clienthub/.planning/research/FEATURES_v2.0.md

Feature Landscape: Business Operations Suite v2.0 (New Features)

Domain: Proposal generation + lightweight CRM for solo personal-branding consultant
Researched: 2026-06-10
Research Mode: Ecosystem (proposal software + lightweight CRM patterns)
Confidence: MEDIUM-HIGH
Scope: ONLY new v2.0 features (does NOT review v1.0 table stakes already shipped)

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Executive Summary

The Business Operations Suite adds three interconnected workflows to ClientHub:

1. Proposal Generation & Delivery — Sales call → multistep proposal page (2-hour delivery) → lead selects tier A/B/C → acceptance triggers automation
2. Lead Pipeline Management — Minimal CRM for tracking prospects through 5 stages (Contacted → Qualified → Proposal Sent → Negotiating → Won/Lost)
3. Onboarding Automation — When lead is marked Won, auto-create client + project with phases copied from chosen offer + configurable payment schedule

For a solo consultant, this is radically different from team CRMs (Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel). Avoid: territory management, team routing, email automation, role-based access, forecasting rollups, lead scoring algorithms. Instead: minimal data entry, follow-up reminders based on last-contact date, and seamless handoff from proposal acceptance to project setup.

Core insight: Solo consultants manage long-term relationships across years, not one-time deals closed in 30 days. Pipeline stages should reflect relationship milestones (Contacted, Qualified, Proposal Sent), not sales rep activity (Attempted, Left Message). Follow-ups are "who did I talk to recently?" not "assign task to rep."

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Table Stakes Features (New v2.0)

Features users expect when adopting a proposal + CRM system. Missing these = product feels incomplete.

Proposal Generation & Delivery

Feature	Why Expected	Complexity	Notes
Pick client + 1–3 offers, set per-quote prices	Core value: sales call → proposal in 2 hours. Prices set per quote, not from catalog (allows price increases over time without updating service catalog)	Medium	Depends on existing offers & clients (Phase 5). Quote prices override offer base prices.
Generate public multistep HTML/CSS page	Leads need clickable link, not PDF email. Interactive engagement beats static documents (Qwilr/Proposify standard). Reduces abandonment.	Medium	Responsive, mobile-first, branded with consultant name/logo. No login required.
Multistep flow (intro → pricing tiers → CTA)	Reduces cognitive overload vs. single long page. Step 1: offer overview. Step 2: A/B/C tiers with pricing. Step 3: accept/decline button.	Low	Conditional logic hides irrelevant sections; simple progressive disclosure.
Public acceptance button (no e-signature)	Lead confirms tier choice WITHOUT entering hub. Triggers: timestamp capture + email record + lead status update.	Low	Simple "Accept this offer" button → records accepted_at + accepted_by_email. E-signature deferred (design ready, v1 constraint).
Proposal URL shareable & public	Lead receives link in email, opens in browser, no friction.	Low	Generate unique slug (/proposal/[uuid]). No auth. Optionally expires after N days or on acceptance.
Acceptance proof (signer + timestamp)	Documentation for dispute resolution. Downloadable PDF or stored audit record.	Low	Store: accepted_by_name, accepted_by_email, accepted_at, accepted_offer_id.

Lead Pipeline

Feature	Why Expected	Complexity	Notes
Pipeline stages: Contacted → Qualified → Proposal Sent → Negotiating → Won/Lost	Core tracking. Each stage requires buyer action, not just rep activity. Termination: Won or Lost.	Low	Minimal for solo: 5 stages max. More = data entry overhead. Stages are immutable enums.
Move lead between stages (UI)	Basic pipeline UX. See all leads grouped by stage at a glance.	Low	Dropdown per row (simple) or kanban board (polish). Dropdown sufficient for MVP.
Lead details: name, email, company, phone, last_contact_date, next_action, notes	Minimum context for follow-ups.	Low	Notes = freeform text (call outcomes, concerns, personality notes, next steps).
Lead created manually OR auto-created from proposal send	Manual: import prospects. Auto-create: when proposal sent to unknown email, create lead record automatically.	Low	Auto-create is convenience; manual is fallback. Both supported.
Log activities: calls, emails, meetings, notes	Track interactions without leaving dashboard. Auto-updates last_contact_date.	Low	Activity types: [call, email, meeting, note]. Log date, duration, description. Displayed as feed.

