Write POC Success Criteria Before the Pilot Starts [2026]

Pilots without criteria become infinite trials

Buyers use pilots to reduce risk. Sellers use pilots to prove value. Without written success criteria, incentives diverge: the champion wants more time; finance sees sunk cost; IT never got the SSO test they needed. Criteria align both sides on what “done” means before emotions and quarter-end pressure rewrite history.

Criteria categories — cover all veto paths

Missing a category invites a late veto. Technical validation guides cover IT tracks — see technical validation playbook.

Write criteria in SMART form — for real

Vague: “Team likes the product.” Usable:

• Specific — “Five AEs log outbound mail on 20 deals each”
• Measurable — report from admin dashboard or export, not vibes
• Agreed — champion replies-all confirming list
• Time-bound — end date with no automatic extension
• Relevant — ties to pain from discovery, not your feature checklist

Paste the final list into the opportunity note in Momentum and into a mutual action plan if you use one.

POC document template — send before kickoff

1. Objective — one sentence business pain
2. Scope — users, data subset, integrations in/out
3. Success criteria — numbered list with verifiers
4. Timeline — kickoff, mid-point check, readout, decision date
5. Owners — names on both sides for technical and business
6. Exit criteria — pass → commercial path; fail → data deletion / extend terms
7. Commercial path if pass — pricing tier, target signature date

Both sides reply “confirmed” on the thread. Slack verbal agreements dissolve under procurement.

Exit criteria — pass, fail, and extend

• Pass — all must-have criteria met; commercial proposal within 5 business days
• Partial — define which gaps block purchase vs roadmap; do not pretend full pass
• Fail — documented reasons; pilot data removed per DPA; nurture or qualify out
• Extend — only with new criteria and paid extension or executive sponsor letter

Free extensions without new criteria train buyers to stall. Pilot-to-paid conversion depends on exit discipline as much as product love.

Mid-pilot readout — do not skip week two

Schedule a 30-minute readout at pilot midpoint:

• Criteria status — green / yellow / red per line item
• Blockers — owner and date to resolve
• Scope creep — new asks get traded for timeline or commercial commitment
• Preview of final readout attendees — economic buyer invited now, not surprise at end

Yellow at midpoint is fixable. Red at week six with no readout is a loss you saw coming.

Final readout agenda

1. Review criteria — evidence per line (5 min)
2. Gaps — honest assessment (5 min)
3. Champion recommendation — pass / fail / extend (5 min)
4. Commercial next steps — proposal, security, legal (10 min)
5. Actions — owners and dates logged on opportunity (5 min)

Send recap same day. Attach screenshots or exports that prove criteria — buyers forward internally.

Common criteria mistakes

• Product tour as pilot — no workflow change, no proof
• Champion-only users — end users revolt after signature
• No IT in technical criteria — security veto post-pilot
• Success = feature checklist you built — not their buying job
• Criteria changed mid-pilot — reset timeline or commercial terms

POC success criteria checklist

• Three to five measurable criteria with verifiers named
• Scope and timeline documented — end date on calendar
• Exit paths for pass, fail, extend defined
• Midpoint readout scheduled
• Economic buyer aware of final readout date
• Criteria and recap stored on opportunity in CRM

Related reading

• Pilot-to-paid conversion
• Technical validation
• Mutual action plans