🧠 Knowledge Base

30-60-90: Value before Permanence

Explanation

What it is

A 30-60-90 discovery contract is a short-term engagement framework that divides early-stage work into three distinct phases: 30 days to learn, 60 to test, and 90 to prove.

It sets mutual expectations for progress, deliverables, and evaluation before either party commits to a longer partnership.

The model balances exploration with accountability, giving both sides a structured runway to validate fit and value.

When to use it

  • When scoping a new client or product engagement under uncertainty.
  • When an organisation needs evidence of value before full-scale investment.
  • When teams require a low-risk structure to align learning, delivery, and proof points.

Why it matters

The 30-60-90 framework protects against premature scaling by staging discovery into clear value checkpoints.

Each phase builds confidence — from understanding context, to demonstrating traction, to confirming impact — enabling faster, smarter go/no-go decisions.

It turns ambiguity into a measurable progression, preserving trust and adaptability on both sides.

Definitions

30-60-90 Framework

A structured plan dividing the first 90 days of a project or engagement into three sequential phases: learning (30), applying/testing (60), and demonstrating results (90).

Discovery Contract

A time-boxed agreement used to explore feasibility, establish alignment, and assess value before committing to a longer-term engagement.

Value Validation

The process of evidencing tangible benefits — through metrics, prototypes, or insights — to justify continued investment or partnership.

Canonical Sources

Notes & Caveats

  • The 30-60-90 framework is adaptable — days can represent weeks or sprints depending on project cadence.
  • It is not a delivery contract; it defines learning intent, milestones, and proof points, not production outputs.
  • Over-engineering deliverables within early phases defeats its exploratory purpose.
  • Best suited for ambiguous, hypothesis-driven work — not established delivery pipelines.

Objective

Design and execute a 30-60-90 discovery engagement that delivers validated learning, measurable progress, and mutual confidence in fit before long-term commitment.

Steps

  1. Define the hypothesis & outcome metrics
    Agree on what success looks like at each milestone (learning, traction, validation).
  2. Draft the discovery contract
    Capture scope, cadence, review points, and deliverables per phase; time-box each clearly.
  3. Run the 30-day learning phase
    Conduct research, interviews, and system audits; output insight summaries & opportunity maps.
  4. Transition into the 60-day test phase
    Prototype or pilot key assumptions; gather early data and stakeholder feedback.
  5. Deliver the 90-day proof phase
    Present validated outcomes, ROI indicators, and next-step recommendations.
  6. Hold the retrospective & renewal meeting
    Review performance, assess value realised, and decide on continuation, pivot, or closure.

Tips

  • Treat each checkpoint as a mutual decision gate, not a sales pitch.
  • Anchor progress reporting in observable data, not perceived effort.
  • Use a single shared workspace (e.g. Miro, Notion) to maintain transparency.

Pitfalls

Blurring discovery with delivery

Define outputs as evidence not features.

Skipping retros or check-ins

Book review dates up-front; make them immovable.

Overpromising future work

Keep focus on validating fit, not selling continuity.

Acceptance criteria

  • Discovery contract signed & shared with all stakeholders.
  • Phase reviews completed with documented findings.
  • Go/No-Go decision reached by day 90, supported by evidence.

Scenario

A digital consultancy has been approached by a mid-sized fintech startup seeking help to explore a new product vertical.

The client is unsure whether to build internally or outsource, so both parties agree to a 30-60-90 discovery contract to test the waters before long-term commitment.

Walkthrough

Decision Point

The consultancy and client must decide how to structure the engagement to minimise risk while ensuring clear value milestones.

Input/Output

Input
Early concept brief & budget ceiling (£25k).

Output
Signed 30-60-90 discovery contract with defined milestones & review cadence.

Action

  1. Day 1 – Day 30: Learn
    • Conduct market analysis & stakeholder interviews.
    • Deliver insight report and opportunity framing.
  2. Day 31 – Day 60: Test
    • Prototype key flows and validate user appetite through small pilots.
    • Report includes learnings, constraints, and updated hypotheses.
  3. Day 61 – Day 90: Prove
    • Build a limited MVP to demonstrate feasibility and ROI potential.
    • Present results in a final validation workshop.

Error Handling

If progress stalls or data quality is insufficient at any stage, trigger a checkpoint review to recalibrate scope or reset expectations before proceeding.

Closure

At day 90, a decision meeting is held to review the evidence base. Possible outcomes:

  • Proceed to full delivery engagement.
  • Extend discovery to close identified gaps.
  • Terminate collaboration with documented learnings.

Result

Before
Ambiguous brief, unclear expectations, high commitment risk.

After
Documented insights, validated assumptions, and transparent ROI case.

Artefact snapshot:

  • Discovery contract (PDF)
  • Phase summaries (Miro/Notion)
  • Validation report (Slide deck or written memo)

Variations

  • If client budget is smaller, compress phases into 2-week sprints (10-20-30).
  • If project is internal, treat each phase as a sprint objective rather than a calendar block.
  • For complex technical domains, extend learning phase to 45 days to allow deeper feasibility research.