Closing deals
"How we get contracts signed and deposits paid before starting any work."
Haider NadeemWhy this exists
A project isn't real when a client says 'looks good' on Zoom. We don't touch code without a signed contract and a cleared deposit. This keeps us from wasting hours on projects that might evaporate.
Operational Flow
Send the agreement: Email the contract via DocuSign right after verbal agreement.
Issue the deposit invoice: Send a 50% Stripe invoice at the same time.
Secure the signature: Ping them after 48 hours if they haven't signed.
Confirm funds clearance: Check that the Stripe deposit has cleared in our bank.
Schedule the kickoff: Book the kickoff call only after signature and payment are cleared.
What good looks like
- The client signs the DocuSign and pays the Stripe invoice within three hours.
- The deal moves from sent to funded without extra phone calls because terms were simple.
- Engineers start kickoff prep knowing the deposit is already in the bank.
What NOT to do
- Don't schedule kickoff meetings before their legal representative signs the contract.
- Don't set up staging environments or repositories without a cleared deposit.
- Don't let clients change contract terms over email. Make all edits directly in the DocuSign.
We spent four days setting up a database cluster and drafting schemas for an ecommerce site because their CTO gave us a verbal go-ahead. That Monday, their CFO killed the project. We got apologies instead of a check, and felt like idiots. That was the last time we wrote code before a deposit cleared.
A client’s speed during the signing phase shows how they will behave later. If they stall on contracts or invoices, they will stall on design approvals and API feedback. Stick to the closing checklist. It’s our first test of their reliability.