First 120 days · 1 of 3
Prove the commercial workflow before building the platform
Phase 1 is about proving the workflow before building the full product. It can run with a Vinculo operator, AI for interpretation, and lightweight tools. The goal is to learn whether partners will approve these actions, whether destination companies will act on them, and whether the process can be repeated without a large amount of custom work.
Target product vs first paid pilot
Same workflow, radically different implementation
Capability | Target product | First paid pilot | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer signal access | Read approved signals from the partner's existing systems | Use one partner, agreed exports, secure uploads, or a limited read-only connection | Vinculo operator + technical support where needed |
| Customer signal history | A consistent record of customer signals across approved systems | A simple record of what changed, when it changed, and where the signal came from | Vinculo operator + lightweight tooling |
| AI interpretation | AI continuously looks across approved customer signals and identifies possible needs | AI reviews batches of approved customer signals; a person reviews every suggested need | AI proposes, Vinculo operator reviews |
| Need confidence | Clear rules for when there is enough evidence to surface a possible need | Simple written rules for High / Medium / Low confidence | Vinculo operator |
| Destination matching | Compare the possible need against approved partner relationships | Use a short list of approved destinations and clear fit criteria | Vinculo operator + partner |
| Pipeline check | Check whether the destination already has an active account or opportunity | Ask the destination company whether the opportunity already exists, or check their CRM if access is available | Vinculo operator + destination contact |
| Employee delivery | Send the action into a workflow the employee already uses | Send the action by email or a lightweight Slack / Teams message, with Review / Dismiss / Defer linking to a simple approval page | Vinculo operator + lightweight automation |
| Permissions | Rules for what can be shared and who must approve | A written agreement on exactly what can be shared | Vinculo operator + partner |
| Send the action | Send the approved action into the destination's existing workflow | Send the approved referral by email or agreed intake process; the destination records it in its normal system | Vinculo operator + destination contact |
| Outcomes | Track what happened after the action | Regular check-ins to record whether it was accepted, introduced, meeting booked, opportunity created, or moved forward | Vinculo operator |
| Learning | Use feedback and outcomes to improve future recommendations and suppression | Capture every approval or dismissal with a reason and turn repeated feedback into clearer written rules | Vinculo operator |
Operating principle
The pilot should automate only what is needed to run the workflow repeatedly and safely. Everything else can stay manual until repetition justifies automation.