The e2e operator cycle, stage by stage

A detailed, assessable version of the cycle in vision (line 36), restructured to match how we actually work. It pulls in what the training curriculum already holds. Its purpose: know where each person stands, stage by stage, and set near-term goals for expanding what they own.

What success means here (near term). Not that everyone owns every stage. By 31 December 2026, each operator owns (level 2) at least one more stage than at the 9 October baseline. For some people the full cycle may never be the aim.

Overview

          ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
          │                                                          │
          │   ┌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌┐   │
          │   ╎ 1  Content & marketing            optional · low ╎   │
          │   └╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌┬╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌┘   │
          │                             ┆  often skipped             │
          │                             ▼                            │
          │   ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
          │   │ 2  Outbound & qualification                  ★★★ │   │
BIZ DEV   │   │    2a PoC-led outreach                       ★★★ │   │
          │   └─────────────────────────┬────────────────────────┘   │
          │                             ▼                            │
          │   ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
          │   │ 3  Proposal, quote & RFP                      ★★ │   │
          │   │    3a Contracting (supervised)                   │   │
          │   └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
          │                                                          │
          └─────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
                                        ▼
          ┌─────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┐
          │                                                          │
          │   ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
          │   │ 4  Build & delivery                          ★★★ │   │
          │   │    4a Build (engineering)                    ★★★ │   │
          │   │    4b Engagement lead (client side)          ★★★ │   │
          │   │                           one owner, both halves │   │
          │   └─────────────────────────┬────────────────────────┘   │
DELIVERY  │              ┌──────────────┴─────────────┐              │
          │              ▼                            ▼              │
          │   ┌─────────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────────┐   │
          │   │ 5  Launch & run     │      │ 6  Expansion &      │   │
          │   │    DevOps / SRE     │ ◀──▶ │    renewal          │   │
          │   │                     │      │    feeds back to 3  │   │
          │   └─────────────────────┘      └─────────────────────┘   │
          │                                                          │
          └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

  ★★★ priority for us    ★★ priority, not for everyone
  ╌╌╌ dashed box: optional stage
  ◀──▶ run in parallel for the life of the account

Priorities

Focus stages: 2 + 2a, and 4. Stage 3 is a focus for selected people only.

Biz dev (2 and 3) must run constantly, not in bursts between delivery work. Right now it is our biggest constraint.

How we keep biz dev running (decided 2026-09-28, agreed with Anuar; actions in beads epic da-3y4 (bd show da-3y4)):

• A weekly biz dev day on Fridays, from 9 Oct 2026, a slow day because of Middle East clients. The biz dev group (Ola, Daniela, João, Monika, Luccas) holds one sync session and coworks for the rest.
• Time: part of the delivery capacity that agents free up goes to biz dev. Product work may ease a little for now if needed.
• Champion: Daniela (potential; not yet asked).

The stages (high level)

These are one-line descriptions for now. The focus stages get detailed, assessable points next.

• 1 Content & marketing. Content that makes PortalJS the default answer to "how do we publish our data": case studies, migration benchmarks, comparisons. Training: module 0 (content).
• 2 Outbound & qualification. Detail: e2e-stage-2-outbound. Build and research a target list, run outreach that gets replies, qualify inbound and outbound leads, and turn attention into a first real conversation. Research on the client happens here. Training: modules 0 and 1 (qualify).
  • 2a PoC-led outreach. Build a working portal for a target from their own public data before speaking to them, and lead with it. Judgement: when a speculative PoC is worth building, and avoiding competent-but-generic output. Training: module 0 (PoC-led outreach).
• 3 Proposal, quote & RFP. Scope the work, write the proposal, produce a priced quote against the catalogue within floors, and show a more detailed solution. RFP route: bid/no-bid, then a compliant response to deadline. Training: modules 1 (scope, quote) and 2.
  • 3a Contracting. From won to signed: SOW, terms, DPA, IP, change control. Supervised by design. Training: module 3.
• 4 Build & delivery. Detail: e2e-stage-4-build-delivery. From signed SOW to a portal the client accepts. Two halves, one owner. Training: module 4.
  • 4a Build (engineering). Architecture call, migration or harvest, metadata schema, custom features, brand design, and deploys to staging. Includes hardening a 2a PoC or rebuilding it. Agents do the labour; the operator does the judgement.
  • 4b Engagement lead (stakeholders). Turn the SOW into a build plan the client agrees to. Run client review cycles, decide what is in scope versus a change request, lead the team where there is one, and get sign-off against the SOW. This is being the one accountable name in delivery.
• 5 Launch & run (DevOps/SRE). Environments, deploys to Arc/Cloudflare, SSO, domains, compliance gates (WCAG/508, DCAT), go-live, then monitoring, incidents and upgrades. Training: modules 5 and 6 (ops half).
• 6 Expansion & renewal. Hold the subscription relationship: health reports, renewal, expansion and upsell. Feeds new scope back into 3. Training: module 6 (relationship half).

Cross-cutting (assessed separately, not stages)

• Client lead. The operator is the one accountable name the client deals with for the stages they own (vision L43). In delivery this is 4b. Elsewhere (2, 3, 6) it is assessed within the stage.
• Agent fluency. The operator uses agents to do the labour in whatever stages they own. It is a condition of owning any stage. This is the gap for Osahon and Ola.

Levels

Per person: where they want to develop

Rufus's view, 2026-09-28. ● = develop here. ○ = maybe, or to evaluate. Blank = not a development area for now.

The biz dev group is Ola, Daniela, João, Monika and Luccas. The delivery group is Ola, Daniela and João, with Luccas and Osahon to a small extent. Ola, Daniela and João appear in both groups: they are the closest to full-cycle operators.

Baseline: first read (unverified)

A first read from the notes in scq-2026-09-27 only, so every cell is a hypothesis for the person to confirm. 2? = likely owns; 1? = likely with help; ? = unknown; – = outside current role.

Next

1. Detail the focus stages (2, 2a, 4a, 4b, and 3 for the people it applies to). For each, write sub-steps, concrete assessable criteria per level, and the evidence that shows each.
2. Have each person correct their baseline row.

Open questions

• Should 2a live under 2 or under 1 (tailored marketing)? Drafted under 2, since the PoC is aimed at a specific target.
• Should 5 and 6 be prioritised now or left until the focus stages move? Arc recurring revenue argues for 6 sooner.
• Osahon and 4a: can he do it, and is agent fluency the blocker?
• Who assesses, and where does the evidence live?
• Is level 2 the right bar, or is level 1 in a new stage already a meaningful expansion?