Discovery Call — Cheat Sheet

Phase 1: Open & Set the Frame (5 min)

Goal: Set the agenda, remove pressure, and establish trust. The prospect should feel heard before you say a word about Polymorph.

"The aim today is to understand what's really going on with your product, workflows, and build — and whether it makes sense to go deeper. I'd love the first chunk on your business, users, and what 'good' looks like. Then I'll share initial thoughts. If it fits, we'll book a follow-up where I can walk through how we'd de-risk scope — often starting with a concept design phase. Sound fair?"

• Set agenda and expectations
• Remove pressure ("if it doesn't feel like the right fit, just say so")

Phase 2: Their World Today (15 min)

Goal: Understand the business, primary users, and how software fits operations today. Map their world before diagnosing the build.

• Two-minute business overview
• How does the business make money?
• Who are the users / customers of the system (internal, external, both)?
• What exists today — spreadsheets, legacy app, SaaS stack, nothing?
• Critical workflows & integrations (payments, CRM, ERP, auth)?
• Who built/maintains software today (in-house, agency, offshore)?
• Rough budget band or procurement path for this initiative?

Phase 3: Pain & Ambition (12 min)

Goal: Uncover the real frustration and what success looks like. Move from surface symptoms to root cause, and from vague goals to specific outcomes.

• Where does software delivery break down?
• What's frustrating about managing this personally?
• What have you tried to fix it? What worked/didn't?
• Cost of doing nothing for 12 months?
• 90-day success vision?
• End-of-year success vision?
• Specific numbers attached?
• Shared ONE observation?

Can I share something I've noticed? [Your observation here]

Phase 4: Qualify & Position (8 min)

Goal: Confirm decision-making authority, budget reality, and timeline. Position Polymorph as discovery-led custom software (concept design → build) in 60 seconds or less.

• How do decisions get made?
• Who else has a say?
• Budget range?
• When does this need to start?
• Other options being considered?
• Positioned Polymorph as de-risking partner (concept design before big build)?
• Avoided selling embedded product director / long build before concept is bought — preview only if they asked?

Phase 5: Bridge to Pitch (5 min)

Goal: Reflect back what you heard, build anticipation for the pitch, and book the next call. Never end without a meeting in the diary.

• Reflected back what I heard
• Built anticipation (3 things: approach, something tangible, pricing)
• Booked pitch call (5-7 business days)
• Confirmed decision-maker for pitch
• Set time expectation (45-60 min)
• Next step framed as diagnostic pitch → paid concept (not jumping to full partnership commit)

BANT Qualification Grid

Green / Red Flag Checklist

Post-Call Log