60% of freelance projects fail due to a poorly defined brief. Not due to lack of talent, but because of misaligned expectations from minute 0.
An effective brief doesn't need to be a 20-page document. It just needs to answer the right questions.
The Minimum Viable Structure
Every brief must answer these 5 questions:
1. What problem are we solving? (Context)
Don't say "I need a React developer". Say "our users abandon checkout because it takes 10s to load".
Example:
"Our conversion rate dropped 40% after migrating to the new payment gateway. We need to optimize checkout load time."
2. What do I need you to do? (Deliverables)
Be specific. "Improving the website" won't cut it. List concrete and measurable deliverables.
Example:
- •[ ] Refactor checkout flow to reduce load time to <2s
- •[ ] Implement unit tests with >90% coverage
- •[ ] Document optimizations made
3. How will I know it's done right? (Success Criteria)
Define objective metrics. Avoid "it looks good" or "it's fast".
Example:
- •Load time <2s (measured with Lighthouse)
- •0 critical errors in production for 2 weeks post-deploy
- •Conversion rate recovered to 95% of pre-migration level
4. When do I need it? (Timeline)
Be realistic. If you say "yesterday", you'll only attract desperate or low-quality profiles.
Example:
- •Kick-off: February 17
- •First iteration: February 24
- •Deploy to production: March 3
5. How much can I pay? (Budget)
Transparency attracts better talent. If you don't know, give a range or ask for an estimate.
Example:
"Budget: 3,000€ - 5,000€ (flexible based on technical proposal)"
Copy-Paste Template
What if I don't know what to ask for?
At Ottly, our AI structures the briefing for you. You just have to describe the problem in natural language, and the system generates the full brief.