pages and navigation, case and news content, languages, inquiries, domains and launch. Record an owner, input materials, deliverable and acceptance method for each. Page count is only one part of the work. Content preparation, image rights and translations can also affect progress.

Area	Questions to settle
Pages and content	Which pages change, which records migrate and who supplies copy?
Languages	Which languages are included, and who writes and reviews them?
Forms	What is collected, who handles it and are attachments needed?
Integrations	Which service, and when will documentation and a test environment be available?
Handover and support	How is acceptance handled, who maintains it and what support is included?

Give priorities a business reason

Separate essential work for this phase, reusable work, unresolved questions and later possibilities. Explain why each item belongs there: for example, inquiries cannot be completed without it, or it depends on a third party supplying documentation. Words such as “simple” and “advanced” do not define dependencies or acceptance criteria.

List external costs and dependencies separately

For domains, hosting, email, maps and other services, confirm account ownership, conditions of use and who bears the cost. For migration, inspect sample data and export capability before discussing volume and method. Keep unavailable information visibly unresolved rather than treating it as settled.

Discuss the impact of new requests

Record the request, its value, affected pages or workflows and its effect on the current plan. Then decide whether it replaces existing scope, waits for a later phase or requires a revised agreement. The result should be an item-by-item scope both parties can review. Bring one concrete scenario, original materials and this inventory to the first discussion.