Complete the Kickoff Stage
Use Playbook stage Kickoff to align expectations, people and scope, timing, and early preparation before Code Format Design.
Where: Mission Control → W.A.T. Implementations → Implementation Playbook → Kickoff
Route: /missioncontrol/implementations/playbook (stage Kickoff)
Select a company first. Stage mechanics (Back / Next, Required items, exports) are in Run the Implementation Playbook.
Steps in this stage
| Step | Title | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What kickoff should do for you | Read the kickoff orientation; Next marks it reviewed |
| 2 | People and scope | Confirm who must be involved and how scope is framed; Next marks reviewed |
| 3 | Timing and dependencies | Review planning points, timeline scenarios, and timing risks; Next marks reviewed |
| 4 | Mission Prep checklist | Assign owners, statuses, due dates, and notes; finish with Complete kickoff |
Footer hint: incomplete steps say Next will mark this step as reviewed. On the last incomplete step the button becomes Complete kickoff.
Use the right Required items list to jump to incomplete Kickoff items.
Steps 1–3 — Align, then advance
These steps are guidance in the workspace (expectations, roles, scope framing, planning points, common timing risks). There is no separate Save on these panels.
- Open each step and review the content with the project team.
- On Timing and dependencies, use the timeline comparison card against the company’s dates (scenario paces such as 1 / 3 / 6 / 9 months) so the planned cadence matches real bandwidth.
- Click Next when the team has reviewed that step.
Do not treat Next as optional skip-without-review if you need a clean Kickoff exit—progress is tied to marking steps complete.
Step 4 — Mission Prep checklist
This is the working checklist for preparation before later stages. Summary tiles show Total items, Required, Ready, and Blocked.
Items are grouped (for example People and sponsorship, Financial foundation, Data readiness, Decision coverage, Custom items).
For each item:
- Set Status — Not started, In progress, Ready, or Blocked.
- Set Owner (or leave Unassigned). Suggested owner text may appear under the field.
- Set Due date.
- Add Notes (saved on blur).
Add a custom item
- Click Add item.
- In Add Mission Prep item, enter Item title, choose Group, optional Description.
- Click Add item.
- Custom rows can be deleted with the trash control on that row.
When the checklist work is in good shape and the final step is still pending review, click Complete kickoff.
After Kickoff
Continue with Complete the Code Format Design stage. For team-wide format approval outside the Playbook, see Design and approve code formats.