3. SCOPE DEFINITION

Connected to: Section 1 (Executive Summary), Section 5 (Timeline), Section 7 (Risk Management)

In-Scope Deliverables

Phase 1 Deliverables (Foundation - Weeks 1-2)

Technical Deliverables

• System architecture document with diagrams (components, data flows, integrations)
• Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) for top 5 technical choices
• Development environment setup (Docker, CI/CD pipeline, testing framework)
• Technology stack finalized and approved ([List tech: Node.js, TypeScript, Solidity, Hardhat, etc.])
• API specification document (OpenAPI/Swagger)
• Smart contract template structures defined
• Security threat model and mitigation plan

Project Management Deliverables

• Project charter signed by executive sponsor
• RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed)
• Risk register initialized
• Team communication plan finalized
• Monitoring dashboard templates created
• Jira/Linear project fully configured

Documentation Deliverables

• Contributing guidelines
• Developer setup guide
• Architecture decision log
• Team handbook (roles, escalation paths, communication norms)

Phase 2 Deliverables (MVP Development - Weeks 3-8)

Core Product Features

• Smart Contract Templates

  • ERC-4337 (Account Abstraction) implementation
  • AI Agent execution contract
  • Parameter storage and state management
  • Event logging for agent decisions
  • Access control (owner, authorized callers)

• SDK TypeScript Library

  • Agent factory (initialization and deployment)
  • Contract interaction layer (type-safe contract calls)
  • Parameter management (get/set with validation)
  • Transaction builder (construct, sign, broadcast)
  • Event listener and response framework
  • Error handling and retry logic
  • Logging and monitoring hooks

• Deployment & Chain Support

  • Multi-chain deployment (Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, [others])
  • Testnet deployment tools
  • Mainnet deployment safeguards (dry-run, validation)
  • Environment configuration management
  • Gas optimization utilities

• Developer Experience

  • CLI tool for agent scaffolding (npx create-hyperagent)
  • Configuration wizard for common patterns
  • Debugging tools (local agent simulation)
  • Example projects (3-5 reference implementations)

Quality Deliverables

• Unit tests (80%+ code coverage minimum)
• Integration tests (SDK + contracts together)
• End-to-end tests (full agent lifecycle)
• Security audit report (external auditor)
• Performance benchmarks (latency, gas costs)
• Load testing results (1000+ concurrent agents)

Documentation Deliverables

• Complete API documentation (auto-generated from JSDoc)
• Getting started guide (15-minute walkthrough)
• Architecture deep-dive document
• Smart contract design patterns guide
• Deployment best practices guide
• Troubleshooting guide for common issues
• Video tutorials (3-5 core scenarios)

Release Deliverables

• npm package published (v1.0.0)
• GitHub repository public + CI/CD passing
• Release notes with changelog
• Migration guide (if building on previous version)
• Support channels established (Discord, GitHub Discussions, email)

Phase 3 Deliverables (Growth & Optimization - Weeks 9-16)

Product Enhancements

• Advanced features (parameter optimization, multi-agent coordination, etc.)
• Performance optimizations (reduced gas costs, faster deployment)
• Additional chain support (Solana, Sui, [others])
• Integration with popular tools (Tenderly, Etherscan, block explorers)
• Community contribution framework

Partner & Enterprise Features

• White-label capabilities
• Custom dashboard for partners
• API rate limiting and usage tracking
• SLA monitoring and reporting
• Dedicated support playbook

Scale & Operations

• Observability infrastructure (monitoring all production agents)
• Incident response procedures
• Status page (public + internal)
• Disaster recovery procedures
• Backup and restore documentation

Phase 4 Deliverables (Scale & Fundraising - Weeks 17-24)

Enterprise/Compliance

• SOC 2 Type II compliance audit
• Enterprise SLA agreements
• Data residency options
• Encryption at rest and in transit
• Audit logging for compliance

Business Development

• Partnership agreements (3+ ecosystem partners)
• Revenue sharing model documentation
• Customer success playbook
• Enterprise sales materials

Operational Excellence

• Runbook for common operational tasks
• Automated incident response procedures
• Team scaling playbook (hiring, onboarding, culture)
• Financial projections and business model documentation

Out-of-Scope (Explicitly NOT Included)

Features Explicitly Deferred

AI/LLM Integration (Defer to Phase 5)

• ❌ LLM prompt engineering framework (out of scope for MVP)
• ❌ Integration with specific LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
• ❌ Natural language parsing for agent instructions
• ✅ Reason: LLM integration requires user data strategy; Phase 4 explores post-launch

Cross-Chain Messaging (Defer to Phase 4)

• ❌ Hyperlane or LayerZero integration for cross-chain communication
• ❌ Multi-chain atomic swaps
• ✅ Reason: Complexity too high for MVP; market demand not yet proven; adds security surface

GraphQL API (Defer to Phase 3)

• ❌ GraphQL query layer for agents
• ✅ Reason: MVP uses REST/webhooks; GraphQL adds complexity without user demand signal

Mobile App (Defer to Phase 4+)

• ❌ Mobile agent deployment and monitoring
• ✅ Reason: MVP targets developers (web-first); mobile extends after product-market fit

Governance & DAO (Defer to future)

