# Scope Map: <project name>

> Scopes are integrated slices of a project — bigger than tasks, small enough to finish
> in days — that can be completed independently. They are discovered by doing real work,
> not planned up front. Expect the first reliable map around the end of week one;
> expect early shuffling. Redrawing lines as you learn the territory is the technique
> working, not failing.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Pitch | <link or reference> |
| Team | <who is building> |
| Time box | <appetite from the pitch> |
| Map last updated | <date> |

## Hill states

Each scope sits at one of four points. Move honestly — a dot that doesn't move is how
stuck work raises its hand without anyone having to say "I'm stuck."

| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Figuring out** | Approach unclear; unknowns dominate; nothing validated yet |
| **Validated** | Approach chosen and proven feasible on the hard part — de-risked, not finished |
| **Known** | All unknowns resolved; only execution remains (all downhill) |
| **Done** | Integrated end-to-end; must-haves complete; demoable |

Sequencing rule: push the scariest scopes uphill first. Get novel, risky work to
*Validated* early and leave routine polish for the end.

## Scope table

| # | Scope | Must-haves | Nice-to-haves (`~`) | Hill state | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | <named by project language, e.g. "Invite clients"> | <tasks that define done> | `~`<optional items> | Figuring out | <interdependencies, blockers> |
| 2 | | | | | |
| 3 | | | | | |

**Is the map right?** Check the three health signals:

- You can see the whole project — nothing worrying hides in the details
- Conversations flow because scope names are the project's real language
- New discovered tasks have an obvious bucket to land in

And the three redraw signals:

- You can't say how "done" a scope is → its tasks are unrelated; factor something out
- The name would fit any project ("front-end", "bugs", "misc") → junk drawer; integrate
- It's too big to finish soon → split until victories arrive every few days

## Chowder

Loose tasks that fit nowhere yet. Honest holding pen, not a junk drawer — if it grows
past three to five items, there is a scope waiting to be drawn.

- <task>

## Nice-to-have discipline

Any task marked `~` is cut automatically if the box closes in. Marking the tilde IS the
scope-hammering act: the team decides, in the moment of discovery, what the fixed time
box can afford. Usually nice-to-haves never get built, and that is the system working.

## Circuit breaker check

Before asking for more time, verify both conditions — and even then prefer shipping:

- [ ] Every remaining item survived genuine hammering as a true must-have
- [ ] All outstanding work is downhill (no open questions anywhere)

If either box is unchecked, the honest move is to stop, let the breaker trip, and take
the hole in the concept back to shaping.