The first six weeks
What to check in a new company's first six weeks, what good looks like at each stage, and the warning signs to act on early.
On this page
The first term
A company's first Order Form term is 6 weeks. At the end of it, the owner and Colby decide whether to keep going, add kits or change the hour target. The habits a crew forms in these weeks, like charging, the angle and uploading after every shift, are the ones it keeps.
Owners get a one-page ramp-up plan for these weeks. This page is the same plan from your side: what to check, and when to step in.
Know the company's numbers
The ramp-up plan turns the Order Form's hour target into hours per kit per week: divide the target by 4.3 weeks, then by the number of kits. If you requested the contract, you entered the target and the kits. Otherwise, ask the owner for the numbers on their Order Form.
Example
A company with 5 kits
Hour target: 430 accepted hours. 430 divided by 4.3 weeks is 100 accepted hours a week across all kits.
100 divided by 5 kits is 20 accepted hours per kit per week, about four hours a shift, five shifts a week.
Week 1 aims for about a third of that: about 33 hours across the company.
Week 2 aims for about two-thirds: about 67 hours.
From week 3 the aim is the full 100 hours a week.
At full pace, your fee is 100 accepted hours a week times $2.00 per accepted hour.
Week by week
| When | The company aims for | You check | Good looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before day one | Contract signed, written OKs, crew yes | Signed in Companies | Every place and person ready before the kits arrive |
| Setup day | Each recorder makes an account and uploads a test | The owner says the setup call happened | Every recorder has uploaded a test |
| Week 1 | About a third of its hours per week | Today: accepted, in review and rejected hours | Every kit uploads after its shifts. Feedback is fixed quickly. |
| Week 2 | Every kit on every planned shift. About two-thirds of its hours per week. | Hours rising, rejections falling | Few rejections after the first fixes |
| Weeks 3 to 5 | Each kit at its full hours per week | Accepted hours near the aim for the week | Steady hours from every kit, from more than one recorder |
| Week 6 | The end of the first term | The owner's plan for what comes next | The owner keeps going or adds kits |
Before day one
- The company shows Signed in Companies.
- The owner has a written OK for every place the crew will record.
- Every person who will record has read the crew sheet and said yes.
- The owner has picked the places, shifts and people for each kit.
- The setup call is booked, and someone at the shipping address can receive the kits.
Week 1: first shifts
The crew records real shifts in a few places and uploads after every shift. So far, a new crew's first rejections have tended to come from its first night of video, and they are usually about camera setup: a strap that slips, a phone aimed forward, or hands out of view.
- Look at Today once a day. It shows your companies' accepted, in-review and rejected hours for the last 7 days.
- Call the owner after the first shift or two. Ask whether everyone uploaded, and whether any feedback came back.
- If feedback came back, make sure the crew fixes it before recording more. A week of the same mistake is a week of rejected hours.
Week 2: every kit, every planned shift
Every kit now records on every shift the owner planned, and the owner has a short check-in call with Colby about what passed, what to fix and which shifts to add. Accepted hours should be rising and rejected hours falling.
Check that every kit is in use. If the company has five kits and hours that look like two, ask which kits are sitting in the closet.
Weeks 3 to 5: full pace
Each kit should reach its hours per week. If one falls behind, the ramp-up plan's answer is to move it to a longer shift or to another person. If the owner wants more kits, more places or more people recording, this is the time to tell Colby.
Look at the trend rather than one day. A slow night happens. Three slow weeks in a row is a problem to raise with the owner.
Week 6: the end of the first term
Colby sends the owner the count of accepted hours. The owner and Colby decide together whether to keep going, add kits or change the hour target. Ask the owner what they plan to do, and pass anything they want to change to Colby.
Warning signs
| Sign | Where you see it | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kits sent, but no hours | Companies: kits sent, no hours | Accounts not made, tests not uploaded, or no shifts planned | Call the owner and go through Recorder setup. |
| Many rejected hours | Today: the Rejected number | Usually camera setup: the angle, a chest mount or a dark room | Ask what the feedback said. Recheck the angle with the 10-second test. |
| One recorder doing all the hours | Ask the owner | The others never started, or stopped | Get a second person recording. If one account is held, the company drops to zero. |
| Hours flat below the aim | Today: accepted hours | Short shifts, or kits not in use | Move kits to longer shifts or other people. |
| A recorder's account is on hold | The owner tells you | Repeated problems with that person's video | Stop recording on that account and call Colby. |
| The owner goes quiet | No answer to your follow-ups | Busy, or stuck on something | Set a follow-up date in People, and ask Colby whether the owner has been in touch. |
Recorder-by-recorder results in your portal are coming. Until then, ask the owner how many people recorded and who. Colby can also give the owner a sign-in at the portal to see their own crew's hours.
Sample check-in call
- You
- How did the first shifts go?
- Owner
- Fine, I think. Two of the guys recorded every night.
- You
- And the third kit?
- Owner
- He hasn't made his account yet.
- You
- He needs his personal email and your invite code. The kit guide walks through it. Want me to text you the link?
- Owner
- Yes. And we got a note about hands being out of view.
- You
- That's the most common first note. Have them tip the phone down until both hands are in the middle, then record 10 seconds and check before the shift.
What not to do
- Don't push a crew to add hours by slowing down or redoing clean work. That video is rejected, and it can get a recorder removed.
- Don't promise that hours will be accepted. Only review decides.
- Don't push a building that said no. The company records at the places that said yes.
- Don't wait until week 6 to raise a problem you saw in week 1.
Questions
What if a company is behind the week 3 pace?
Look for kits not in use first. The ramp-up plan's fixes are longer shifts, another person on the kit, or more places. Tell Colby early if the owner wants more kits.
Can I see each recorder's hours?
Not yet. Recorder-by-recorder results are coming to your portal. For now, ask the owner. Colby can give the owner a sign-in to see their own crew's hours.
What does In review mean?
Hours that are recorded and uploaded but not yet reviewed. They count once accepted.
Does the first term end the company's contract?
No. The Order Form renews after the first 6 weeks unless one side gives written notice that it won't.