PRJ.DARKPOE // PROTOCOL

Four phases.
Zero drift.

Most agencies hide their process behind status calls and gantt charts no one reads. Ours is published — every phase, every deliverable, every gate. You'll know what's happening before it happens.

01Phase Intake

Encrypted brief, no calls.

You submit a structured intake covering candidate, race, jurisdiction, timeline, donation processor, CRM, and any required compliance language. We confirm receipt within four hours and send back a quote, a deployment date, and a contract within 36 hours.

If anything is missing or unclear, we send a single follow-up with specific questions — not a meeting invite.

  • Quote & deployment date
  • Contract (digital signature)
  • Invoice for 50% deposit
  • Architecture kickoff date
02Phase Architecture

Sitemap, structure, voice — locked.

Once the deposit lands, we build the spine: full sitemap, page-by-page wireframes, copy framework, design direction, and the integration plan for every third-party platform you're using. We deliver everything in a single document.

You get one week to review and approve. After approval, scope is locked — additional pages or features after this point are quoted separately. This protects your timeline more than it protects us.

  • Sitemap + wireframes
  • Copy framework
  • Design direction (3 references)
  • Integration spec
  • Final timeline
03Phase Build

Staging in days, not weeks.

We build to a staging URL you can share internally. Two structured rounds of revisions are included — first round on visual design, second round on copy and integration details. Anything beyond two rounds is billed at $120/hr.

During build, you get a weekly written status update. No calls unless you specifically request one. Every deliverable lands ahead of its committed date or we tell you why before the date passes.

  • Staging URL (password-protected)
  • Weekly written status
  • Two revision rounds
  • Pre-launch QA report
  • Compliance review
04Phase Launch & Hold

DNS cutover, then we stay nearby.

Launch is coordinated with your team. We handle the DNS cutover, SSL provisioning, redirect map, and monitoring activation. We brief your comms staff on the CMS, the analytics dashboard, and the rapid-response workflow.

Post-launch, we hold position. Tactical and Operational include 30 days of bug-fix support. Strategic clients keep us on standby through Election Night, with priority response on rapid-response pages and infrastructure incidents.

  • DNS & SSL cutover
  • CMS & analytics walkthrough
  • Rapid-response workflow brief
  • Repository & credential handoff
  • Final invoice (50% balance)
// COMMUNICATION
DOCTRINE
Status calls are usually a tax on the client — meetings to perform progress instead of make it. We default to async, written, and concise. If you need a call, you can have one. If you don't ask, you won't be required to attend one.
— Communication Standard, File 003

Six operating principles.

TENET 01

Fixed scope, fixed price, fixed date.

Every engagement is locked across all three. If we miss a date, you get 10% off. If you change scope, we re-quote. No exceptions, both directions.

TENET 02

Async by default.

Written updates, written approvals, written briefs. Calls happen only on request. Your time is more valuable than our process.

TENET 03

Code and credentials transfer on launch.

You own the repository, the hosting account, the domain, and every third-party credential. No vendor lock-in. If you fire us, you can keep operating without us.

TENET 04

We say no to a lot.

Out of scope, out of cycle, out of expertise — we'll tell you. Then we'll refer you to someone who handles it. Pretending to be a one-stop shop hurts you, not us.

TENET 05

The candidate's safety is the build's safety.

No public team. No client logo wall. Reference releases require written permission. We protect your operational footprint as carefully as our own.

TENET 06

Election Day is not the deadline.

The deadline is the moment your site needs to perform — first debate, fundraising push, FEC filing, polling release. We build to your real-world deadlines, not the calendar's.

If this is how you want to work, let's start the clock.

Engage