Instant by Falcra
Instant Run Sheet
What to do next, who does it and what to use, step by step from preparation to release. It is for the Conductor and the Stage Manager, or your project manager.
The Instant Guide explains each stage and the Instant Practices explain how each step is done. The run sheet puts them in order. It is also a free spreadsheet download, so you can put a name and a date against every step and tick them off as you go.
Available as a spreadsheet
This run sheet is also a free spreadsheet download (Excel), with a status for every step and a summary of what's next. Download instant-run-sheet.xlsx. Free under CC BY 4.0: see Licensing.
Published by Falcra.
The Instant Framework (theinstantframework.com) by Falcra (falcratechnologies.com)
How to use it
- Work down the stages in order. Each stage ends with a sign-off: record every one in your sign-off register (Guide, chapter 8). The run sheet tracks the work; the register is the record.
- Skip the steps that don't apply. Those that apply only in some situations say so.
- Start the long-lead requests in Prepare first. They take weeks inside a large organisation.
- Repeat the Build steps for each Unit of Work, and the "every session" steps at every Blitz session.
- In the spreadsheet version, the Summary tab shows the next step not yet done, who leads it and what to use.
S0
Prepare
In short
Led by the Challenger, with the Stage Manager if you have one. Before the Blitz.
| Step | Do | Who leads | Use | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S0-01 | Agree the brief: what you want to build and why. | Challenger With: Business owner | Guide, chapter 6 | Brief agreed |
| S0-02 | Choose the crew option (A Combined, B Split, C Developer Conductor) and whether to add a Stage Manager. | Business owner With: Challenger | Guide, chapter 7 Practices, chapter 1 | Crew named |
| S0-03 | Choose the Blitz format, consecutive days or split sessions, and book every session (gaps of a week at most). | Business owner With: Stage Manager | Guide, chapter 6 | Every session booked |
| S0-04 | Collect your existing documentation, including earlier work such as BRDs, NFRs and ERDs, and sort it by stage. What belongs where: see S0 in the Guide. | Challenger With: Your experts | Guide, chapter 8 | Every document assigned to a stage |
| S0-05 | Gather your change-control and audit rules. | Challenger With: Technical owner | Guide, chapter 6 | Rules gathered |
| S0-06 | Write the security constraints package. If you want one. | Security lead With: Challenger | Practices, chapter 1 | Package written |
| S0-07 | Agree the assurance approach and name the evidence pack signatories: a business owner and a technical owner. | Challenger With: Business owner | Practices, chapter 3 Guide, chapter 9 | Both signatories named |
| S0-08 | Arrange recording and transcription for every session, and get everyone's agreement. | Stage Manager With: Challenger | Guide, chapter 9 | Agreement recorded |
| S0-09 | Start the long-lead requests (listed under Preparation in the Guide). Filter the Jira backlog on its long-lead label. | Stage Manager With: Roadie | Guide, chapter 6 Practices, chapter 2 Instant Jira backlog (free download) | Every long-lead request lodged |
| S0-10 | Existing data: confirm the backup and request read-only database access. A direct connection is preferred; see Practices for why. If the application replaces or draws on a system that holds data. | Stage Manager With: Your database administrator | Practices, chapter 2 | Backup confirmed; access requested |
| S0-11 | Set up the board: import the Jira backlog, delete what doesn't apply, and date the milestones from your governance calendar. If you use Jira. | Stage Manager With: Conductor | Practices, chapter 1 Instant Jira backlog (free download) | Board loaded and dated |
| S0-12 | Set up the sign-off register, with every expected sign-off listed as pending. | Stage Manager With: Conductor | Guide, chapter 8 Instant sign-off timeline (free download) | Every expected sign-off listed |
| S0-13 | Complete the readiness checklist. | Challenger With: Stage Manager | Guide, chapter 6 | Checklist complete |
Ends with the readiness checklist is complete.
Repeat
Every Blitz session
In short
Repeat at every session, from Frame to the last Bolt in the Blitz.
| Step | Do | Who leads | Use | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start recording and transcription. In a split Blitz, the Conductor confirms which stage the AI build tool is at. | Conductor With: Stage Manager | Guide, chapter 6 | Recording on |
| 2 | Record your experts' feedback as it happens; note anything the room can't settle for the AI later. | Scorekeeper | Guide, chapter 7 | Feedback record up to date |
| 3 | Short wrap-up at the end of each day. If you have a Stage Manager. | Stage Manager With: Crew | Guide, chapter 7 | Wrap-up held |
| 4 | Save the transcript and cross-check it against the Scorekeeper's feedback record. | Scorekeeper With: Conductor | Guide, chapter 6 | Transcript saved and checked |
| 5 | Split Blitz: settle the open questions between sessions, so nothing waits at the next one. Split Blitz only. | Stage Manager With: Challenger | Guide, chapter 6 | No question left waiting |
Each session ends with the transcript is saved and cross-checked.