Follow-Up Reminders

Feature	Why Expected	Complexity	Notes
Dashboard widget: "Follow up today" sorted by last_contact_date	Solves core pain: "who did I talk to recently that I should check in with?"	Low	Query: WHERE last_contact_date <= TODAY - 7 days AND stage NOT IN (Won, Lost). Red badge.
Proposal stall detector: if Proposal Sent >3 days, no response	Flags silence = red flag for follow-up.	Low	Simple dashboard alert; no email automation (consultant checks dashboard in morning).
Auto-update last_contact_date on activity	Keeps reminders accurate. Prevents "I called them but forgot to log it" drift.	Low	Trigger: on call/email/meeting/note creation OR stage change → update lead.last_contact_date = NOW.

Project Auto-Creation (Won → Onboarding)

Feature	Why Expected	Complexity	Notes
On lead.stage = Won: auto-create client + project with copied phases	Closing automation. Proposal acceptance → instant hub readiness for delivery.	Medium	Requires: chosen offer known, project_offers finalized (Phase 5), 1-4 configurable installments.
Copy offer phases → project phases (modifiable)	Project inherits offer structure but can be customized per client without mutating offer template.	Medium	Phases are modifiable in hub (Phase 1). Creation source logged: "Copied from Offer X on [date]" for audit.
Set payment installments per project (not per offer)	Payment plan configured case-by-case: some 50/50, others 4-part. Allows flexibility.	Medium	Templates: 50/50 (acconto/saldo), 3-part, 4-part, custom. UI: choose template during Won → project creation.
Lead → Client transition: copy email, create token, link to existing client if repeat	Avoid duplicate clients. Allow linking Won lead to existing client (repeat engagement).	Medium	Check email collision. If exists: "Add project to existing client X?" vs. "Create new client". Generate secret token.

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Differentiators (New v2.0)

Features that set ClientHub apart from generic proposal software + CRM. Not expected, but valued for solo consultant use case.

Feature	Value Proposition	Complexity	Notes
Tier-independent offer structure (Signature A/B/C as separate offers)	Each tier has own URL, phases, pricing. A = professional, B = budget—same catalog, different scope. No cloning, no inheritance logic.	Medium	Requires flexible offer builder (drag services between phases), offer status (draft/active/archived). Built in Phase 5.
Proposal phases visible in public page (lead sees what they're buying)	Lead sees not just price, but scope: "4-week branding sprint, 3 revision rounds, monthly retainer". Transparency builds confidence.	Low	Proposal page shows phase names, deliverables summary (text), timeline (start + duration).
Dashboard follow-up list filterable by offer type + stage	"Show all Signature A leads in Negotiating" to spot bottlenecks by tier.	Low	Filter buttons: by offer type, stage, last_contact_date range. Dropdown or toggle buttons.
Activity feed per lead (call notes, email log, meetings, searchable)	Context without leaving dashboard. "Last contact: 2026-05-28, 11am call—timeline concerns".	Medium	Depends on activity logging system. Store type, date, duration, description. Searchable.
Proposal pages branded with consultant info (not generic SaaS)	Proposal is part of sales process; branding reinforces personal brand.	Low	Logo, consultant name, brand colors, professional typography inherited from admin settings.
Email integration hint (design ready, defer to later batch)	Send proposal via dashboard; auto-log email send as activity.	Medium	Deferred per PROJECT.md (v1 constraint). Placeholder: manual copy-paste OK for MVP.

