Define what success looks like before the build starts.
Set the baseline, choose the right metric, and design a first phase that produces an undeniable result, not just a working system.
What it is
Most first phases deliver something technically real, but when it's time to justify the next investment, the answer to was this worth it? is fuzzier than it should be, because nobody defined "success" before the build started. This tool forces you to define the proof of value up front, which changes what gets designed, measured and communicated.
The three parts
The baseline: document the current process from your Business Landscape Map overlay: who does it, how long, how often, what goes wrong, what it costs. The amber/red steps are your baseline. The right metric: choose one that's visible in the system, measurable before and after, and relevant to the audience whose support you need. What the proof unlocks: define in advance what this result makes possible, what investment it justifies, what it gives you permission to build next.
How to use it
After choosing your entry point, before development. The person who owns the investment decision and the person who owns the operational outcome: both agree on success before a line of code is written. 45 minutes. You'll produce a written proof-of-value statement and a plan to measure and communicate it.
Download
Kit includes the designer workbook, a planning template with metric benchmarks, a stakeholder communication guide, and a scoping checklist. Access this tool
"The proof of value is not a report you write after the build. It's a statement you write before it."
Building Capability, Ch 6