CRISP — The Mileva Method

A BA/PM framework for AI implementors. Go from vague client brief to Claude Code-ready spec — without building the wrong thing.

Most AI implementations fail before a single line of code is written. Not because the model was wrong. Not because the tools weren't good enough. Because nobody defined the problem. Nobody measured the baseline. Nobody asked why before asking how.

You're an AI implementor. You know how to build. You probably even know which tools to use. What you might not have — yet — is the methodology to make sure you're building the right thing.

This is that methodology.

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→ START HERE

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What is CRISP?

CRISP is an open-source AI project management framework for builders, consultants, and AI agencies. It's a structured 5-phase methodology that takes you from a vague client request to a fully specced, Claude Code-ready implementation brief — before a single line of code gets written.

Built for:

• AI agency owners running client implementations
• Solo builders using Claude Code, Cursor, or similar agentic tools
• Consultants who need a repeatable discovery-to-spec process
• Product managers working on AI-native products

Phase	Name	What it does
C	Clarify	Problem definition, painkiller test, magic wand, constraints, buy vs build, market research — global + regional/local competitor pass (external), value proposition canvas (external), SWOT (external), Go/No-Go
R	Results	Stakeholder register + HITL zones (stakeholder-register.md), baseline measurements + success targets (success-metrics.md), tradeoff negotiation
I	Investigate	Process mapping (existing or greenfield), user journey maps per system user type, UX discovery (external UI/Mobile/Web), project goals
S	Spec	UX/design system, tech stack with pinned versions + NFRs, API key security rules, Bearer security scanning on every PR, initial backlog, assumptions log, risk assessment, HVLE MVP prioritization, AI architecture, sprint-specific open questions, CLAUDE.md, sprint planning, quality gates
P	Prove	Did the needle move? Validate against Phase R baseline.

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What's new in V2

V2 makes CRISP a system, not a collection of prompts. Everything that was previously reliant on discipline is now enforced by structure.

/crisp-orchestrator — new recommended entry point

Replaces the manual "which phase am I on?" problem. Detects docs/crisp-state.json, reports current phase and open questions, routes automatically. Works for new projects and resumption.

crisp-state.json — machine-readable project state

One JSON file in docs/ updated at the end of each phase. Every phase reads it first; every phase writes to it on exit. Claude stops re-interpreting markdown it half-remembered from Phase C when it's in Phase S.