Resources / Guide · 6 min read
The AI Sprint Brief Template
The one-page brief we fill in with every client before writing a line of code. Use it to scope your project, brief a vendor, or build the internal case.
Why a brief before anything else
Most AI projects fail in the scoping phase — not the build phase. A one-page brief forces four decisions before any code is written: what problem are you solving, what data exists, how will you measure success, and who owns it. With those answered, a two-week sprint is highly achievable. Without them, even a six-month project drifts.
Part 1 — Problem and current cost
Write one sentence: what does a human do today that this system will do instead? Then put a number on it — hours per week multiplied by loaded labor cost. If you cannot put a dollar figure on the workflow today, you are not ready to build. The brief forces this discipline.
Part 2 — Data and systems
List every data source the system needs to touch. For each: who owns it, how it is accessed (API, export, read-only copy), and whether it contains PII. This single section separates a two-week sprint from a three-month discovery. Most blockers are data blockers.
Part 3 — Success criteria
Pick one metric. Not three, not five — one. What number, measured how, by when, tells you the system is working? Time saved per task, deflection rate, conversion lift, error reduction. Instrument it on Day 1 of the sprint.
Part 4 — Constraints and owner
List anything that could slow the sprint: compliance reviews, vendor approval, procurement gates, integration dependencies. Then name the one person who can break ties, schedule the Day 5 demo, and is empowered to say "ship it" on Day 10. Projects without this person do not finish.
Take it with you
Download the full template
Get the full template as a text file — ready to copy into your own docs, share with your team, or use offline.
Want help applying this to your stack?
That's exactly what an AI Sprint is for. Bounded scope, fixed price, working system in two weeks.
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