Fixed-price work only goes wrong when scope is a feeling instead of a document. We scope in user-visible outcomes, never in hours, and price the unknowns explicitly. Here is the template.
Why it matters
Projects rarely fail on technology — they fail on unclear decisions made early and discovered late. Writing the approach down, in public, forces the clarity we want at kickoff.
- Start from the user-visible outcome, not the stack.
- Make the second build cheaper than the first.
- Ship something measurable every week.
The takeaway
Treat this as a starting point, not gospel — every project bends the rules somewhere. The value is in knowing exactly which rule you are bending, and why.
