What we learned from 100 client projects
Devin · 2026-01-15
After a hundred sites shipped, the patterns become impossible to ignore. Here are the five things we wish we'd known on day one.
We just passed our hundredth client project. That's a hundred discovery calls, a hundred design reviews, a hundred launches. Patterns emerge. Here are the ones that surprised us most.
Five lessons
1. The brief is never the brief
The first conversation always misses something — usually the most important thing. Always have a second.
2. Clients know what they don't want
Clients don't know what they want, but they always know what they don't. Show them three options and let them eliminate two.
3. Scope creep is a symptom
If a project keeps growing, the real problem is unclear goals. Fix the goals, the scope follows.
4. Slow feedback loops kill launch dates
Get the client into a Figma comment thread on day one and ship faster on every project after.
5. Build for the user, not the case study
The site that looks best in the portfolio is rarely the one the client loves most.
The client who pays the least always asks for the most revisions. Price your work confidently — it's a filter, not a barrier.
Want to know what tools we use to apply these lessons? Read about how we build modern websites.