Decide whether to accept a freelance project using fit and capacity

What you’ll create

A weighted decision table, clarification questions, and an accept/negotiate/decline conversation draft.

Workflow steps

1. 01
   Extract the request, deadline, deliverables, fee, and open terms without assuming agreement.
2. 02
   Compare the project against user-defined fit, capacity, value, and risk criteria.
3. 03
   Run sensitivity checks for effort overruns or schedule changes using user-supplied assumptions.
4. 04
   Draft a respectful next response that asks for missing information or proposes revised terms.

Start your workflow

Use the stages in order. Fill in the bracketed sections and add only source material you are permitted to share.

STAGE 1 — 1. Clarify the opportunity
When to use: Use before scoring it.
Prompt: Help me assess a freelance project request. Client request (anonymized): [paste]. Deliverables and acceptance criteria: [details or unknown]. Deadline and milestones: [details]. Fee, payment schedule, and expenses: [details]. My current workload and available hours: [details]. My decision criteria and deal-breakers: [list]. Extract confirmed facts, assumptions, and missing terms. Ask up to three essential questions; do not assume scope or client agreement.
Expected return: A project fact sheet, open-term list, and questions.
User check: Check that deliverables and acceptance criteria are specific enough to estimate.

STAGE 2 — 2. Compare fit and capacity
When to use: Use after clarifying key terms.
Prompt: Score this opportunity against my criteria: [criteria and weights, or ask me to set weights]. Use a transparent scale defined in the table. Include fit with goals, capacity, deadline risk, fee relative to estimated effort, payment risk based only on supplied facts, and opportunity cost. Show evidence for each score and mark unknowns as unknown, not zero. Run a sensitivity case for [user-supplied hours-overrun or deadline change]. Do not make the decision for me.
Expected return: A weighted decision table, capacity check, sensitivity case, and key trade-offs.
User check: Review weights and assumptions; re-check hourly-equivalent calculations and dates.

STAGE 3 — 3. Prepare the response
When to use: Use after reviewing the trade-offs.
Prompt: Draft a response for my chosen direction: [accept / negotiate / decline / need more information]. If accepting, include only the confirmed scope, fee, and dates. If negotiating, propose the exact changes I provide: [changes]. If declining, keep it courteous and brief. Leave unresolved contract or payment terms as questions.
Expected return: An editable response draft and a pre-commitment checklist.
User check: Do not send until the user has confirmed all commercial and contractual terms.