• ❌ DAO governance for protocol decisions
• ❌ Community voting on feature prioritization
• ✅ Reason: Premature without user base; adds complexity; can add later

Zero-Knowledge Proofs (Defer to future)

• ❌ ZK privacy features for agent execution
• ✅ Reason: Niche use case; technical complexity; market demand unclear

Integrations Explicitly Out of Scope

Constraints & Limitations

Budget Constraints

• Total Project Budget: $[Amount]
• Implication: No paid tools/services beyond [list approved]; must use open-source alternatives where possible
• Cloud Spend Cap: $[Amount]/month
• Implication: Must optimize infrastructure costs; consider Render, Railway over AWS/Google Cloud

Technical Constraints

• Smart Contract Gas Costs: Must keep per-agent deployment cost <[X] gwei ($[Y])
  • Implication: Cannot use complex state machines; must optimize Solidity code
• API Response Time: Must keep P95 latency <[X]ms
  • Implication: Cannot use slow databases; must cache aggressively; synchronous operations only
• No Proprietary Dependencies: Cannot use closed-source libraries
  • Implication: Community can audit and trust code; slows down some features but non-negotiable

Timeline Constraints

• MVP Launch: Must release by [Date] (90 days from start)
  • Implication: Features not completed by day 50 are cut from Phase 2; moved to Phase 3
• Security Audit: Must complete before mainnet launch
  • Implication: Adds 2-week lag between code freeze and launch
• Regulatory Review: Must complete for compliance jurisdictions
  • Implication: Adds 1-2 weeks; certain features may require disclaimers

Resource Constraints

• Team Size at Peak: [#] people
  • Implication: Cannot hire more than planned; must cross-train; may slip timeline
• Key Person Dependency: [Name] is irreplaceable on [task]
  • Implication: High risk; mitigation = documentation + mentoring backup
• External Dependency: Relies on [partner/API] being available
  • Implication: If they go down, we go down; need fallback plan

Market Constraints

• Target Market: [Specific geography/user type]
  • Implication: Cannot expand addressable market without new product; limits revenue
• Compliance: Must comply with [regulation] in [jurisdiction]
  • Implication: Cannot serve certain markets until compliance complete
• Partnership Dependency: Relies on [partner] for launch
  • Implication: If partnership breaks, launch delayed

Assumptions (Must Be True for Success)

Technical Assumptions

• Assumption 1: [Specific technical assumption]
  • Why it matters: [Impact if wrong]
  • How we'll validate: [Proof point or test]
  • Fallback if wrong: [Contingency plan]

Example:

• Assumption: "ERC-4337 will be widely supported on all target chains by Q2 2026"
  • Why: Our architecture relies on it; workarounds would add complexity
  • Validate: Check chain-by-chain roadmaps, monitor testnet adoption
  • Fallback: Build custom abstraction layer (adds 4 weeks, $50K cost)

Market Assumptions

• Assumption 1: "Developers want abstraction; they'll adopt SDK instead of building directly"
  • Why: MVP strategy assumes reducing friction; if developers want control, SDK loses value
  • Validate: Beta feedback, feature adoption rates, support tickets asking for "low-level access"
  • Fallback: Pivot to "components library" instead of abstraction, allowing deeper customization

Organizational Assumptions

• Assumption 1: "Team stays intact through launch"
  • Why: Key expertise in [Person] and [Person]; losing either breaks timeline
  • Validate: Keep team happy (compensation, autonomy, impact)
  • Fallback: Pre-document all decisions; cross-train backup; hire interim replacement if needed

Partnership Assumptions

• Assumption 1: "[Partner] will promote our SDK to their user base"
  • Why: [Partner] has 100K+ users; critical for early adoption
  • Validate: Written agreement; co-marketing plan established
  • Fallback: Self-serve marketing; developer relations; hackathon sponsorships

Change Control Process

Question: How do we handle scope changes during project?

New Feature Requests During Development

Tier 1: Small, low-effort features (<4 hours to implement)

• Decision: Technical Lead can approve on the spot
• Impact: Adjust next sprint; no gate delay
• Example: "Add new error code to API response"

Tier 2: Medium features (4-20 hours to implement)

• Decision: Product Owner + Technical Lead discuss and decide
• Impact: Requires formal scope change request; discussed at end-of-phase gate
• Example: "Add support for new blockchain"

Tier 3: Large features (>20 hours to implement)

• Decision: Steering Committee must approve
• Impact: Must cut equivalent work from scope to proceed; affects timeline/budget/gate
• Example: "Add ZK privacy features"

Scope Change Request Form (for Tier 2 & 3):

Feature: [Name]
Business Case: [Why add this?]
Effort Estimate: [Hours]
Timeline Impact: [Days slipped]
Budget Impact: [$]
What gets cut to accommodate: [If nothing, must slip timeline/budget]
Approval: [Signatures required]

Specification Documents (Reference)

Document Cross-Reference

This scope document is your north star. When scope creep happens (and it will), reference this document to say "no" diplomatically.

Review process: Every Friday, check: "Did we do anything out of scope? Did scope change? Do we need Steering Committee approval?"

Connected to: Section 1 (Executive Summary), Section 5 (Timeline), Section 6 (Resources), Section 7 (Risk Management)