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22d • Business & Strategy 🧠
First Client Week-by-Week: What Actually Happened 🔥
Here is the real timeline of my first client project.
THE PROJECT:
Client: Small accounting firm
Problem: Client document collection and organization
Scope: Automated intake portal + document extraction
Price: $1,600 setup + $140/month
WEEK 1: DISCOVERY
Day 1: Signed contract, received 50% deposit
Day 2: 30-minute kickoff call, understood their process
Day 3: Received sample documents (5 different types)
Day 4-5: Built v1 of workflow
Challenges:
- More document types than expected
- Integration with their software was unclear
WEEK 2: BUILDING
Day 6: Got credentials for their practice management software
Day 7-8: Built integration, tested with their data
Day 9: Internal testing, found 3 bugs
Day 10: Fixed bugs, tested again
Challenges:
- One document type had weird formatting
- Had to add special handling for edge case
WEEK 3: REVIEW
Day 11: Demo with client, walked through everything
Day 12: Received feedback, 4 minor adjustment requests
Day 13-14: Made adjustments
Day 15: Final testing
Challenges:
- Client wanted one extra feature (scope creep risk)
- Explained it wasn't in scope, quoted separately
WEEK 4: LAUNCH
Day 16: Went live with monitoring
Day 17-19: Watched closely, processed 23 documents successfully
Day 20: Minor issue with one format, fixed same day
Day 21: Final sign-off from client
Result:
- Client happy
- Final 50% payment received
- Monthly maintenance began
- Asked for testimonial (they said yes)
THE REALITY:
Not glamorous. Just steady work.
Problems happened. I fixed them.
Communication kept client confident.
Total hours: 22
Revenue: $1,600 + $140/month
Hourly rate: $73 (first project, gets better with templates).
What does your first project week-by-week plan look like?
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First Client Week-by-Week: What Actually Happened 🔥
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