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  "path": "/links/the-gut-check-work-better-and-happier-by-formalizing-your-feelings-fe76a9854c2e",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-09T04:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://jonathanstephens.us",
  "tags": [
    "Questions",
    "Design Studio",
    "Gut-check",
    "Intestinal Inclination",
    "Resource",
    "Decision Making",
    "Alignment",
    "Purpose",
    "Values",
    "Choice",
    "Standard Operating Procedure"
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  "textContent": "> For us, the Gut Check is a tool that helps guide our work, keeping us pointed in the right direction. And we believe in it so much that we urge you to try out your own version. It may seem like choosing your clients and projects is a luxury beyond reach, but I think you’ll find that once you start doing this, it puts you in a position of strength. We felt surprisingly empowered the first time we turned down a project, and now we try to do so on a regular basis.\n\n> So write down who you want to work with and who you don’t want to work with. Choose what you will and won’t do. Don’t just follow your gut, formalize it. It’ll make the journey easier, and bring your whole team along for the ride.\n\n## The Greater Good Studio Gut Check (as of Feb 27, 2019)\n\n### Section 1: Introduction\n\n  * Name & website of the client organization(s)\n  * Name of the client contact(s)\n  * What is the project? What problem does the client need to solve, or what questions does the client need to answer? (generally speaking)\n  * What is our rough idea for how we might approach this project?\n  * What is the estimated budget range? (Our best guess)\n  * When would it start, and how long would it be? (Our best guess)\n  * Have we done any projects like this? In what ways are they similar?\n  * Is there an RFP or other documentation from the client?\n\n\n\n### Section 2: Impact & Responsibility\n\n  * Does this client serve a marginalized population based on race, gender, age, income, ability or sexual orientation? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * Who are the end users of this project? (This may include people either inside or outside the organization)\n  * How desired is this project from the perspective of the end users? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What do we know so far about what the end users want?\n  * How likely is this project to have a positive impact on the end users? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What type(s) of positive impact might come about as a result of our work?\n  * How clearly is the client working towards equity? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What is the client’s mission, and how does it relate to social equity?\n  * What do we know about how this project is being funded?\n  * Is human-centered design the right approach for this engagement? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * Why is HCD right or wrong here?\n  * How likely is this project to lead to negative consequences? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What might be the negative consequences that could arise from this project? (e.g. our work is a cover for an org to continue oppression in other forms)\n\n\n\n### Section 3: Client Relationship\n\n  * How much does the client seem like they’ll value our work? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What are our clues (if any) that they’ll value our work?\n  * Given what we know so far, how much do we respect the client team? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What (if anything) has the client team done to earn our respect?\n  * How interested are they in building their own capacity for HCD? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What (if anything) do they want to learn from us?\n  * Red flag: do we sense any internal or external pressure to work together? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * If present, what is the source of the pressure to work with us?\n\n\n\n### Section 4: GGS Capacity\n\n  * Do we have staff that are ideal for this project, or can we recruit quality contractors in the time we have? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What roles does the project need? (Including contractors)\n  * Does the start time align with the project team’s availability, or is the timing flexible? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * How might we make ourselves available?\n  * What’s the risk of this project blowing up in scope? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What might we do at this stage to mitigate for the risk of scope creep?\n\n\n\n### Section 5: Client Capacity\n\n  * How likely is this work to be implemented? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What are our clues that the client can (or cannot) execute?\n  * How open-minded is the client about what might come out of our work together? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What does the client think the solution might be?\n  * How impactful do we feel the client organization already is? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What impact is the client organization making in the world? Can we find any press, positive or negative, to support their claims?\n\n\n\n### Section 6: Growth as a Firm\n\n  * How new and intellectually challenging will this project be for us? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What new areas of expertise might we gain through this project?\n\n\n\n### Section 7: Business Value\n\n  * How likely is this project to become a case study on our website? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What are the deliverables we might share? (In a case study, in a newsletter, or in PR)\n  * Might this project lead to future work? (1 to 5 scale)\n  * What are our clues that the client might need us again? What are our clues that the client could influence others to work with us? (Or not)\n\n\n\n### Section 8: Summary\n\n  * Top reasons to say yes\n  * Top reasons to say no\n\n",
  "title": "The Gut Check"
}