Before you begin

Bring forward your Milestones 1–7 records. Write this production target statement:

Also record the central message, three message pillars, current first-version boundaries and any research, rights or accessibility constraints.

Session 1

Confirm the production target

Record the project and first complete version, primary audience and use situation, intended outcome, central message and pillars, primary format, delivery model, required human contribution, approvals and known constraints.

Complete when: the target statement describes one project that can enter production without reopening the format decision.

Session 2

Identify the required deliverables

Check core content, supporting content, visual assets, audio or video, technical files, metadata, rights and contribution records, accessibility assets and delivery assets.

Mark each item Required, Supporting, Optional or Excluded from Version 1.

Complete when: every required item in the audience’s first complete experience is visible and optional expansion is separated.

Session 3

Break deliverables into specific tasks

Write tasks with action verbs: research, draft, record, generate, direct, select, revise, edit, format, test, approve, export or document.

For AI-assisted work, include the human actions that matter: prepare source material, set direction, evaluate outputs, select, revise, document and approve.

Complete when: every required deliverable has enough tasks to move from input to approved final version.

Session 4

Put the work in order

Identify what can start immediately, what must happen first, what can happen together, what requires another person, what creates a bottleneck and what cannot continue without approval.

Use: must happen before, can happen alongside, requires input from, requires approval from, blocks and is blocked by.

Complete when: you can explain the correct production order and identify the tasks most likely to delay the project.

Session 5

Assign ownership and resources

For each task, record one accountable owner, required input, tool or workspace, contributor or reviewer, estimated effort, actual expected cost where relevant and definition of done.

Do not invent a budget. Record real expected costs in your customary currency and mark unknown amounts for verification.

Complete when: no required task is ownerless and every task has the inputs needed to begin.

Session 6

Build the project calendar

Assign dates only after estimating effort and comparing the work with actual weekly availability. Add review and revision time plus a reasonable buffer.

Recommended statuses: Not started, Ready, In progress, Waiting, Under review, Revision required and Complete.

Complete when: the dates fit real availability and include creation, review, revision and approval.

Session 7

Run the production-readiness check

• Every required deliverable is listed.
• Every deliverable has specific tasks.
• Every task has an owner and definition of done.
• Dependencies and bottlenecks are visible.
• Dates reflect actual availability.
• Review and revision time are included.
• Required resources are available or scheduled.
• Version 1 exclusions remain protected.
• No unresolved blocker prevents production from starting.
• The first production task is clear.

Beginner risk record

First-task commitment

Complete when: you can begin the first task without another planning meeting or unresolved foundational decision.

Responsible AI assistance

Your completed Milestone 8 record

Preserve the production target statement, deliverable register, task and dependency plan, owner and resource assignments, production calendar, risk record, readiness checklist and first-task commitment.

Related creator systems

Use Find Your Sound for audio production, Find Your Voice for writing and message development, and Find Your Brand for platform, offer and brand production decisions.

Review Milestone 7 · Return to all milestones