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Sample plan · fictional company

ShiftSwapRestaurant shift scheduling and swap app: a sample sprint plan

A two-founder startup builds a phone-first app where restaurant staff swap and pick up shifts, and managers always know who is working.

  • TypeStartup, first version
  • IndustryRestaurant software
  • Size2 founders, 5 pilot restaurants, about 140 staff across the pilots
  • Plan4 monthly sprints, 24 cards

ShiftSwap and everyone in this plan are made up. The format is real: it is how I plan and run every web app build, one board per month, reviewed with the client every Thursday.

The brief

The problem today

In most independent restaurants the schedule is a photo of a spreadsheet posted in a group text. Staff trade shifts in side messages, the manager approves some of them and never hears about others, and on a busy Friday nobody is sure who is actually coming in. Swaps quietly push people into overtime, a host ends up covering a bartender shift they aren't trained for, and no-shows get blamed on "I thought we swapped."

What the app has to do

Launch a first version that pilot restaurants pay for: the manager posts the weekly schedule once, staff see their shifts on their phone, every swap and pickup follows the restaurant's rules and gets a one-tap approval, and the schedule the manager sees is always the real one.

Who uses it

Founder admin
Nina Castellano and Derek Osei, the two founders

See every restaurant on the platform, its trial or subscription status, and step in to help a manager.

Owner
The restaurant owner who signs up and pays

Start a trial, add a card, and see weekly labor hours without learning a new system.

Manager
General manager or kitchen manager at one restaurant

Build and post the week, approve swaps in one tap, and trust that nobody slips into overtime.

Staff
Servers, bartenders, line cooks, hosts and dish staff

See their shifts on their phone, swap or drop a shift, pick up extra hours, and request time off.

What gets built

Schedule builder The manager builds the week by position, copies last week as a start, and posts it to the whole team at once. 2 screens
Week grid

The manager's main screen, one row per staff member, one column per day, shifts grouped by position.

  • Position tabs (Server, Bartender, Line cook, Host, Dish)
  • Drag a shift block to a person and day, with start and end time
  • Copy last week button
  • Hours per person this week, turning amber near the weekly limit
  • Time-off and unavailable days shaded grey
  • Post schedule button that texts everyone their week
Staff list

Everyone at the restaurant, their positions, phone number and texting consent.

  • Name, phone, email, positions they are qualified for
  • Invite by text button
  • Texting consent status (agreed, pending, opted out)
  • Deactivate when someone leaves
My shifts The staff member's phone view, installable to the home screen, with their week and every request they have open. 2 screens
My week

Today and the next 7 days, the first thing staff see when they open the app.

  • Next shift card with time, position and who else is on
  • List of this week's shifts
  • Swap and Drop buttons on each shift
  • Add to home screen prompt on first visit
Availability and time off

When staff can and can't work, and requests for days off.

  • Weekly availability by day (available, not before, not after, unavailable)
  • Time-off request with dates and a reason
  • Request status (pending, approved, declined)
Swaps and open shifts Staff trade a shift with a named coworker or drop it on the open-shift board, and the app only lets qualified people under the hours limit take it. 3 screens
Swap request

Offer one shift to one coworker, or trade it for one of theirs.

  • Coworker picker showing only people qualified for that position
  • Greyed-out coworkers with the reason (would go over 40 hours, not trained, already working)
  • Optional trade for one of their shifts
  • Note to the coworker
Open-shift board

Every dropped or unfilled shift at the restaurant that this person can pick up.

  • Shift cards with day, time, position and who dropped it
  • Pick up button, disabled with a reason when a rule blocks it
  • Filter by position
  • Hours this pickup would bring them to
Approvals

The manager's queue of swaps, pickups and time-off requests waiting on them.

  • One card per request with before and after
  • Approve and Decline in one tap
  • Rule warnings shown on the card
  • Approve all that pass the rules button
Rules and notifications Each restaurant sets its own limits, and every change reaches the right people by text or email. 2 screens
Restaurant rules

The limits every swap, pickup and posted schedule is checked against.

  • Weekly hours limit (default 40)
  • Minimum notice before a shift can be swapped or dropped (default 12 hours)
  • Manager approval required for swaps, pickups, or both
  • Who can pick up open shifts (same position only, or anyone qualified)
Notification settings

Which messages go by text and which by email, per person.

  • Text for shift changes and approvals, email for the weekly schedule
  • Quiet hours for texts
  • Reply STOP handling shown on the person's record
Labor summary A simple weekly view of scheduled and actual hours by position, so the owner can see labor at a glance. 1 screen
Week summary

Hours for the week by position and by person.

