POC Success Tracker

A data-driven framework for managing proof-of-concept engagements in enterprise media sales. Built to replace ad-hoc POC management with a systematic approach — from scoping success criteria through making the Go/No-Go call.

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Why This Exists

In media sales, proof-of-concept deals are where large contracts are won or lost. Most teams run POCs with spreadsheets, email chains, and gut-feel decisions. This tool brings structure:

• Consistent evaluation — every POC is scored against weighted criteria, not vibes
• Early risk detection — status dashboards surface "At Risk" and "Blocked" POCs before they fail silently
• Defensible decisions — the Go/No-Go engine produces a recommendation with per-criterion reasoning that stakeholders can review
• Repeatable process — templates ensure every POC follows the same lifecycle

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POC Lifecycle

graph LR
    A[Scope & Propose] --> B[Define Success Criteria]
    B --> C[Build RACI & Timeline]
    C --> D[Execute POC]
    D --> E[Track Progress]
    E --> F{Go/No-Go Decision}
    F -->|PROCEED| G[Convert to Paid]
    F -->|EXTEND| H[Focused Extension]
    F -->|TERMINATE| I[Document & Close]
    H --> E

    style A fill:#4a90d9,stroke:#2c6faa,color:#fff
    style B fill:#4a90d9,stroke:#2c6faa,color:#fff
    style C fill:#4a90d9,stroke:#2c6faa,color:#fff
    style D fill:#5cb85c,stroke:#4cae4c,color:#fff
    style E fill:#5cb85c,stroke:#4cae4c,color:#fff
    style F fill:#f0ad4e,stroke:#eea236,color:#fff
    style G fill:#28a745,stroke:#1e7e34,color:#fff
    style H fill:#ffc107,stroke:#e0a800,color:#333
    style I fill:#dc3545,stroke:#c82333,color:#fff

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Features

POC Builder

Input company, product, timeline, and stakeholders. The builder auto-generates:

• Success Criteria — tailored to the product category, weighted by customer goals
• RACI Matrix — maps stakeholder responsibilities across every milestone
• Milestone Timeline — evenly distributed checkpoints from kickoff to decision
• Evaluation Scorecard — ready-to-use scoring template

Active POCs Dashboard

Real-time overview of all engagements:

• Status indicators: On Track / At Risk / Blocked
• Completion percentage with progress bars
• Days remaining with overdue alerts
• Expandable details showing stakeholders, milestones, and current scores

Go/No-Go Decision Engine

Score each criterion on a 1-10 scale and get a weighted recommendation:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                 │
│            RECOMMENDATION: EXTEND               │
│           Composite Score: 6.15/10              │
│                                                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                 │
│  CTR Improvement     ████░░░░░░  5/10  Needs    │
│  Brand Safety        █████████░  9/10  Exceeds  │
│  Integration Effort  ████░░░░░░  4/10  Critical │
│  CPM Efficiency      ██████░░░░  6/10  Needs    │
│                                                 │
│  Critical Gaps: Integration Effort              │
│  Strengths: Brand Safety                        │
│                                                 │
│  → Extend 4 weeks, focus on integration         │
│  → Weekly check-ins with technical lead         │
│  → Must reach 7.5 composite to proceed          │
│                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Decision thresholds:

Composite Score	Recommendation
>= 7.5	PROCEED — Convert to paid engagement
5.5 - 7.4	EXTEND — Address gaps, re-evaluate
< 5.5	TERMINATE — Fundamental misalignment

Safety valve: any single criterion scoring <= 4 triggers review, even if the composite is high.

Templates

Downloadable markdown templates for:

• POC Proposal
• Weekly Status Report
• Executive Summary
• Go/No-Go Scorecard

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Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/cjf-iii/poc-success-tracker.git
cd poc-success-tracker
chmod +x run.sh && ./run.sh

Or manually:

pip install -r requirements.txt
streamlit run app.py

Open http://localhost:8501 in your browser.

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Project Structure

poc-success-tracker/
├── app.py                      # Main Streamlit application (4 tabs)
├── engine/
│   ├── criteria_builder.py     # Success criteria, RACI, timelines, scorecards
│   └── decision_engine.py      # Go/No-Go scoring with weighted criteria
├── data/
│   └── sample_pocs.py          # 3 sample POC records (media industry)
├── requirements.txt
├── run.sh
└── README.md

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Sample Data

Three realistic POC scenarios from media technology:

POC	Customer	Product	Status
POC-2024-001	Paramount Global	AdVantage Analytics Platform	On Track
POC-2024-002	iHeartMedia	PrecisionTarget AI	At Risk
POC-2024-003	ESPN / Disney	StreamSync Distribution Hub	Blocked

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About the Author

CJ Fleming — Media sales leader with 15+ years of experience spanning digital advertising, sports media, and SaaS. Holds a Columbia University certification in Artificial Intelligence. Built this tool to demonstrate how structured frameworks and data-driven decision-making improve POC conversion rates in enterprise sales.

LinkedIn | GitHub