Phase 2: IGNITE → Prove People Will Pay Now (2–4 Weeks)

🎯 Objective

Collect real money and feedback for a tight, deliverable outcome using a Concierge MVP. Your goal here is not scale, not branding, not “looking legit.” It’s simply proof: people pay you, you deliver, they’re happy, and you can do it again.

🛠️ Activities

1. Build Your Minimum Viable Operation (MVO)

    • Payments: Stripe, PayPal, or manual invoice.
    • Scheduling: Calendly, Google Calendar.
    • CRM lite: Airtable, Notion, or Trello board.
    • Project board: Kanban style to track delivery steps.
    • Support: dedicated email or Slack/WhatsApp group.

→ If you can’t get paid and deliver end-to-end in 24 hours, it’s too complex.

2. Set Up “Just Enough” Brand & Legal

    • Pick a name, buy the domain, set up email.
    • Create a Google Business Profile (reviews start here).
    • Draft basic T&Cs, privacy policy (templates are fine).
    • Form an LLC only if liability risk is high.

→ Don’t spend weeks on logos, colors, or legal—customers don’t care yet.

3. Run 3–10 Paid Pilots (End-to-End)

    • Deliver exactly what you promised in your MAO (Phase 1).
    • Use SOP v0 (simple onboarding checklist → delivery steps → offboarding).
    • Overdeliver where it matters most (results + experience).

→ This is about proof, not perfection. You’re buying testimonials with service quality.

4. Implement Feedback Loop

    • Post-delivery debrief: What worked? What broke?
    • Capture NPS (0–10 scale).
    • Ask for referrals immediately if NPS ≥8.
    • Collect testimonials, before/after snapshots, or case notes.

📄 Deliverables

  • 3–10 Paid Pilots (Cash Collected).
  • SOP v0: onboarding, delivery, offboarding checklist.
  • Pricing Sheet: good/better/best tiers + guarantee policy.
  • Proof Assets: testimonials, reviews, case notes, before/afters.

📊 KPIs (Pass Targets)

  • Services:

    • Gross margin ≥60%
    • NPS ≥40
    • 70% of pilots willing to refer
    • 40%+ upsell to “better/best” 
  • Productized Service / SaaS Pre-Sell:

    • ≥20% conversion from warm list to paid pilot/pre-order
    • Refund rate ≤10% 
  • Sales Math (even rough):

    • LTV/CAC ≥3
    • CAC payback ≤3 months 

🚦 Gate 2 (Go/Pivot/Kill)

  • ✅ Go: You hit margin + NPS + conversion targets on ≥5 pilots → advance to Launch.
  • 🔄 Pivot: Margins too low, NPS weak, or pricing rejected → adjust scope/price, rerun pilots.
  • ❌ Kill: Can’t sell 3 pilots in 30 days despite 50+ targeted outreaches → stop. Market isn’t responding.

🔑 Why This Matters

  • Proof > Potential. Ideas don’t matter until someone pays.
  • Delivery under pressure exposes cracks. You’ll see what breaks before scaling.
  • Margins must work early. If you can’t make money on 5–10 pilots, you won’t make it on 100.
  • Testimonials are currency. Early proof assets become your marketing fuel in Phase 3.

🧩 Alignment Notes

  • CORE5:

    • Sales → Offer + close.
    • Fulfillment → SOP v0, delivery.
    • Operations → MVO stack.
    • Finance → Margins & cash discipline. 
  • DIY Marketing Framework:

    • Begin Marketing Foundation here (simple site, GBP, reviews collection). 

👉 Phase 2 is where “founder fantasy” dies—or transforms into a real business. If you can’t collect cash and deliver results for 5+ paying customers, stop. If you can, congratulations: you now own a business worth scaling.

Move on to Phase 3 – LAUNCH 🚀

 

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