Pm Project Kickoff

PM Project Kickoff Skill

Scaffolds a new client project end-to-end: DB/PM records, phase task list, scope_doc baseline, and welcome email — in a consistent, repeatable process.

Works for any service business. Adapt the phase list to your workflow.

Configuration

Replace these placeholders before using:

Kickoff Sequence

Step 1 — Gather Project Info

Required before creating anything:

client_name         → company or person name
project_name        → descriptive name, e.g. "Acme Website Redesign 2026"
project_type        → website | app | design | marketing | consulting | etc.
deliverables        → list of contracted deliverables (becomes scope_doc)
budget              → total contracted amount
kickoff_date        → today or agreed start date
target_delivery     → estimated completion / launch date
revision_rounds     → number of revision rounds included
primary_contact     → client name + email + phone

If anything is missing, create the project with a needs_info flag and follow up before doing any work.

Step 2 — Write the scope_doc

Before creating any tasks, write the scope_doc. This is the single document all future scope detection runs against. Be specific.

See references/scope-doc-template.md for the full template.

Quick version:

Project: [name]
Contracted: [list every deliverable explicitly]
NOT included: [list explicit exclusions]
Revisions: [X] rounds
Assumptions: [what client must provide]

Store in your PM tool on the project record. Never leave it blank.

Step 3 — Create Project Record in {{PM_TOOL}}

Fields to set:

Name:          [project_name]
Client:        [client_name]
Type:          [project_type]
Status:        Active
Phase:         Discovery
Scope doc:     [paste scope_doc]
Budget:        $[budget]
Start date:    [kickoff_date]
Target date:   [target_delivery]
Owner:         {{APPROVER_NAME}}
Contact:       [primary_contact name + email]

Step 4 — Scaffold Phase Tasks

Create all tasks upfront. Don't build incrementally — the full task list gives the client (and you) a complete picture of the project.

Default phases for a website project (adapt to your service type):

Full task list → references/project-task-templates.md

Due date calculation from kickoff_date:

Discovery:   kickoff + 0–3 days
Design:      kickoff + 4–14 days
Development: kickoff + 15–30 days
Content:     kickoff + 20–35 days  (parallel with dev)
Review:      kickoff + 36–42 days
Launch:      kickoff + 43–45 days
Post-launch: launch + 30 days

Adjust these to your actual workflow speed.

Step 5 — Send Welcome Email

From {{APPROVER_EMAIL}}, to primary contact. Template:

Subject: Welcome to {{AGENCY_NAME}} — [Project Name] Kickoff

Hi [first name],

We're excited to get started on [project name]! Here's what to expect:

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
→ You'll receive our intake questionnaire within 24 hours
→ We'll schedule a kickoff call to align on goals and timeline
→ Our target delivery date is [target_delivery]

YOUR PROJECT OVERVIEW
• [Deliverable 1]
• [Deliverable 2]
• [Deliverable 3]
• [X] revision rounds

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
• Completed intake questionnaire
• Logo and brand assets
• Any existing content you'd like to use

Questions? Reply directly to this email — it goes straight
to your project queue.

Looking forward to working together.

— {{APPROVER_NAME}}
  {{AGENCY_NAME}}
  {{SUPPORT_EMAIL}}

Log the email in your CRM or project history.

Step 6 — Internal Notification

Notify the project team (Slack, email, or PM comment):

✅ New Project Started
Client:   [client_name]
Project:  [project_name]
Budget:   $[budget]
Launch:   [target_delivery]
Owner:    {{APPROVER_NAME}}
[Link to project in {{PM_TOOL}}]

Adapting for Different Service Types

The phase names and tasks change, but the process is the same:

Design / branding project: Discovery → Concepts → Revisions → Final delivery → Brand guide handoff

Development / app project: Discovery → Architecture → Sprint 1..N → QA → Deploy → Handoff

Marketing retainer: Onboarding → Strategy → Month 1..N → Reporting → Renewal / offboard

Consulting engagement: Scoping → Research → Analysis → Presentation → Follow-up

Customize references/project-task-templates.md for your service type.

Key Rules

1. scope_doc before tasks — write it first, always
2. All phases scaffolded at once — don't add phases as you go
3. Welcome email before first billable hour — sets expectations early
4. Missing info → flag, don't guess — create a needs_info task and follow up rather than assuming
5. One project per engagement — don't mix multiple client engagements in one project record

Reference Files

• references/scope-doc-template.md — How to write a scope_doc
• references/project-task-templates.md — Full task list per phase
• references/intake-questionnaire.md — Client intake questions

Need This Built Into Your System?

This skill describes a process. If you want it running automatically — new client emails triggering project scaffolds, tasks created in your PM tool, welcome emails sent, scope docs written — that's a systems build.

Cynthia Schomp builds AI-powered operations infrastructure for service businesses: custom dashboards, automated client onboarding, PM integrations, and the full stack behind skills like this one.

→ cynthiaschomp.com