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Anti-Features: What NOT to Build (v2.0)

Anti-Feature	Why Avoid	What to Do Instead
Multi-user team collaboration, role-based access	Solo consultant is single admin. Team features add auth complexity, sync issues, notification storms. Overhead >> value.	Stay single-admin. Architecture with permission flags but don't build UI/logic. If team joins later, migrate incrementally.
CRM email automation, drip campaigns, email sequences	Solo consultant sends proposals + checks in manually. Automation-heavy workflows are for outbound prospecting funnels (not this use case). Lead generation not in scope.	Keep simple: dashboard reminder = "check in with X". Consultant sends email manually, logs it as activity.
Forecasting with rollups, quota tracking, team capacity planning, territory assignment	These are team sales metrics. Solo consultant cares: "How many leads in pipeline?" and "What's revenue if all Negotiating deals close?"	Simple dashboard: shows total value by stage (e.g., "Negotiating: $45k"), breakdown by offer type. No forecast math.
Lead scoring, MQL → SQL qualification algorithms, scoring rules	Solo consultant qualifies leads manually (call + gut feel). Scoring requires training data and tuning.	Keep manual: stage = Contacted, Qualified, Proposal Sent. "Qualified" is consultant's call. No automation.
Calendar sync, email sync, call recording, Slack/Teams integration	Adds external dependency surface area. Consultant logs calls + emails manually.	Fallback: freeform "Call notes" text field per activity. No attempt to auto-log from email/Slack.
Multi-currency support, tax calculation, invoice generation, accounting system integration	Accounting is out of scope (PROJECT.md locked). Payment tracking only.	Keep simple: amount_accepted in EUR, payment schedule in local currency. No conversion logic or invoicing.
Proposal version control, edit history, detailed audit trail	Overkill for solo consultant. One proposal per client, accept or decline.	Simple: created_at, updated_at timestamps. Accepted version is locked (immutable once accepted_at set). No versioning.
Client can reverse/un-approve acceptance	Creates ambiguity in closing.	Once accepted_at is set, proposal is final. Consultant can move lead back to Proposal Sent if needed.

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Feature Dependencies (v2.0)

Proposal Generation:
  ├─ clients (exists, Phase 1)
  ├─ projects (exists, Phase 1)
  ├─ offers (Phase 5: id, name, offer_type [Entry/Signature/Retainer/custom], created_at)
  ├─ services catalog (Phase 3: id, name, price, duration_days)
  └─ offer_services (Phase 5: junction table, offers ↔ services)

Lead Pipeline & CRM:
  ├─ leads table (NEW: id, name, email, company, phone, created_at, last_contact_date, stage, offer_id FK, next_action text)
  ├─ activities table (NEW: id, lead_id FK, type enum [call/email/meeting/note], log_date, description, duration_minutes)
  ├─ lead_stage enum (NEW: Contacted, Qualified, Proposal Sent, Negotiating, Won, Lost)

Project Auto-Creation (Won → Onboarding):
  ├─ leads.stage = Won (from pipeline, not auto-set)
  ├─ projects (exists, must be creatable via API/trigger)
  ├─ phases (exists, must be copyable from offer phases)
  ├─ payments (Phase 5: must support project_id FK, amount, due_date, status)
  └─ clients.token (exists, Phase 1/4: rotatable secret)

Proposal Public Pages:
  └─ proposals table (NEW: id, client_id, lead_email, offers [JSON array], created_at, public_url, accepted_at, accepted_by_name, accepted_by_email, accepted_offer_id)

Critical dependency: Phase 5's project_offers relationship must be finalized. If not, proposal generation cannot proceed. Phase 7 proposal work is blocked by Phase 5 completion.

