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DRI Weekly Sync ​

Weekly meeting for DRIs to stay on track.

TL;DR ​

  • When: Weekly
  • Who: All DRIs
  • What: Current status, blockers, insights (one-liners)
  • Why: Unblock each other, share learnings

Template ​

Date: [Insert Date]

Person 1

Project 1

  • Current Status: [One-liner. E.g. "API shipped. Frontend waiting on design. Timeline: Jan 15 → Jan 20"]
  • Blockers:
    • Challenge A → Proposed solution → Action taken
  • Insights: [What's working / not working]

Project 2

  • Current Status: [One-liner]
  • Blockers:
    • Challenge B → Proposed solution → Action taken
  • Insights: [What's working / not working]

Person 2

Project 3

  • Current Status: [One-liner]
  • Blockers:
    • Challenge C → Proposed solution → Action taken
  • Insights: [What's working / not working]

Example: Jan 6, 2025 ​

Sarah (DRI: Payments)

Launch Payments in Malaysia

  • Current Status: On track for Jan 15 launch. API done. Frontend 60% complete (was 40% last week). Testing blocked on sandbox access.
  • Blockers:
    • Sandbox delayed 1 week (vendor issue) → Using mock data for frontend dev → Dev team has mocks, real sandbox arrives Friday. No launch impact.
  • Insights: Mock data strategy working well—frontend dev continued without blocking. Should do by default. Contract signing took 3 weeks longer than expected (2 weeks vs 5 weeks). Start legal reviews 1 month earlier next time.

Alex (DRI: Fraud Detection)

Implement Fraud Scoring

  • Current Status: On track for Jan 15 launch. Model training complete. Checkout integration 70% done (was 30% last week).
  • Blockers:
    • False positive rate 8%, need <5% for launch → Adding user behavior features (session time, device fingerprint) → Data team pulling features today, retraining Wed. If rate stays >5%, push launch 1 week.
  • Insights: Should have included data team in kickoff (lost 1 week on feature discussion). Feature flags working great—rolling out to 1% Friday for real-world testing before full launch.

How to Run This ​

Before (15 min):

  • Everyone updates their section
  • One-liners only
  • Send 30 min before meeting

During (30-45 min):

  1. Quick round (15 min): Each DRI reads update
  2. Deep dive blockers (15 min): Top 2-3 blockers across all projects
  3. Insights (10 min): What's working? What should change?

After (5 min):

  • Document decisions
  • Add action items to tracker (owners + deadlines)
  • Follow up on blockers within 24 hours

Common Mistakes ​

Mistake 1: No Pre-Work

Meeting becomes status update instead of problem-solving.

Fix: Everyone writes update before meeting.

Mistake 2: Too Much Detail

Meeting runs over. Key blockers don't get addressed.

Fix: One-liners only. If discussion >5 minutes, take offline.

Mistake 3: No Follow-Up

Blockers discussed but not resolved.

Fix: Assign owner and deadline for each blocker. Follow up in 24 hours.

Mistake 4: Only Problems

Team gets demoralized.

Fix: Always share what's working. Celebrate wins.

Mistake 5: Vague Status Updates

What it looks like:

"Milestones updated due team member need to switch to other projects. M2: Still on development. M3: Start Oct 29. Stage test: Nov 4."

Why it fails:

  • Can't tell if on track or delayed
  • No context on what changed or why
  • No clear impact or ask
  • Reader has to guess what help is needed

Fix: State track status, give context, show impact, clear ask.

Good version:

"Payments Malaysia delayed 2 weeks (Jan 15 → Jan 29). Sarah switched to Supply project (CEO priority). Impact: Q1 revenue target drops $50K. Need decision: hire contractor ($15K) to stay on Jan 15, or accept Jan 29 date?"

What makes it good:

  • Clear status: "delayed 2 weeks"
  • Specific dates: "Jan 15 → Jan 29"
  • Reason with context: "Sarah to Supply (CEO priority)"
  • Business impact: "$50K revenue drop"
  • Clear decision needed: "hire contractor or accept delay?"
  • Specific numbers: "$15K contractor cost"

Related: Rock Sizing • DRI Responsibilities • Written Communication