Free template · From the WUC 2026 talk
Find the flag before the first swing.
The System Brief is a shared agreement on the outcome, how you’ll measure it, who delivers what, and who decides when you can move forward. Written together. Signed first.
Three questions before any kickoff
- 1
What is the outcome?
In one sentence anyone can repeat.
- 2
Who decides?
One name per gate.
- 3
How will we know?
A metric with an owner.
If you can’t answer all three, you’re not ready to swing yet.
The template
One brief. Ten sections. Five gates.
Click any grey prompt and type. Dropdowns, date pickers and checkboxes handle the decisions and the sign-offs. Every gate opens with a clear start and ends with a sign-off, so nobody moves forward until the one accountable person approves the evidence.
- Company direction. Mission, vision and strategy, written once by executives and referenced by every brief.
- Executive questions. Six questions to bring to leaders when the strategy is unclear.
- Handoff and re-check log. Who owns it after launch, and a record every time the course changes.
- Business problemWhat’s broken, for whom, and why now
- Desired outcomeThe flag: success in one sentence
- Success measuresMetric, baseline, target and owner
- ScopeWhat’s in bounds, and what’s out
- Key stakeholdersWhose journeys change
- Open questionsGaps to close before the first swing
- Roles and responsibilitiesWho delivers each part of the work
- Decision-makersOne accountable name per gate
- AI use and human reviewWhat AI does, who reviews it, who signs off
- Budget and timelineWhat we invest, and when each gate lands
How it works
How a brief becomes a flag everyone can see
- 1
The ask
Capture the executive direction in their own words.
- 2
Draft
Leader and team write the brief and mark the gaps.
- 3
Align
All decision-makers in one room, one definition of done.
- 4
Plant the flag
The brief is signed. This is Gate 0.
- 5
Play the hole
Deliver through three tracks and Gates 1 to 4.
- 6
Re-check
Course changed? Update the brief and re-sign. Re-align, don’t restart.
Five gates, one accountable name each
Brief signed
Signed brief, agreed metrics, budget and timeline
Concept direction
Validated concept and journey
Detailed design
Specs, content and accessibility review
Release ready
Release criteria met
Outcome review
Results against the flag, and the handoff
Responsible: delivery
Does the work and carries the clubs. Brings options, evidence and recommendations. Many people can be responsible.
Accountable: decision
Makes the call to move forward, or not. Owns the outcome and the trade-offs. Exactly one name per gate.
If a gate has two accountable names, it has none.
AI gives you a faster swing. It doesn’t tell you where the flag is.
That’s why the brief includes AI use and human review: what AI generates or decides, where a person reviews it, and who signs off.
Community
Let’s play the next round together.
This is how we started. Not how it ends. It worked for one organization, with its leaders. Yours will be different, so take the template, use it on your next project, and then tell us:
- What did you adapt for your organization?
- What worked?
- What didn’t, and what would you change?
The WhatsApp invite link is on its way. Check back soon.
What happens in the group
- Share your version of the brief. Show what you changed and why.
- Bring a project stuck in the woods. Get ideas from people who’ve been there.
- Swap real examples. Gates, metrics, sign-offs and executive questions that worked.
- Shape the next version. The best ideas go back into the template for everyone.
House rules
- Keep company and client details anonymous.
- Be generous with what you learned, including what didn’t work.
- No selling or recruiting in the group.