The 2-week pilot

You pick the success metrics before you start · Last updated 2026-07-10 · Ousios LLC

Free samples convert optimists. Skeptics convert on pre-agreed success criteria they got to define. So that's the pilot: two weeks, your metrics, written down before day 1 — and a decision meeting at day 14 where the numbers, not the vendor, make the argument.

The deal: define pass/fail before you start. If the pilot misses your criteria, walk away — and if you purchased a tier to run it, our 14-day refund applies, no argument. If it passes, you'll have the numbers for the budget conversation already in hand.

Step 0 — pick 2 or 3 metrics (before anything else)

Choose from this menu or bring your own — the only rule is that it must be measurable by your team in two weeks. Write the pass threshold down where the team can see it.

Time on a target task. Pick one recurring task a recommended workflow targets (status report, meeting recap, research brief). Baseline it in week 1 by self-timing; compare in week 2. Example pass: status-prep time drops ≥40%.

Turnaround time. Hours from meeting-end to recap-sent, or ticket-blocked to escalation-sent. Example pass: recap lands same-day for every meeting in week 2.

Workflow survival. Of the 2–3 workflows adopted on day 2, how many are still in real use at day 14? Example pass: at least 2 of 3 still running without reminders.

Opt-in rate. What fraction of the team chose to take the assessment and share results at the debrief? Example pass: ≥80% took it, ≥60% shared. (A trust metric — if this fails, read the Manager's Guide before blaming the tool.)

Output quality, judged blind. Have someone compare a week-1 artifact vs a week-2 artifact (recap, brief, spec) without knowing which is which. Example pass: the workflow-assisted one wins 2 of 3 comparisons.

The day-by-day script

Day 1	Everyone takes the 90-second assessment. Run the 45-minute team debrief — the agenda is in the Manager's Guide, including the two-minute framing script and the rules that keep this safe.
Day 2	Pick 2–3 quick-win workflows from your team's recommendations. Each gets a volunteer owner. Also: start your baseline measurements now.
Days 3–9	Run them, in the flow of real work. Owners note friction as it happens — one line per incident is enough.
Day 10	15-minute mid-point check: anything not sticking gets swapped, not forced. A workflow that needs willpower by day 10 has already failed; try the next recommendation.
Days 11–13	Second measurement window — same tasks, same method as baseline.
Day 14	30-minute decision meeting: metrics vs the thresholds you wrote down on day 0. Pass → adopt and expand (the 90-day plan is your next map). Miss → stop, and tell us why: hello@composa.team. Both outcomes are wins for you.

Keep the scope honest: two weeks tests the quick wins. Strategic plays (quality systems, knowledge pipelines, cross-team briefs) run on 4–8 week horizons and compound after that — a pilot can't measure compounding. Judge the pilot on the quick wins; judge the strategic layer at day 60 with the same write-it-down-first method.

What to bring to the budget conversation

Your day-14 numbers are the business case: baseline vs week-2 measurements, the survival count, and the opt-in rate. That's evidence from your team — worth more than any vendor's ROI model, ours included.

Start with the free assessment →

Want the founder running setup with you, free, in exchange for measured numbers? Five teams get that deal: the design-partner program.