☀️ [30DC] Day 11 » Scope = Sanity

Scope has two personalities:

• Creepy
• Obedient

You may have met both.

Creepy scope is the extra work that creeps in when you’ve already started a project – like when you’re laying out a magazine, and the client asks you to “quickly” rebrand the whole thing.

Obedient scope is when the project stays within the guardrails, and nothing happens outside of the original scope.

We’ve all attempted to wrangle scope before it got out of hand, likely by being SUPER explicit about what you’d include.

Things like:

• Includes 3 rounds of changes, additional changes billed at <whatever> rate;
• 10 website pages, 1 contact form, 1 email newsletter signup, 1 social media feed;
• 2 hour photo shoot includes 100 digital images and 10 matte prints.

Being explicit like this awesome… so why does the scope still go all creepy ALL the time?

There’s one trick that can guide your scope away from creepy and towards obedient.

👉 Exclusions.

As explicitly as you state what is included, you need to state what is definitely not included… and you can get really specific here.

This is your ‘batteries not included’ point, but not in tiny font in brackets in the bottom corner of the back of the box of the remote control car where it’ll be missed until the kid opens it on Christmas morning and can’t get any batteries.

It’s as loud, clear, and unmissable as the inclusions.

Eg, the photographer:

• Already includes: 2 hour photoshoot, 100 digi images and 10 prints.
• Add that it also includes: Exactly one location (the studio). Exactly one outfit. Exactly one person.
• Then add that it excludes:
  • ❌ Outfit changes
  • ❌ Driving between locations
  • ❌ Additional people

Even though everything is implied in the inclusions, clear exclusions slam the door before the question is asked (and gives you a return-point if the question is asked).

You’re not being a jerk. You’re being clear.

And people who buy things love clarity (think about this as a buyer yourself).

This is just a brain-prompt for you to start thinking about what you really should be excluding from your offer.

It’ll tighten your scope, sharpen your delivery, and save everyone’s sanity.