agency-now-next-later

name	agency-now-next-later
description	Phase 5 of the Sprint Framework — translates a working pilot into a phased roadmap (Now / Next / Later) for the client. The artifact that closes proposals, structures retainers, and surfaces the upsell path. Mirrors the Blue Label / AAA 2.0 methodology. Use when the user says "now next later", "roadmap", "phase 5", "phased plan", "what's next after the pilot".

Now-Next-Later Roadmap (Sprint Framework — Phase 5)

The artifact you deliver to the client at the end of the pilot — a phased plan showing what's done now, what should come next (the retainer), and what's worth tackling later. This is the document that converts a pilot into ongoing work.

Inputs

Read:

• memory/clients/{client-slug}/strategic-alignment.md — the original metric, what's still gap
• memory/clients/{client-slug}/process-map.md — the steps not yet AI-ified
• memory/clients/{client-slug}/use-case-matrix.md — the candidates that weren't picked as pilot
• memory/clients/{client-slug}/sprint-plan.md — what the pilot actually delivered
• memory/value-drivers.md — to align upsells to the agency's drivers

The three buckets

Bucket	Definition	Time horizon	Client mood
NOW	Live in production from the pilot	Today	"We have this."
NEXT	Highest-impact extensions, contracted as Phase 2 / retainer	Next 30-90 days	"Let's commit."
LATER	Roadmap items that need NEXT to land first, or wait on data/budget	90+ days	"I see where this goes."

Method

NOW (what's already live)

Pull from sprint-plan.md Definition of Done. State exactly what's working, exactly which metric moved, and the proof (numbers, demo URL, anything tangible).

NEXT (what to commit to in the next 90 days)

Pull from use-case-matrix.md — top 3 candidates that weren't selected as pilot, plus any handoffs/integrations that the pilot needs to fully land.

For each NEXT item:

• What it does
• Which Value Driver it serves (from the agency's positioning)
• Estimated sprint length
• Estimated price point
• Dependency on NOW

LATER (the strategic horizon)

Items that:

• Need NEXT to land first
• Require client capability we haven't built yet
• Are high-impact but the timing isn't right

For each LATER item: brief description + the unlock condition.

Output

Write to memory/clients/{client-slug}/now-next-later.md:

# Now-Next-Later — {Client Name}

**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Original metric (from strategic-alignment.md):** ...
**Movement during pilot:** ... → ... (Δ ...)

---

## NOW — What's live

**{Pilot name}** — production-ready

- Solves: {primary problem}
- Owner: {client-side user}
- Result: {metric movement, in numbers}
- Demo: {link / Loom}

---

## NEXT — Committed plan (next 30-90 days)

| # | Initiative | Value Driver | Sprint length | Price | Dependency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ... | ... | 2 weeks | $... | NOW |
| 2 | ... | ... | 2 weeks | $... | #1 |
| 3 | ... | ... | 1 week | $... | NOW |

**Recommended structure:** {Phase 2 fixed-scope / monthly retainer / hybrid}
**Total NEXT investment:** $...

---

## LATER — Strategic horizon

| Initiative | Value Driver | Unlock condition |
|---|---|---|
| ... | ... | After NEXT #2 |
| ... | ... | When client has ... |

---

## What this means for the metric

- NOW delivered: Δ ...%
- NEXT projected: Δ ...% (cumulative)
- LATER projected: Δ ...% (cumulative)

**Total opportunity:** ... → ... over 12 months.

After writing

Now-Next-Later is delivered. The client can see the pilot worked, what's next, and where it leads.

If they want to commit to NEXT, run /agency-retainer-architect to convert the NEXT bucket into a retainer / Phase 2 contract.

Want a Gamma-ready slide version of this for the client wrap presentation? Say so and I'll render it.

Boundaries

• Don't oversell LATER — vague future possibilities erode trust.
• Always anchor to the metric from strategic-alignment.md. If you can't connect a NEXT item to that metric, drop it.
• Never include items the client hasn't seen evidence of demand for. This is a credibility document.