Two-Week Pilot: Prove Fit Without Lock-In

Traditional vendor selection fails 60% of the time because demos don't predict real-world performance. After running 100+ pilots, we've developed a 2-week framework that reveals true capability while protecting both parties. Here's exactly how to structure pilots that actually predict success.

Pilot Scope Principles That Prevent Scope Creep

The biggest pilot killer? Trying to prove everything in two weeks. Our data shows successful pilots follow three principles:

One Meaningful Slice: Choose a real problem that's representative but contained. Not a toy problem, not your hardest challenge. The "Goldilocks" problem that's just right.

Production-Like Conditions: No special environments or exemptions. If they can't work with your actual constraints during the pilot, they can't work with them after.

Measurable Success: Define 3-5 specific outcomes that must be achieved. "Get a feel for working together" is not measurable. "Deploy working OAuth integration" is.

Exit Criteria and Code Ownership

Clear exit criteria prevent awkward "it's not working out" conversations. Define these before starting:

Technical Exit Criteria

1. Core Functionality: The agreed feature works end-to-end
2. Quality Bar: Code passes your review standards
3. Documentation: README sufficient for your team to maintain
4. Performance: Meets agreed latency/throughput targets
5. Security: Passes basic security scan

Process Exit Criteria

1. Communication: Daily updates without prompting
2. Velocity: Reasonable progress each day
3. Problem-Solving: How they handle blockers
4. Knowledge Transfer: Your team understands the solution
5. Cultural Fit: Work style matches your team

Observability + Daily Receipts

Visibility prevents surprises. Require these daily artifacts:

Daily Stand-up Receipt (5 min to write)

Date: [Date]
Completed Today:
- [Specific deliverable with evidence]
- [Another deliverable]

Blockers:
- [Issue + proposed solution]

Tomorrow's Plan:
- [Specific commitment]

Questions:
- [Anything needs clarification]

Code Commit Log

• All code in your repo (not theirs)
• Meaningful commit messages
• PR descriptions that explain why, not just what

Metrics Dashboard

Track automatically:

• Lines of code (trending up steadily?)
• Test coverage (maintaining standards?)
• Commit frequency (daily activity?)
• PR turnaround (quick responses?)

Handover Readiness Checklist

A successful pilot includes knowledge transfer. By day 10, you should have:

The Handover Test

Have one of your developers who wasn't involved:

1. Clone the repository
2. Follow setup documentation
3. Make a small change
4. Deploy to staging

If they succeed in <2 hours, handover is complete. If not, you've identified gaps before signing a larger contract.

Retro & Go/No-Go Decision Framework

Day 11 is decision day. Use this framework:

Pilot Retrospective (1 hour)

What Went Well

• Specific achievements
• Process improvements
• Communication highlights

What Could Improve

• Friction points
• Unmet expectations
• Process gaps

Key Learnings

• About the vendor
• About your requirements
• About the project complexity

Go/No-Go Scoring

Rate each area 1-5:

• Technical Delivery: __/5
• Communication: __/5
• Code Quality: __/5
• Velocity: __/5
• Problem Solving: __/5

Decision Rules:

• All 4-5: Strong proceed
• Mostly 3-4: Proceed with adjustments
• Any 1-2: No-go unless critical issue

Real Pilot Examples

Success Case: API Integration Vendor

Pilot Scope: Integrate with Salesforce and sync contacts Daily Progress: Steady, communicated blockers early Code Quality: Excellent tests, clear documentation Result: Expanded to full integration project Key Learning: Their Salesforce expertise saved weeks

Failure Case: Frontend Development Shop

Pilot Scope: Build responsive dashboard component Daily Progress: Sporadic, surprise delays Code Quality: No tests, poor accessibility Result: No-go decision on day 8 Key Learning: Portfolio didn't reflect actual capability

Mixed Case: Data Engineering Team

Pilot Scope: Build ETL pipeline for one data source Daily Progress: Good but overcomplicated solution Code Quality: Solid but over-engineered Result: Proceeded with strict architecture guidelines Key Learning: Needed clearer constraints

Pricing Models That Work

Based on 100+ pilots, these pricing models align incentives:

Option 1: Paid Pilot, Credit Forward

• Pilot cost: $15-25K
• If proceed: Credit toward project
• If not: Clean break, you keep code
• Best for: Established vendors

Option 2: Risk-Shared Pilot

• Pilot cost: 50% of normal rate
• If proceed: Pay other 50%
• If not: Reduced cost for both parties
• Best for: New relationships

Option 3: Success-Based Pilot

• No upfront cost
• Pay only if exit criteria met
• Higher project rates if proceed
• Best for: Confident vendors

Avoid free pilots - they attract wrong vendors and create poor incentives.

Common Pilot Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Vague Scope "Build something to show your skills" Fix: Define exact deliverable with acceptance criteria

Pitfall 2: Best Athlete Problem They send their A-team for pilot, B-team for project Fix: Require same team members to continue

Pitfall 3: Extended Pilot Syndrome "Just one more week to really prove it" Fix: Hard stop at 10 working days

Pitfall 4: No-Decision Limbo Pilot ends without clear next steps Fix: Pre-scheduled decision meeting

Your Pilot Planning Template

Use this template for your next vendor pilot:

## Pilot Overview

Vendor: [Name] Dates: [Start] - [End] (10 working days) Decision Date: [Day 11]

## Pilot Scope

Deliverable: [Specific feature/component] Success Metrics:

1. [Measurable outcome]
2. [Another outcome]
3. [Third outcome]

## Exit Criteria

Technical:

- [ ] Core functionality works
- [ ] Passes code review
- [ ] Includes documentation
- [ ] Meets performance targets
- [ ] Security scan clean

Process:

- [ ] Daily updates received
- [ ] Blockers communicated promptly
- [ ] Knowledge transferred
- [ ] Team collaboration smooth

## Code Ownership

All artifacts transfer to us regardless of outcome

## Pricing

Model: [Paid/Risk-Shared/Success-Based] Pilot Cost: $[Amount] Credit Terms: [If applicable]

## Team

Vendor Lead: [Name] Our Lead: [Name] Required Continuity: [Same team for project]

Post-Pilot Expansion Path

When pilots succeed, smooth expansion prevents momentum loss:

Week 1 Post-Pilot

• Contract negotiation (pre-drafted)
• Team expansion planning
• Full project scoping
• Environment setup

Week 2 Post-Pilot

• Kickoff with expanded team
• Knowledge transfer from pilot
• Establish ongoing rituals
• Begin first full sprint

Keep the same:

• Communication patterns
• Code standards
• Review cycles
• Team members (critical!)

Now Do This

De-risk your next vendor decision with these steps:

For managing pilot risks effectively, our delivery risk ledger helps track pilot-specific unknowns.