They Delivered Everything — But the Client Wasn’t Happy. What Rishi Did Next Changed How I Think About Progress.

Some years before, over a canteen coffee, a friend and fellow IT professional, Rishi, shared a story that’s stayed with me.

His team had just wrapped up a seemingly successful project. All modules were completed, sprint goals hit, and their Jira board was beautifully green.

Yet in the final review meeting, the client seemed oddly disappointed.

“The delivery was technically on time,” Rishi said, “but the client said they didn’t feel in control throughout the process. That hit hard.”

He wasn’t talking about scope creep, bugs, or delays.

He was talking about perception.

Green Boards, Grey Areas

Let’s break it down.

In every sprint review, the team presented completed stories:

• Refactored API module.
• Improved caching logic.
• Fixed the email retry flow.

Technically impressive work — no doubt.

But the client didn’t hear clarity in those updates. They were left wondering:

• Is the search feature finally fast enough for real use?
• Can my business team start UAT?
• Will the invoice export finally work as expected this time?

Instead of outcomes, they were hearing activities.

Instead of business progress, they were seeing tickets.

The Business Lens Is Different

What Rishi realized — and what most technical teams eventually learn — is this:

Done for dev ≠ Done for business.

This disconnect isn’t about intent — everyone wants the project to succeed.

But we speak different dialects.
We measure different things.
And unless someone’s translating in between, things fall through.

The Turning Point: A Pattern of Confusion

Rishi recalled multiple moments during the project when stakeholders reacted with confusion:

• A technical demo that showcased backend latency improvements… but didn’t include a visible UI impact.
• Weekly updates that listed completed Jira stories but gave no indication of what features were fully testable.
• Questions about “when it would be ready” answered with, “Well, this module is done, but we still need to plug in XYZ.”

No single moment caused the dissatisfaction. But collectively, it eroded trust.

Introducing the G.I.S.T. Framework

Midway through another project, Rishi experimented with something small.

Instead of relying solely on Jira updates, he started writing a Friday email to key stakeholders using a simple format. He called it G.I.S.T.

G – Goal Achieved

Start with what business outcome got unlocked this week.

✅ “Users can now filter products by date and price — live on staging, ready for UAT.”

Why it works:

• Communicates value.
• Shows forward motion.
• Gives the client confidence that real progress is happening.

I – Issues Faced

Raise blockers, risks, or dependencies clearly.

⚠️ “UAT environment crashed twice this week; root cause is under investigation.”

Why it works:

• Builds transparency.
• Avoids surprises.
• Helps decision-makers jump in when needed.

S – Stories Completed

For internal tracking or curious stakeholders, list actual tickets.

🗂️ TKT-139: Pagination on catalog API
🗂️ TKT-147: Retry logic for SMS gateway

Why it works:

• Gives traceability.
• Keeps technical teams looped in.
• Satisfies detail-seeking clients without cluttering the summary.

T – Target for Next Week

Set expectations on what will be ready next.

🎯 “Billing dashboard charts will be integrated into UAT by Thursday.”

Why it works:

• Gives direction.
• Aligns timelines.
• Anchors accountability.

Small Format, Big Impact

Within just 2 weeks of using G.I.S.T., Rishi noticed a shift:

• Fewer confused follow-ups.
• Fewer “Can we get a quick sync?” emails.
• More focused demos — because the client knew exactly what to test.

The team also started internalizing this outcome-first thinking. Devs began phrasing their progress in terms of what was now usable.

And that led to better conversations — both inside and outside the team.

Why G.I.S.T. Works

• It respects both business urgency and tech complexity.
• It avoids the common “Jira-is-the-update” trap.
• It turns weekly reporting into a habit of thinking:
  “What did we actually deliver that mattered?”

It’s not a fancy tool or a big process.
Just a simple shift in how we talk about progress.

You Can Start With Just This

Even if your team isn’t ready for new formats, you can apply G.I.S.T. yourself. In your daily client messages, standups, or demo decks — frame your updates around:

✅ What outcome is now possible
⚠️ What risks or blockers remain
📍 What’s planned next

Your clients — and your project managers — will thank you.

Final Thought

Rishi’s project didn’t fail. But the lesson was clear:

If stakeholders don’t see the value, they won’t feel the progress.

And if they don’t feel the progress, they won’t trust the process.

That’s why bridging the gap between “done” and “value” is one of the most underrated skills in IT.

It doesn’t need a new tool.
Just a better way of framing the truth.

💬 Let’s Connect
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