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Feature Categorization by Component

Component 1: Proposal Builder & Public Pages

Responsibility:

• Admin UI: select client, pick 1–3 offers, confirm per-quote pricing, set lead email, generate shareable link
• Public page: multistep form (intro → tiers → CTA), responsive, no login, branded
• Acceptance: simple "Accept" button, no e-signature
• Database: proposals table

Features in scope:

• Proposal generation from client + offers + prices
• Public multistep page with interactive tier selection
• Conditional phase visibility (show/hide sections based on tier)
• Acceptance button + timestamp + email capture
• Auto-create lead on proposal send (if lead email not in DB)
• Proposal expiry (optional, default: never)

Database schema:

proposals:
  id UUID PK
  client_id FK → clients
  lead_email VARCHAR (recipient)
  offer_ids JSON array (which offers are included)
  quote_prices JSON {offer_id: price} (per-quote override)
  created_at timestamp
  updated_at timestamp
  public_url slug
  accepted_at timestamp nullable
  accepted_by_name VARCHAR nullable
  accepted_by_email VARCHAR nullable
  accepted_offer_id FK nullable (which tier was chosen)

Component 2: Lead Pipeline & Dashboard

Responsibility:

• Lead table with name, email, company, stage, last_contact_date, notes
• Dashboard: table or kanban view of all leads grouped by stage
• Activities: log calls, emails, meetings, notes
• Follow-up reminder widget: leads not contacted in 7+ days

Features in scope:

• Create/edit/delete leads manually or auto-create from proposal
• Move lead between stages (dropdown or drag/drop)
• Log activities: type [call/email/meeting/note], duration, description
• Auto-update last_contact_date on activity
• Follow-up reminders: "Follow up today" widget, proposal stall detector
• Lead notes: freeform text, searchable
• Filter by offer type, stage, date range
• Activity feed per lead (searchable)

Database schema:

leads:
  id UUID PK
  name VARCHAR
  email VARCHAR (unique or indexed)
  company VARCHAR nullable
  phone VARCHAR nullable
  stage enum [Contacted, Qualified, Proposal Sent, Negotiating, Won, Lost]
  offer_id FK → offers nullable (which offer was sent)
  created_at timestamp
  last_contact_date date
  next_action text nullable (next step consultant plans)
  notes text (accumulated call notes, concerns, personality)

activities:
  id UUID PK
  lead_id FK → leads
  type enum [call, email, meeting, note]
  log_date timestamp
  duration_minutes INT nullable
  description text
  created_at timestamp

Component 3: Project Auto-Creation & Onboarding Flow

Responsibility:

• On lead.stage = Won, trigger creation: new client (if not exists), new project, copy phases, set payment schedule
• UI: lead moves to Won → modal: "Which offer was chosen?" → "Confirm project creation?" → choose payment template → create
• Result: lead archived, project appears in /admin/projects, client gets dashboard URL

Features in scope:

• Auto-create client from lead details
• Auto-create project with copied phases
• Copy phases from offer (modifiable in hub)
• Payment installments: choose template → creates N payment records
• Generate client secret token + dashboard URL
• Optional: link to existing client instead of creating new
• Notification: "Lead X → Project Y created on [date]"

Database schema:

No new tables needed. Uses existing: clients, projects, phases, payments.
When lead → Won:
  1. Check if lead.email in clients table
  2. If not: create new client, generate secret token
  3. If yes: ask to link to existing client or create new
  4. Copy phases from offer_id to new project
  5. Create N payment records based on chosen template
  6. Update lead.stage = Won (already set by UI)
  7. Record: project creation_source = "Lead X, offer Y"

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MVP Recommendation

Phase 7 (MVP): Core Proposal Generation + Basic Pipeline

Priority 1: Must-Have (Launch features)

