The agency kickoff template that removes "we'll figure it out"
Most agency projects start with a Slack message and a signed SOW. Two weeks later, someone asks "wait, was that in scope?" and delivery is already behind. This is the one-page kickoff template we install in every engagement — scope, success, roles, risks, timeline, handoff — so day 1 is operational instead of improvisational.
Get the template
Enter your email and we'll send you the Notion and PDF versions in one email. No phone number. No sales call. Just the template.
What's inside
Scope & assumptions
Every deliverable explicitly listed. Every assumption named. Revision allowances stated.
Success definition
Outcomes and how they'll be measured. Not "make it great."
Roles & RACI
Client stakeholders, agency team, approval authority, response SLAs.
Risk register
Known dependencies, constraints, and risks — logged on day one.
Timeline & milestones
Major checkpoints with explicit review dates. Not a Gantt chart nobody reads.
Sales-to-delivery handoff
Everything the salesperson knows that the delivery team needs — structured, not retold over Slack.
Why kickoff is the highest-leverage document at an agency
Delivery problems tend to trace back to one of three moments: the kickoff, the weekly cadence, or the handoff between sales and delivery. The kickoff is the cheapest to fix — one document, used consistently — and prevents the most downstream damage.
What a structured kickoff is designed to prevent:
- Scope disputes in the first month, by writing scope down while both sides still agree on it
- The week-2 "wait, what did we actually agree?" conversation
- Founder off the kickoff call faster (or off it entirely)
- A written record that prevents later "they said / we said"
Frequently asked questions
Who is this kickoff template for?
Founder-led service agencies between $500K and $5M in revenue. Marketing, design, development, creative, branding — the format transfers.
What format is the template?
A Notion template (duplicate into your workspace) and a matching PDF. Both identical in structure. Use as-is or adapt.
Is there really no catch?
No catch. You'll receive a short 6-email series on running agency delivery ops — unsubscribe any time.
How long does kickoff take with this template?
45 minutes with the client, plus 20 minutes of internal prep. Compare to an ad-hoc kickoff that leaves gaps surfacing as issues in weeks 2–4.
Want us to run kickoff — and everything after — for your agency?
Delivery Ops installs the kickoff template, runs it for every project, and handles the rest of the operating rhythm. Book a discovery call.
Book a discovery call →