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Papercutsby Runpoint

Find out what to
build first.

Every project starts with discovery. Papercuts is how we find the small problems your people work around.

Watch · 1:48Papercuts in under two minutes

Papercuts · 1:48 · English captions

Sam Gaddis explains what a papercut is, why the owner and the people doing the work tell different versions of the same job, and how the two weeks of discovery work.

Included with every Runpoint AI build, or bought on its own.

An account lead records a voice note on her phone in the office corridor after a client call, laptop under her arm.
The Papercuts app on his phone, asking What slowed you down?
Transcribed
“Before every status report, I copy hours out of three tools into a spreadsheet.”

Papercut logged

01What you get

What two weeks of discovery gets you.

  1. 1
    2
    3

    Know what to build first

    Every papercut ranked, and one clear first project.

  2. Build on how work really runs

    Maps of today's process and a better one.

  3. Skip software you don't need

    Some fixes need software. Some just need a phone call.

  4. What we heard

    Bring your team with you

    Everyone hears what we found and what's next.

You keep: the papercut catalog, process maps, a coverage statement, ranked fixes, a first build plan, and a team update.

Then we sit down with you, walk through the three strongest opportunities, and recommend which one to build first.

02Both versions

A good plan needs both versions of the story.

Leaders know how the process should run. The people doing it know what really happens.

Example: one scope change at a digital agency, asked about three ways
Ask the executive
YouHow do scope changes work here?

ExecutiveThe account lead writes a change order, and the client signs it before we start.

What you learn: how it should work.
Ask through an AI chat
AI chatWalk me through how you handle a scope change.

ProducerI estimate it, and the account lead sends the change order.

What you learn: the handbook version.
Ask in person
RunpointWalk me through the last scope change you handled.

ProducerI estimated it, but the team had already started, because the client needed it before launch. Then the account lead sent the change order. The hours went on the original project code, so we never billed them.

What you learn: two steps nobody wrote down.
03How it works

In person first, then an easy way to send every papercut.

  1. 01

    Talk in person

    One at a time, on paid time. This is where people tell us the real story.

    A delivery lead maps how a scope change gets approved on a whiteboard and circles two workarounds while two colleagues ask questions.
  2. 02

    Send papercuts as they happen

    From the phone app, by email, or from Chrome. Whatever is closest when something gets in the way.

    2:41
    Papercuts

    What slowed you down?

    Talk for a minute. We'll write it up and you can fix anything.

    I had to work around something
    Something took too long
    I have an idea
    Tap to recordOr type instead

    Dana at Runpoint reads every note. Message her anytime.

    Try it: tap through a real note

    Sample content

  3. 03

    Catalog and triage

    AI transcribes and sorts every papercut. We check where people disagree and rank what to fix.

    Everything people tell us ends up in one place your leaders can see.

    Try it: click through what your leaders see
    PapercutsSample data

    Scope change to billing, today

    27 accounts21 verified4 workaroundsUpdated today
    Step 2 · Producer

    Workaround: Producers estimate from their own past-project spreadsheet. The rate card in the system is out of date.Reported by 4 people · Not in any system

    Where this came from
    • Producers, voice note
    • Producers, conversation
    • Delivery leads, conversation
04Start