S1
Frame
In short
Led by the Conductor, with the whole room. First stage of the Blitz.
| Step | Do | Who leads | Use | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1-01 | Give the AI the brief and the business case or problem statement. | Conductor | Guide, chapter 8 | Documents given |
| S1-02 | Agree the Intent and scope, as set out under S1 in the Guide. | Conductor With: The whole room | Guide, chapter 8 | Intent and scope drafted |
| S1-03 | Agree the triage policy for features nobody asked for: the default for each kind of addition. | Challenger With: The whole room | Practices, chapter 3 | Policy agreed |
| S1-04 | The room approves the Intent and scope. Record it in the sign-off register. | Conductor With: Stage Manager | Guide, chapter 8 | Approval recorded |
Ends with the room approves the Intent and scope.
S2
Specify
In short
Your experts own the content, the Challenger tests it and the Conductor drives the AI. Mob Elaboration begins.
| Step | Do | Who leads | Use | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2-01 | Give the AI the documents sorted to this stage (listed under S2 in the Guide). | Conductor With: Challenger, who selects them | Guide, chapter 8 | Documents given |
| S2-02 | Choose requirements or user stories. | Business owner With: Challenger | Practices, chapter 1 | Choice recorded |
| S2-03 | Draft the requirements or user stories with the AI and review them in the room. | Your experts With: Challenger tests; Conductor drives | Guide, chapter 8 | Reviewed in the room |
| S2-04 | Capture the critical rules as decision tables. The AI drafts them; your experts check them. | Conductor With: Your experts | Practices, chapter 3 | Every critical rule in a decision table |
| S2-05 | Give each part of the application a risk tier. The AI proposes; your experts and business owner decide; the Challenger tests the reasons. | Your experts and business owner With: Conductor records | Practices, chapter 1 Instant risk tier register (free download) | Every part has a tier |
| S2-06 | Choose the data architecture level, after the six questions are put to the room. | Business owner With: Conductor | Practices, chapter 1 | Level chosen |
| S2-07 | Agree the non-functional requirements: your standards first, and the ten questions put to the business owners. | Conductor With: Business owner | Practices, chapter 2 | Targets agreed |
| S2-08 | Your experts and testers begin writing the acceptance tests. | Your experts and testers | Practices, chapter 3 | Tests started |
| S2-09 | Gate G1, Spec agreed: the business approves the requirements or user stories in the room. Record it. | Business owner With: Stage Manager records | Guide, chapter 8 | G1 recorded |
Ends with Gate G1, Spec agreed.
S3
Design
In short
Led by the Conductor, with the Roadie on environments and security.
| Step | Do | Who leads | Use | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S3-01 | Give the AI the documents sorted to this stage (listed under S3 in the Guide). | Conductor With: Roadie, for technical material | Guide, chapter 8 | Documents given |
| S3-02 | Design the architecture, components and screen mockups. | Conductor With: Your experts | Guide, chapter 8 | Design and mockups approved |
| S3-03 | Produce the build-readiness spreadsheet: every requirement sorted A Ready, B Code buildable, C Cannot be built, D Source unverified. | Conductor With: Business owner decides each row | Practices, chapter 4 | No row awaiting a decision |
| S3-04 | Approve the Units of Work, Bolts and build order that the AI proposes. | Conductor With: The whole room | Guide, chapter 8 | Units and order approved |
| S3-05 | Set up Git: a branch per Unit of Work, squash on merge, branch protection, and the pull request template. | Roadie With: Conductor | Practices, chapter 3 Instant pull request template (free download) | A direct push to main is refused |
| S3-06 | Set up the automated checks, and show each one failing on a deliberately broken case. | Roadie | Practices, chapter 3 | Every check's failure test recorded |
| S3-07 | Add one tracker item per Unit of Work, plus one Refinements item per unit. If you use Jira or another tracker. | Stage Manager With: Conductor | Practices, chapter 3 | Board shows every unit |
| S3-08 | Gate G2, Ready to build: the build-readiness spreadsheet, risk tier register (no tier still proposed) and data architecture level are done. Record it. | Conductor and business owner With: Stage Manager records | Guide, chapter 8 | G2 recorded |
Ends with Gate G2, Ready to build.
