Onboarding & Kickoff
A good kickoff creates a strong foundation for everything that follows.
Once an engagement is confirmed, onboarding is where we turn the agreed scope into a clear, organised starting point.
The goal is simple:
Everyone knows what we're building, who is responsible for what, how we'll communicate, and what happens next.
1. What We Need From You
Every project is different, but there are a few things that help almost every engagement get off to a good start.
A Primary Contact
We ask you to nominate a primary contact who understands the project and can help coordinate decisions, questions, approvals, and feedback.
For larger organisations, this person may coordinate with other stakeholders internally.
Project Information
We'll need the information relevant to the agreed scope.
This may include:
Existing documentation
Current workflows
Brand assets
Technical information
Existing systems
Relevant accounts or access
Project requirements
Important deadlines or dependencies
You don't need to have everything perfectly organised.
Part of onboarding is figuring out what information is actually needed.
Secure Access
If we need access to systems or services, we'll agree on an appropriate and secure way to provide it.
Please never send passwords, API keys, recovery codes, or other sensitive credentials through ordinary email or chat.
If you're unsure how to provide access securely, ask us first.
Billing Information
Where relevant, we'll also need the information required for invoicing and payment.
This may include:
Legal entity name
Billing address
VAT information
Billing contact
Purchase order or other administrative requirements
More information about billing can be found in Billing & Payments.
2. What You Get From Us
Onboarding isn't just about collecting information from you.
You should also receive a clear picture of how the project will work.
Depending on the engagement, this may include:
Kickoff Summary
A written confirmation of the agreed scope, priorities, milestones, responsibilities, and immediate next steps.
Project Contacts
You'll know who is responsible for communication and where questions or requests should be directed.
Communication Process
We'll establish how we'll communicate, how feedback should be provided, and how important decisions will be recorded.
Initial Milestone
We'll identify the first meaningful piece of work so that the project has a clear starting point.
3. The Kickoff
Most projects benefit from a dedicated kickoff conversation.
The exact format depends on the engagement, but the purpose is generally to align everyone around:
What we're building
Why we're building it
What is included
What isn't included
Who is responsible for what
How we'll communicate
What happens first
What needs to happen before the next milestone
A good kickoff should leave everyone thinking:
"I know what we're doing, I know what happens next, and I know who to ask if something changes."
4. Access & Security
Access is provided according to the needs of the project.
Not everyone involved in a project needs access to everything.
Where possible, we follow a principle of least necessary access — giving people and systems only the permissions they need to perform their role.
This helps reduce unnecessary exposure and makes access easier to manage.
If you are providing access to an existing system, we may ask for temporary, restricted, or role-specific access rather than full administrative access.
5. Decisions & Approvals
Projects move faster when decisions have clear owners.
Depending on the engagement, we may need you to approve:
Scope
Design or configuration
Milestones
Content
Integrations
Launch decisions
Changes to requirements
Your nominated project contact should therefore be able to coordinate or obtain the necessary approvals.
If a decision requires input from several people, we'll make that clear.
Clear ownership prevents small decisions from becoming big delays.
6. What Happens If Something Is Missing?
Don't panic.
Projects rarely begin with every detail perfectly prepared.
If something is missing, we'll identify it and let you know what is needed.
Some missing information may simply delay a particular task.
Other missing information may affect the project scope, timeline, or cost.
Where that happens, we'll explain the impact before proceeding.
We'd rather identify a missing piece early than discover it halfway through the project.
7. The First Milestone
After onboarding, we move into the first agreed milestone.
Depending on the project, this could be:
A discovery phase
Initial configuration
A prototype
An integration
A first workflow
A design or architecture review
A working version of the solution
The purpose of the first milestone isn't necessarily to finish the entire project.
It's to create visible progress and useful feedback.
8. Onboarding Is a Two-Way Process
Good onboarding isn't just administration.
It's an opportunity for both sides to learn.
You learn how we work.
We learn how your organisation works.
Together, we identify assumptions, clarify requirements, and establish a practical way of working.
That's why we encourage questions early.
There are no stupid questions during onboarding. There are only questions that become more expensive when nobody asks them.
9. Ready to Begin?
Once the essentials are in place, we're ready to move.
The exact onboarding process will depend on your project, but the principles remain consistent:
Clear scope.
Secure access.
Clear responsibilities.
Open communication.
A defined first step.
From there, we build.
The Short Version
A successful kickoff comes down to five things:
Know the goal.
Know the people.
Secure the access.
Agree on the first step.
Start building.
You don't need to have everything figured out before onboarding begins.
We'll work through it together.
Build better. Connect smarter. Scale sustainably.
#ForPeopleForPlanet