Best Practices for Custom Discovery

Custom discovery is most effective when it captures real implementation context before a request becomes a full application.

Best practice 1: Use clear titles

The title should describe the application or need in a way that makes sense to someone outside the original conversation.

Best practice 2: Capture operational context

The notes should explain why the request exists, what the application does, and what the team needs to understand before onboarding.

Best practice 3: Ask for missing information early

If a request is unclear, move it to a needs-info state and explain what is missing. Do not leave unclear items in a generic pending state with no guidance.

Best practice 4: Keep ownership current

A custom discovery request should always have a clear owner once active work begins.

Best practice 5: Convert only when ready

Discovery should not be converted into an application until the team has enough clarity to support onboarding and operational setup.