What does the discovery and kickoff process look like when starting a HubSpot project with an agency?

Discovery and kickoff is a structured phase, typically lasting 2 to 4 weeks, where the agency audits your current systems, maps business processes, defines project goals, and produces a documented scope of work with deliverables, timelines, and success criteria.

A good kickoff session covers several items: primary business goals and KPIs for the implementation, an audit of existing CRM data and tools, identification of key stakeholders and their priorities, mapping of current sales, marketing, and service processes, a realistic timeline based on internal resource availability, and a clear RACI matrix showing who owns what. The output should be a written scope document, typically six or more pages, that specifies what is in scope, what is out, how changes will be handled, and what "done" looks like. Lean Labs runs this as the first of three phases: meet with experts to outline challenges, needs, and goals, then craft a personalized plan before any build work starts. A red flag during this phase is a partner who is ready to scope and price before understanding your current state. If they skip discovery, they are guessing at what you need.