Checklist: before you start

Stakeholder Engagement: Initiate the project by engaging with business stakeholders to understand their objectives and desired outcomes. Effective communication and clarity on the business's goals are essential at this stage.
Methodology Pitch: Prepare a compelling presentation that outlines your methodology, ideally supplemented with examples from past successful projects. This builds confidence in your approach and demonstrates its effectiveness.
Project Scoping: Discuss the scope and scale of the project. It's often more effective to break down larger problems into smaller, manageable projects. This allows for quicker wins and more immediate application of findings.
Applying the 80/20 Rule: Utilize the Pareto Principle to prioritize efforts that will yield the most significant results, ensuring efficient use of resources and time.

Time Management: Emphasize the value of your time and the project by booking the sprint dates promptly. This sets a professional tone and underlines the importance of the project.
Schedule Planning: Allocate two full weeks, ensuring six days of complete availability from the core team. Flexibility is key, so having a backup plan (Plan B) in case of unforeseen circumstances is crucial.
Work-Life Balance: Schedule the team’s working hours from 9 AM to 5 PM to ensure productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Select Tools: Utilize tools like Google Suite for its collaborative features, ensuring that the entire team can work synchronously and access shared resources.
Utilize Visual Collaboration Platforms: Platforms like Miro or Mural are excellent for creating shared boards and facilitating information flow.
Software and Physical Space: Ensure access to design tools like Sketch or Adobe XD, and prepare a conducive physical space for collaboration, including areas for interviews and group discussions.
Efficient Recruitment Tools: Use tools like Calendly for scheduling interviews, making the process seamless for both the team and the participants.

Team Formation: The Gateway should facilitate the formation of a well-rounded team, ensuring diversity in skills and perspectives.
Management Approval: Confirm that all team members have received necessary approvals for their involvement, ensuring commitment and availability.
Team Size: Decide the team size based on the project's scale – smaller teams for less complex projects and larger ones for more extensive projects.
Supporting Roles: Consider having an additional UX designer to assist the Sprint Researcher with daily tasks.