1. Proposal builder UI: client + offer(s) + per-quote prices → generate public multistep page
2. Public proposal page: Step 1 = offer overview, Step 2 = A/B/C tiers + pricing, Step 3 = "Accept this Offer" CTA
3. Acceptance flow: "Accept" button → timestamp + email capture, marks proposal as accepted
4. Lead auto-creation: when proposal sent to unknown email, auto-create lead record
5. Basic lead pipeline: Contacted, Qualified, Proposal Sent, Negotiating, Won, Lost stages
6. Lead dashboard: table view, move stage via dropdown, lead details sidebar
7. Follow-up reminder widget: leads not contacted in 7+ days, sorted by last_contact_date, dashboard badge
8. Activity logging (basic): create call/email/meeting records, auto-update last_contact_date

Estimated effort: 5–7 days (proposal builder UI + public page + lead CRUD + follow-up reminders)

Launch readiness: Solo consultant can generate proposal in 2 hours, track lead through pipeline, see follow-up reminders.

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Phase 8 (Enrichment): Lead Context & Polish

Priority 2: Features

1. Lead notes: freeform text per lead, searchable
2. Activity feed: display recent activities per lead (call, email, meeting, note), searchable
3. Dashboard filters: by offer type, stage, date range (last_contact_date)
4. Proposal stall detector: flag if Proposal Sent >3 days with no activity
5. Lead detail card: expand to show full context (notes, activities, next_action) without leaving dashboard

Estimated effort: 3–4 days

Value: Consultant has full context for each lead without switching views.

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Phase 9+ (Automation & Onboarding): Project Auto-Creation

Priority 3: Features

1. Project auto-creation: on lead → Won, auto-create client + project with copied phases
2. Copy phases from offer: phases inherit name, duration, deliverables from offer template; modifiable in hub
3. Payment installments: choose template (50/50, 3-part, 4-part, custom) → create N payment records
4. Client token generation: auto-generate secret token, send dashboard URL to client
5. Duplicate client check: if lead.email exists in clients, ask to link or create new
6. Won lead notification: dashboard shows "Lead X → Project Y created", activity logged

Estimated effort: 3–4 days

Value: Closing automation. Lead acceptance → instant project setup in hub, ready for delivery.

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Complexity Assessment (Effort & Maintenance)

Feature	Dev Effort	Maintenance Burden	Deferability	Phase
Proposal generation (builder UI + logic)	2–3 days	Low (static)	No—core	7
Public multistep page (HTML/CSS template)	1–2 days	Low (static)	No—core	7
Acceptance flow (button + timestamp)	1 day	Minimal	No—core	7
Lead pipeline (CRUD + stage transitions)	1 day	Low	No—core	7
Follow-up reminders (dashboard query)	4 hours	Minimal	No—core	7
Activity logging (calls, emails, meetings)	1 day	Low	Yes—Phase 8	8
Activity feed (search + timeline)	1 day	Low	Yes—Phase 8	8
Lead notes + search	1 day	Low	Yes—Phase 8	8
Dashboard filters (offer type, stage, date)	1 day	Low	Yes—Phase 8	8
Project auto-creation (trigger + cascade)	2 days	Medium (error handling)	Yes—Phase 9	9
Payment installments (templates)	1 day	Low	Yes—Phase 9	9
Client token generation + link	4 hours	Low	Yes—Phase 9	9
Duplicate client check	4 hours	Low	Yes—Phase 9	9
Email integration (send proposal, auto-log)	2–3 days	Medium (provider)	Yes—defer	Later
Multi-user + team features	3–5 days	Medium-High (roles)	N/A—anti-feature	Never

Total Phase 7 MVP: ~5–6 days
Total Phases 7–9: ~11–14 days (complete suite)

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Solo Consultant Design Constraints