S4
Build
In short
Led by the Conductor; your experts decide what appears on screen. Repeat for each Unit of Work.
| Step | Do | Who leads | Use | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S4-01 | Give the AI the unit's decisions, decision tables and mockups. | Conductor | Guide, chapter 8 | Documents given |
| S4-02 | Build Bolt by Bolt. Your experts decide what appears on screen; Tweaks are made on the spot; commits are saved at checkpoints. | Conductor With: Your experts | Practices, chapter 3 | Unit built |
| S4-03 | Treat any small request that changes behaviour as a rule, not a Tweak: record it as a decision. | Conductor With: Scorekeeper | Practices, chapter 3 | Every rule recorded |
| S4-04 | Explain-back: the AI explains each critical module in plain English; an expert confirms or corrects it. Units with critical logic. | Conductor With: Your experts | Practices, chapter 3 | Explain-backs signed |
| S4-05 | Raise one pull request for the unit, with its intent summary filled in from the template. | Conductor | Practices, chapter 3 Instant pull request template (free download) | Pull request raised |
| S4-06 | Independent AI review; resolve every critical finding. | Conductor With: Roadie oversees | Practices, chapter 3 | Findings resolved |
| S4-07 | Human review by risk tier, by a named approver. | Named reviewer With: Roadie oversees | Practices, chapter 3 | Approval given |
| S4-08 | Answer reviewers' questions on the pull request: at the end of each Bolt in the Blitz, at least daily after it. When questions are raised. | Conductor With: Scorekeeper, for business questions | Practices, chapter 3 | No open questions |
| S4-09 | Check the unit's feature inventory: triage anything nobody asked for against the agreed policy. | Your experts With: Conductor; Scorekeeper records | Practices, chapter 3 | Nothing unrequested left undecided |
| S4-10 | Gate G3, Unit accepted: tests pass, AI findings resolved, human review done, feature inventory checked. Record it. | Named reviewer With: Stage Manager records | Guide, chapter 8 | G3 recorded for the unit |
Ends with Gate G3 for each unit.
S5
Prove
In short
Led by your business owner and technical owner.
| Step | Do | Who leads | Use | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S5-01 | Give the AI your test standards and change-control evidence requirements. | Conductor | Guide, chapter 8 | Documents given |
| S5-02 | Settle every feature nobody asked for before user acceptance testing starts. | Your experts With: Conductor | Practices, chapter 3 | Every item decided |
| S5-03 | Run the acceptance tests and user acceptance testing. | Your experts and testers | Guide, chapter 8 | Tests passed |
| S5-04 | Produce the traceability matrix, checked in both directions. | Conductor | Guide, chapter 8 Practices, chapter 3 | Matrix complete in both directions |
| S5-05 | Rehearse the migration until clean, and reconcile counts, totals and samples. If there is existing data. | Conductor and Roadie With: Your database administrator and data owners | Practices, chapter 2 | Reconciliation passed |
| S5-06 | Put the production safety nets in place: the audit level chosen, alerts, and hard limits on critical values. | Technical owner With: Roadie | Practices, chapter 3 | Safety nets in place |
| S5-07 | Assemble the evidence pack. | Business owner and technical owner With: Conductor | Practices, chapter 3 | Pack complete |
| S5-08 | Gate G4, Go-live: your business owner and technical owner sign the evidence pack. Record it. | Business owner and technical owner With: Stage Manager records | Guide, chapter 8 | G4 recorded |
Ends with Gate G4, Go-live.
S6
Release and refine
In short
Led by your technical owner and operations team, under your release and change process.
| Step | Do | Who leads | Use | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S6-01 | Give the AI your release, change and operational handover requirements. | Conductor With: Roadie | Guide, chapter 8 | Documents given |
| S6-02 | Release through Test and UAT to production, with the change request, cutover and hypercare coordinated. | Technical owner and operations With: Stage Manager | Guide, chapter 8 Guide, chapter 7 | In production |
| S6-03 | Produce the Information Model and the Data Model. | Conductor With: Technical owner reviews | Practices, chapter 1 Instant Information Model (free download) Instant Data Model (free download) | Both reviewed |
| S6-04 | One or two experts refine the build; what they learn feeds the next Frame. | Your experts With: Conductor | Guide, chapter 6 | Refinements logged |
| S6-05 | Keep monitoring and sampling, and give each significant release its own evidence. After go-live. | Technical owner | Practices, chapter 3 | Ongoing |
| S6-06 | The release is approved under your change process. Record it. | Technical owner With: Stage Manager records | Guide, chapter 8 | Approval recorded |
Ends with the release is approved under your change process.