Mission RHW
All writing

A brief you can send
any builder.

A short template for evaluating anyone who offers to build a business automation for your business. Copy it. Paste it. Use it on me.

Reading time · 6 minutes What you get · an email you can send today

Before someone builds you a business automation, you need to be able to tell whether they understand what you do. A good builder can be picked out by how they reply to a short, plain brief. A bad one can be spotted just as quickly, and saves you an expensive month.

What follows is the email I wish every prospective client sent me first. Feel free to send it to me. Feel free to send it to three other people and compare.

Part 01

The brief.

Paste this into an email. Replace the bracketed bits with your own words. Do not dress it up. Short is better. 

Hi [name],

I run a [life coaching / immigration / accountancy / trades / etc.] business. I am [solo / have N staff].

The part of my week I would like to hand over: [one or two specific tasks. Be concrete. "Writing up session notes from voice memos" is good. "Being more efficient" is not].

Rough volume: [e.g. 20 client emails a day, 10 sessions a week, 5 quotes a month].

My computer is [Mac / Windows / I mostly use my phone].

My data is [mostly private / mostly not / a mix]. Nothing can leave my computer / some things can / I do not mind.

What I would like from you:
  1. A plain-English description of what you would build.
  2. A fixed price, with a line-by-line breakdown.
  3. A timeline from yes to a working thing.
  4. One example of a similar build you have done, with names hidden if needed.

Please do not send a slide deck. A short written reply is fine.

Thanks,
[your name]
Get in touch
Part 02

What a good reply looks like.

A reply that takes three or four days and is a page long is usually better than a same-day reply that is three paragraphs. Someone thinking about your business takes time. Here is what a good reply covers:

  • A short description of the thing they would build, in the words you used in your brief. If they swap in jargon, they did not listen.
  • A specific flow: what comes in, what the AI does with it, where the output goes. Not “an intelligent assistant.” Actual steps.
  • A price that is a number, or a small number range, with line items. Not a subscription unless you specifically asked for ongoing work.
  • An honest timeline. Two weeks is fast. Six weeks is normal for a proper build. Same-day or next-week is a warning.
  • One concrete example of a similar thing they built, even described in general terms. No example means no track record.
  • A question or two back. A good builder wants to know more about your business before writing a real proposal. Someone who quotes without asking is quoting a stranger.
Part 03

What a bad reply looks like.

  • A deck.

    You asked for words. A deck means they are reusing the same pitch on every prospect.

  • A calendar link with no answer.

    Someone who wants to book a call before replying in writing is trying to sell you, not build for you.

  • A monthly price, no build mentioned.

    You asked for a build and a price. A subscription quote means they are selling you software they already have, badly dressed up as “custom.”

  • A price with no breakdown.

    “$15,000” on its own is a negotiating position. Ask what the number is tied to. If the answer is vague, so is the work.

  • Full of buzzwords.

    “AI-powered,” “seamless integration,” “end-to-end solution”, “transform your business.” None of these sentences contain information. Ignore the reply that is made of them.

That is the whole piece.

Send the brief to me. Send it to three other builders. Compare what comes back. The reply that treats you like an intelligent person is the one you should keep talking to.