What's Different from Team CRMs

Constraint	Implication	Design Pattern
Single admin, no team routing	No "assign to rep" or "owner" field. All leads = Simone.	All leads belong to admin; no ownership concept. No role-based UI.
Relationship-heavy, not transaction-heavy	Leads stay in pipeline for months, not 30 days.	Stage = relationship milestone (Contacted, Qualified, Proposal Sent), not rep activity (Attempted, Left Message, Following Up).
Qualitative follow-up, not automation	"Check in with X, heard timeline concerns" not email sequences.	Notes + activity log, no email automation. Manual send, logged as activity.
Low deal volume (5–15 in flight)	Pipeline visualization doesn't need advanced analytics.	Simple table or 5-column kanban board. No forecasting rollups.
Minimal data entry tolerance	Won't log every call if it takes >3 clicks.	Modal: "Log call → name/date/notes → save" in <10 seconds.
No role-based access	No "manager sees forecast, rep sees pipeline".	Single "admin dashboard" with all data. No permission layers.
No forecasting pressure	Consultant forecasts deal value by feel, not rollup math.	Dashboard shows "Total Negotiating: $45k". That's it. No probability weighting.
Calendar/email often offline (field work)	Email sync is nice-to-have, not must-have.	Fallback: manual entry. No real-time sync requirement.
Accountability is personal, not hierarchical	No "why is this deal stalled?" escalations.	Follow-up reminder = consultant decides action. No automatic escalations.

UX Patterns for Solo Consultant

1. Minimize data entry by default: Yes/No confirmations, checkboxes, dropdowns. Avoid text fields unless essential.
2. Context visible by default: Open a lead → see last 3 activities, next_action, stage, offer type in one view. No tabs.
3. Dashboard as command center: Lead reminders + upcoming payments + next meetings all visible. No app switching.
4. Proposal as shared artifact: Lead sees what they're buying (phases, deliverables, price). Consultant sees acceptance status + lead email.
5. Automation where it reduces clicks: Accept proposal → auto-create lead. Move to Won → ask once for payment plan, auto-create project. Don't auto-email.

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Pipeline Benchmark (Reference)

From industry research:

Metric	Benchmark	Implication for ClientHub
Typical pipeline stages	5–7 stages	ClientHub uses 5: Contacted, Qualified, Proposal Sent, Negotiating, Won/Lost. Minimal overhead.
Proposal Sent → Negotiation conversion	40%+	Flag stale proposals (>3 days, no activity) in dashboard.
Negotiation → Won conversion	50%+	If low, consultant reviews proposal scope or pricing.
Lead follow-up frequency	8+ touches to close	Activity logging tracks touches (calls, emails, meetings). No automation; manual follow-up.
Typical pipeline review cadence	Weekly or bi-weekly	Consultant checks dashboard daily; reviews pipeline health weekly.
Average deal cycle for consultants	30–90 days	ClientHub supports long cycles (no pressure to close fast).

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Confidence & Sources

Area	Confidence	Basis	Sources
Proposal software features (multistep, acceptance, tiering)	HIGH	Verified with Qwilr, PandaDoc, Proposify; 2026 comparison articles	Qwilr vs PandaDoc, PandaDoc vs Proposify vs Qwilr, 8 best proposal software
Pipeline stage structure (5–7 stages, Won/Lost termination)	HIGH	Verified with Pipedrive, Capsule CRM, Salesforce; "Proposal Sent → Negotiation → Won" is standard	Salesforce Pipeline Management, CRM Pipeline Stages, GoHighLevel Pipeline
Lead follow-up reminders (last_contact_date, 7+ days flagged)	MEDIUM-HIGH	Sourced from Outreach, HubSpot, Nimble best practices; solo consultant context is reasonable inference	Sales Pipeline Best Practices, Outreach Pipeline Management
Solo consultant CRM avoidance of team features	MEDIUM	Sourced from "Best CRM for Solopreneurs" guides; solo preference for simplicity consistent across 3+ sources	Breakcold: CRM for Consultants, Authencio: CRM for Freelancers, Addtocrm: Best CRM Solopreneurs, Mimiran: Anti-CRM
Tiered proposal (A/B/C independent offers)	MEDIUM-HIGH	Verified via multiple consulting pricing guides; "3 tiers ideal" is consensus. Independent offers is ClientHub-specific.	Mercury: Pricing Strategy, Ignition: Tiered Pricing, Consulting Success: Consulting Rates
Multi-step form engagement patterns	HIGH	Verified with Heyflow, Optimonk, HubSpot research; form completion rates improve with progressive disclosure	Instapage: Multi-Step Forms, HubSpot: Multi-Step Forms, Webstacks: Multi-Step Form Examples
Proposal acceptance automation (→ project creation)	MEDIUM	Sourced from Anchor, Estimate Rocket, Monograph workflows. ClientHub implementation is custom but pattern is established.	Sayanchor: Proposal Acceptance, Monograph: Build, Send, Sign, DocuSign: Workflow Automation

