Case study · October 2026 · sample figures
A shared record of what was agreed
Decisions lived in WhatsApp. Invoices arrived after the work. This is the prototype of the missing record, and the choices behind it.
40 min
to rebuild a chat before an invoice
5 of 6
had a client deny a chat-only yes
4 of 4
clients would not make an account
18s
to see what is still open
01 · The break
Where the agreement gets lost
The same path, from six studios. Click a step. The record never starts.
A change arrives in chat
Meera asks for a puja room in place of the study. It sits in a group with the contractor.
No fee. No drawing. No yes that anyone can point to.
Step 1 of 6. Still no shared yes.
02 · Who it hits
Three people, one missing record
Ananya, project lead
Chasing a yes, defending scope, reconstructing chat before an invoice.
“The spreadsheet is a reconstruction. The real record is the group.”
40 min
to rebuild what was agreed
03 · Research
What the two rounds said
6
architects, round 1 and 2
4
homeowners, round 2
3 cities
Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai
| What we heard | How often | What it meant |
|---|---|---|
| The real decision is in WhatsApp | 5 of 6 | Paste it in. Do not build a chat. |
| Will not make an account | 4 of 4 | A shared link is the client product. |
| Missed a fee under the photo | 3 of 4 | Fee above the approve button. |
| Asked where we are, first | 5 of 6, 3 of 4 | A phase line and a plain sentence. |
04 · Choices
Five ways to solve it. One shipped.
Shipped
One shared record
Phases, drawings, changes, and the reason an invoice exists. If it is in Ledger, both sides can see it. No internal layer in this version.
05 · The cut
What shipped, and what was left out
Phase record
Concept to handover. A sentence for whose turn it is.
Drawing versions
Latest approved, older ones kept as rows.
Fee before yes
Out-of-scope changes show cost and time above the button.
Invoice linkage
Each amount points at the approvals behind it.
WhatsApp paste
A message enters the log, attributed. Not a chat.
Link, no account
The client opens a shared link on a phone.
06 · The test
Round 2, on the working prototype
Find what is open · Architect
6/6
18s
Approve from a link · Client
4/4
42s
Read the fee before yes · Client
4/4
55s
Paste a WhatsApp message · Architect
6/6
35s
Tie an invoice to an approval · Architect
5/6
28s
4.3
architect confidence the record holds in a fee dispute
4.5
client confidence they knew what they were signing
4.8
client confidence they did not need an account
07 · What changed
Five breaks, five fixes
Broke
Clients treated the page like a gallery
Shipped
One primary action, a large photo, fee above the button
Where it stands
A prototype. Not a pilot.
Validated in the room: a client can approve from a link, an architect can see what is open, a change shows its fee before yes. Not validated: whether a studio keeps the record current over a real project. Sample names. Sample numbers.
Open the prototype