How Smart Starts Shape FOAK Success: Baker's Dozen Part 2
Welcome to the second post in our Baker’s Dozen series, where we transform insights from twelve first-of-a-kind (FOAK) pilot projects into a practical guide for scaling sustainable technologies.
In our first post, we explain how our data reveals that the FOAK projects which applied more of our best practices consistently saw improved outcomes.
This second installment focuses on the first of those best practices, specifically how successful projects prepare effectively before construction begins. Among those twelve pilot projects, three early-stage practices consistently differentiate successful scale-ups:
Writing a charter that keeps all stakeholders aligned,
Using a roadmap as a de-risking tool, and
Keeping the real customer in focus from day one.
These practices may sound basic, but together they form the foundation of thriving FOAK projects.
Let’s start where every successful scale-up begins: with the charter.
Chartering: The End in Mind
Every successful pilot starts with a charter, which is a document (and process) that defines why the project exists, what it aims to achieve, and how success will be measured. The chartering phase aligns everyone from engineers to executives around a shared purpose before design or spending begins. Getting this stage right sets the foundation for every decision that follows.
In our dataset, a credible charter showed the strongest link to positive outcomes. This strategic alignment tool was essential for engineering, leadership, and investors. Projects with a clear charter scored 2.7 points higher in overall outcomes than those that skipped it.
A project charter aligns technical goals with business objectives, clarifies responsibilities, and sets the boundaries for scope, time, and resources. This way, you can ensure that everyone is working toward the same outcome before scale-up begins.
When teams skip this step, misalignments often surface mid-project (when they’re more costly and difficult to fix). Our data shows that projects with robust charters were significantly more likely to complete within 15% of their target budget and schedule. In contrast, projects without charters frequently exceeded budgets due to scope creep and unplanned objectives. Documenting your charter, sharing it, and revisiting it quarterly can serve as a cost-effective control system.
We’ve led dozens of chartering sessions for first-of-a-kind (FOAK) projects across food, materials, and chemicals, aligning stakeholders, clarifying priorities, and translating ambition into a plan that actually holds. Reach out to book your next chartering session with us!
Building and Using Your Roadmap:
A cohesive roadmap should integrate multiple threads of scale up, including but not limited to technical milestones, process economics, customer sampling needs, regulatory considerations, and fundraising triggers.
Consider our mycelium project case study: a 6,000-liter pilot delivered customer samples and data to secure investment, while the roadmap guided expansion to a 145,000-square-foot facility. Without this roadmap, intermediate decisions would have been risk-laden.
A roadmap should cover:
Technical milestones: Strain development, unit operations, DSP choices.
Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA): CapEx and OpEx assessments.
Customer needs: Sampling and feedback loops.
Regulatory pathways: Compliance and approval timelines.
Funding triggers: Milestones that align with financial goals.
Developing a dynamic roadmap that is reviewed monthly or quarterly, and evolves with your project is a crucial communication tool that ensures alignment across all stakeholders.
Need a roadmap that evolves with you? We’ve helped countless companies by linking technical milestones to business goals so founders, engineers, and investors can stay on the same page from pilot to plant. Click here to book your roadmapping session with Next Rung!
An example roadmap guide/template from one of our roadmapping workshops.
Who Are Your Customers, and What Is the Real Product?
FOAK pilots can take on very different personalities. Some are workhorses, built to generate technical data and validate process performance, while others are showhorses, designed to produce market-ready samples for investors, customers, or regulators.
We like to say that a FOAK pilot often operates in "cupcake factory" mode. The facility is trying to balance generating technically valid process data with producing polished, presentation-ready samples, the engineering reality with the commercial storytelling.
Neither approach is wrong, but each requires a different strategy. The distinction should be made early in the chartering phase, where the project’s purpose, success metrics, and constraints are defined.
A well-written charter explicitly captures whether the pilot’s primary role is technical validation, commercial engagement, or a balance of both so the roadmap that follows doesn’t pull the facility (and the team) in two competing directions.
Insights include:
Continuously gather and incorporate customer feedback.
Clearly define the technical and commercial deliverables.
Keep stakeholders informed and involved at every stage.
We’ve supported startups across the bioeconomy in refining their value propositions, aligning product specs with market needs, and turning feedback into traction. Let’s work on your pilot approach — contact us to get a strategy session on the books!
What’s Next?
FOAK projects succeed when they launch smart: drafting a charter early, developing a clear roadmap, and consistently focusing on the customer. These practices transform potential pitfalls into opportunities for alignment and growth.
In the next installment of our Baker’s Dozen series, we’ll discuss design and development best practices, where readiness assessments and design philosophy matter more than capital size.
Want to scale smart from the start? Connect with us at Next Rung to ensure your FOAK project is set up for success. Sign up for our newsletter for more insights and updates on scaling sustainable innovations.