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Open Questions for Later Phases

1. Email integration: Should proposals be sent via dashboard integration, or manual copy-paste? (Deferred to Phase 10+)
2. Proposal expiry: Should proposals auto-expire after N days, or stay open indefinitely? (MVP: no expiry)
3. Lead de-duplication: If lead email is already in clients table, how should system handle it? (MVP: manual check; Phase 9+ auto-detect)
4. Activity type richness: Should activities include location, participant names, sentiment tags? (MVP: basic type + notes; Phase 8 can enhance)
5. Proposal versioning: Can consultant send multiple proposals to same lead? (MVP: yes, same lead.email + new proposal record)
6. Payment plan customization: Can consultant define custom installment schedules, or only use templates? (MVP: templates; Phase 9 can add custom)
7. Lead archive vs. delete: When lead is Won → converted to client/project, should lead record stay in DB for history? (Recommendation: keep for audit trail; mark archived or moved_to_project_id)

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Appendix: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why no e-signature in MVP?
A: Design is ready (CLAUDE.md notes it as deferred). A simple "Accept" button + timestamp is sufficient proof of acceptance for solo consultant use case. E-signature (DocuSign, Stripe Sign) adds external dependency and cost; defer unless client explicitly requests.

Q: Should proposals auto-expire?
A: No, not in MVP. Solo consultant may send proposal Monday, follow up Thursday, acceptance Friday. Expiry is team-sales friction (forces re-quote). Keep simple: accepted_at = null means still open.

Q: Can a lead be in two stages at once?
A: No. Stage is singular immutable state at any moment. If second proposal sent to same lead: either (a) create new lead record (same email, add suffix "2"), or (b) update same lead.stage to "Proposal Sent" again. Option (b) is simpler; stage can repeat; last_contact_date updates on each proposal send.

Q: Should activities auto-log from email/Slack?
A: No, not in MVP. Adds external dependency surface. Fallback: consultant manually logs calls/emails as activities in <10 seconds. Acceptable for solo consultant volume (5–15 leads).

Q: What if lead email already exists in clients table?
A: Phase 9 auto-detection: when moving lead to Won, check if lead.email in clients. If yes, ask: "Link to existing client X (repeat engagement)?" or "Create new client". Prevents duplicate records.

Q: Can phases be reordered after project creation?
A: Yes. Phases are copied from offer at project creation time, but project phases are modifiable in hub (Phase 1, already built). Offer template is never mutated. Studio-grade immutability.

Q: What's the payment flow after Won → project creation?
A: Consultant chooses payment template (50/50, 3-part, 4-part, custom) during Won → project creation modal. System creates N records in payments table with due_dates calculated from project start_date. Client sees payment schedule in hub dashboard (Phase 1, already built). No invoicing or collection automation (out of scope, PROJECT.md locked).

Q: Can consultant change their mind after accepting a proposal?
A: If consultant moves lead back to Proposal Sent or Negotiating (after accepting and creating project), the original accepted_proposal record remains immutable. Project can be deleted/archived if needed, but proposal acceptance is final. This matches real-world: once accepted, consultant can't un-close a deal.

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End of FEATURES_v2.0.md