Kickstarting a Project

1. Assemble the Team

The Project Owner is responsible for assembling the project team before anything else begins. Every project team must follow the standard team structure, with roles filled at the appropriate level for the project’s size and complexity.

Don’t start setting up tools or scheduling meetings until the team is confirmed.

2. Set Up the Project Workspace

Once the team is in place, the Product Lead handles the setup:

Zoho WorkDrive

Create the project folder under:

Projects → [Project Name]

This is where all project documents live — meeting notes, requirements, design assets, decisions. Establish the folder before the kickoff meeting so there’s somewhere to put the kickoff notes immediately after.

Cliq Channel

Create a public Cliq channel for the project and add every team member to it. The channel is the day-to-day communication home for the project — check-ins, quick updates, blockers, and links to documents all go here.

Name the channel clearly so it’s identifiable at a glance (e.g. #proj-orion, #proj-client-name).

3. Kickoff Email

Before the kickoff meeting, the Project Owner sends a kickoff email to everyone on the team. The email should cover:

• What the project is — a brief, clear description
• Who is on the team and what role each person holds
• The kickoff meeting invite (time, Zoho Meet link)
• Any background reading or context people should look at beforehand

4. Kickoff Meeting

The kickoff meeting has one purpose: get everyone aligned on what this project is and who does what. Keep it short.

Agenda:

• Introduce the project — what it is, why it matters, what success looks like
• Walk through the team — each person’s role and how they fit in
• Confirm communication channels and where things will be documented

What the kickoff meeting is not: a requirements discussion. Do not use the kickoff to start defining features, debating scope, or walking through user stories. That’s what sprint planning is for. If you let the kickoff drift into requirements, you’ll end up with a long, unfocused session where nothing is actually decided.

Keep the kickoff meeting to introductions and orientation. Sprint planning comes next.