Subscription Priorities Board

Internal Operating Playbook

Why This Matters

The Subscription Priorities Board is the central operating artifact for every client engagement. It's how we create alignment without constant calls, how we maintain ruthless focus on 2-3 high-leverage initiatives at a time, and how we hold ourselves and our clients accountable for progress.

This isn't just project management—it's the physical manifestation of our "Act With Intention" core value. When a client asks "what should we be working on?" the answer is always on the board. When we write monthly reports, the board provides structure. When we run quarterly intensives, the board gets refreshed.

Core Principles

NOW never exceeds 3 cards. This is sacred. If a client wants to add something, something else moves out. No exceptions. Ruthless prioritization is how we create value—not by doing more things, but by doing the right things.
Every card in NOW has an owner and target date. Unowned cards get discussed immediately. Ambiguity kills execution.
Nothing moves to DONE without results documented. Even if results were "inconclusive"—that's data. We track outcomes, not just outputs.
The board is the source of truth for priorities. If it's not on the board, it's not a priority. This creates clarity for everyone.
We adapt to their system, not vice versa. This reduces friction for clients AND reinforces that we're coaching them—not owning their implementation.

Platform Selection

We default to the client's existing PM tool when possible. This eliminates the friction of new account creation and embeds us into their existing workflow rather than creating a parallel system they'll forget to check. This embodies our core value "Build Capability"—we want them to be the owner of their subscription priorities, not us.

During onboarding, ask: "What PM tool does your team use for tracking initiatives?"

1

If they use Notion, ClickUp, Asana, or Monday: Create a shared board in their workspace. You get added as a guest in their system.

2

If they use something obscure or proprietary: "We typically use Notion for this—it keeps things simple and most clients are already familiar with it. Mind if we set that up?"

3

If they don't have a PM tool: Default to Notion. We own the workspace, they're guests (free for them).

Platform Notes

Platform	Notes
Notion	Our default. Clean Kanban views. Free guest access. Most mid-8-figure brands already use it or can adopt easily.
ClickUp	Powerful but heavier. Good if client already uses it. Guest access works well.
Asana / Monday	Fine if they're already using it. Don't recommend switching to these.
Google Sheets	Last resort. Zero new accounts needed but clunky for Kanban-style work. Use only if client strongly resists other options.

The platform is just the container. What matters is that the structure is standardized—same columns, same card format, same rules—regardless of where it lives.

Board Structure

Status Columns

Column	What Lives Here	Max Cards	Who Moves Cards
BACKLOG	Ideas, future initiatives, deprioritized items	Unlimited	100C adds; client can add
NEXT UP	Agreed priorities for next 30-60 days	5-7 max	100C moves from Backlog
NOW	Active work this cycle (2-3 items MAX)	3 MAX	100C or Client (with discussion)
IN PROGRESS	Client is actively executing	No limit	Client moves from NOW
MEASURING	Launched, waiting for data	No limit	Client moves when live
DONE	Completed AND measured	No limit	100C moves after readout

Movement Rules

Backlog → Next Up Happens during Monthly Report delivery or Quarterly Intensive. We recommend, client agrees.

Next Up → Now Only when something exits NOW. We recommend sequence. The Now column is sacred—never more than 3.

Now → In Progress Client moves when they've started work. This is their commitment signal.

In Progress → Measuring Client moves when launched. Must include launch date in notes.

Measuring → Done We move after data readout in monthly report. Must include results in notes before archiving.

Card Format

The card IS the brief for most initiatives. You don't need a separate document unless there's genuine complexity. Keep it lightweight so it actually gets done.

Standard Card Template

Title

[Clear, action-oriented name]

Example: "Optimize Subscription LP Offer Presentation"

What

2-3 sentences describing the specific action to take.

Example: "A/B test leading with 'Save 20% + Free Shipping' above the fold instead of burying subscription benefits below the product selector."

Why (The Data)

The evidence that makes this worth doing. Ties to our "Let The Data Lead" value.

Example: "Heatmap shows 68% of visitors never scroll to see sub benefits. Current CVR 14.2%."

Measure

How we'll know it worked. Include what metric, how long to reach significance, and target.

Example: "Primary metric: subscription take rate lift. Need ~2 weeks at current traffic for significance. Target: 16-18% take rate."

Owner

[Client team member name]

Target Date

[Specific date or timeframe]

Resources

Links to relevant assets, templates, or playbooks. Keep it minimal.

Notes/Updates

Running log of progress, blockers, and decisions. Client and strategist both add to this in the comments.

When to Create a Separate Brief

Most cards don't need a separate brief document. Only create one when:

Technical flesh out or instructions needed — e.g., complex Klaviyo flow logic with multiple branches
Multiple stakeholders need onboarding — e.g., agency + internal team both executing
It's a reusable playbook we've developed — e.g., "Skio Multiple Cancel Flow Setup" that becomes a template across clients

SLAs & Operating Rhythm

Weekly Rhythm

Day	Activity	Owner
Monday	Scan KPIs, flag anomalies	Analyst
Monday	Check board—any cards stuck >2 weeks in "In Progress"?	Analyst
Wednesday	Review flagged items, ping client if needed	Strategist

Monthly Rhythm

Timing	Activity	Owner
By 10th	Monthly report delivered with board updates	Strategist
By 15th	Client reviews, optional call scheduled if wanted	Client
End of month	Board groomed—archive completed, update Next Up	Strategist

Response SLAs

Scenario	SLA	Response
Client moves card to "In Progress"	1 biz day	Acknowledge in Slack
Client marks something "Measuring"	1 biz day	Confirm tracking is in place
Card stuck in "In Progress" >14 days	Proactive	"Need anything to unblock X?"
Card in "Measuring" >30 days	Proactive	Assess data, recommend readout or more time
Client adds card to Backlog	2 biz days	Acknowledge, add context if needed
Client wants to add to NOW (>3 items)	Same day	"What should we deprioritize?"

Common Scenarios & How to Handle

"Can we add this to NOW? It's urgent."

Response: "Absolutely, what should we move out of the column to make room for the time being? We strongly recommend keeping NOW limited to 3 items so we can stay focused on what matters most." Never let NOW exceed 3. This is the discipline that creates value.

Client hasn't touched the board in 3+ weeks

This is a leading indicator of disengagement. Proactively reach out: "I noticed we haven't had movement on the board recently. Wanted to check in—are priorities shifting, or is the team blocked on something?" Don't let it drift.

Initiative launched but results are inconclusive

Still move to DONE, but document it honestly: "Ran for 3 weeks. Results: +1.2% take rate, not statistically significant. Recommendation: Keep running or move to the next test." Inconclusive is data. Don't hide it.

Backlog is getting massive (15+ items)

During the quarterly intensive, prune ruthlessly. Archive anything that's been there 6+ months without movement. Ask: "Is this still relevant? If we wouldn't start it in the next 6 months, let's archive it."

Client wants to use a different PM tool mid-engagement

Generally accommodate, but set expectations: "Happy to move to [tool]. We'll migrate everything over next week. Note that the structure will stay the same—just a different home."

Internal Cross-Client Tracking

At our current scale (10-20 clients), we don't need sophisticated cross-client rollup tools. What we need is a habit.

Weekly Internal Tracker

Each strategist updates a simple Google Sheet row per client, once per week (takes ~5 min):

Client	Strategist	# NOW	# Measuring	Key Initiative	Last Update
Power Fruit	Amy	2	1	LP offer test	Dec 10
BodyBio	Shelby	3	0	Cancel flow	Dec 8

This gives Bryan visibility without requiring a fancy system. At 30+ clients, we'd revisit—but at current scale, this is sufficient.

Quick Reference: The Sacred Rules

NOW never exceeds 3 cards. No exceptions.
Every card in NOW has an owner and target date. Discuss unowned cards immediately.
Nothing moves to DONE without results documented. Even "inconclusive" is data.
Backlog is not a graveyard. Review quarterly, archive 6+ month old items.
The board is the source of truth. If it's not on the board, it's not a priority.
We adapt to their system. Notion is default, but flex to client preference.
The card is the brief. Separate docs only when genuinely complex.
Proactive > Reactive. Stuck cards get pinged before clients have to ask.

Questions? Ping Bryan or bring them to team sync.