  • Total scheduled hours this week vs last week
  • Hours by position
  • People near or over the weekly limit
  • Number of swaps and pickups this week
  • Download as a spreadsheet
Signup, billing and admin A restaurant signs itself up with a free trial, adds a card before the trial ends, and the founders see every restaurant from one admin screen. 3 screens
Signup

A new restaurant creates its account and starts a trial.

  • Restaurant name, owner name, email, phone
  • Agree to terms of service and privacy policy
  • Trial end date shown up front
  • First-run checklist (add positions, invite staff, build first week)
Billing

The owner's subscription, card and invoices.

  • Plan and trial days left
  • Add or change card
  • Invoice history
  • Cancel subscription
Founder admin

Every restaurant on ShiftSwap, for Nina and Derek only.

  • Restaurant list with status (trial, active, past due, canceled)
  • Staff count and last schedule posted
  • Open a restaurant read-only to help a manager
  • Extend a trial

How the main jobs flow

Post the week
  1. The manager opens the week grid and copies last week.
  2. They adjust shifts by position, and the grid flags anyone near the hours limit or marked unavailable.
  3. They tap Post schedule.
  4. Every staff member gets a text with a link to their week, and the schedule shows in My shifts.
Swap with a coworker
  1. Jordan, a server, taps Swap on his Saturday dinner shift.
  2. The coworker list shows only servers who are free and would stay under 40 hours.
  3. Jordan picks Tessa; she gets a text and accepts in the app.
  4. The manager gets a text, taps Approve, and the schedule updates for everyone.
Drop to the open-shift board
  1. Dante, a line cook, drops his Sunday brunch shift with more than 12 hours' notice.
  2. Every qualified line cook under the hours limit gets a text that a shift is open.
  3. Lena picks it up first; the shift leaves the board for everyone else.
  4. The manager approves, and Dante's shift moves to Lena.
Trial to paid restaurant
  1. An owner signs up from the ShiftSwap website and starts the free trial.
  2. The first-run checklist walks them through positions, staff invites and the first week.
  3. A reminder email goes out 5 days before the trial ends.
  4. The owner adds a card on the Billing screen and the subscription starts when the trial ends.

How we will know it worked

  • All 5 pilot restaurants post at least 3 real weekly schedules in the app before public signups open.
  • At least 70% of pilot staff have the app on their home screen and texts turned on.
  • Every swap and pickup in the pilot goes through the app, with zero shifts where the manager didn't know who was working.
  • At least 3 of the 5 pilot restaurants agree to become paying subscribers at launch.
  • Public signup, free trial and billing work end to end without a founder stepping in.

Not in this build

  • Owners with more than one location seeing them together, which is the first idea for after launch.
  • Native iPhone and Android apps; v1 installs to the home screen from the browser.
  • Clocking in and out, tips and payroll exports.
  • Connecting to point-of-sale systems for sales-based scheduling.
  • Automatic schedule building; the manager builds the week, the app checks it.
Build notes: integrations, data and sample records

Integrations

  • Twilio: Text messages for posted schedules, swap requests, open shifts and approvals, with STOP and HELP handled.
  • Resend: Email for invites, the weekly schedule, trial reminders and receipts.
  • Stripe Billing: Free trial, monthly subscription per restaurant, card on file, invoices and failed payment retries.

Data

Restaurant

name, address, owner, timezone, positions, rules, plan status, trial ends on

Staff member

name, phone, email, positions qualified, role (owner, manager, staff), text consent, active

Shift

restaurant, date, start time, end time, position, assigned to, status (scheduled, open, swapped)

Schedule week

restaurant, week starting, posted on, posted by

Swap request

shift, from, to, trade shift, note, coworker answer, manager decision, rule warnings

Open shift pickup

shift, dropped by, picked up by, picked up at, manager decision

Availability

staff member, day of week, available from, available until

Time-off request

staff member, from date, to date, reason, status

Rules

restaurant, weekly hours limit, minimum notice hours, approval required for, pickup scope

Subscription

restaurant, plan, trial ends on, status, card on file, next invoice date

Sample records for the prototype

  • Founders: Nina Castellano (former general manager, product), Derek Osei (sales and pilot recruiting).
  • Pilot restaurants: Copperleaf Kitchen, Hollow Oak Tavern, Bluefin Taqueria, The Saltbox Diner, Juniper Street Bistro.
  • Copperleaf Kitchen staff: Alicia Moreno (GM), servers Jordan Pike and Tessa Huang, bartender Marco Reyes, line cooks Dante Brooks and Lena Fischer, host Sophie Grant, dish Luis Ortega.
  • Copperleaf rules: 40-hour weekly limit, 12 hours' minimum notice, manager approval for swaps and pickups.
  • Pending swap: Jordan Pike's Saturday 4pm-close server shift to Tessa Huang, Tessa accepted, waiting on Alicia.
  • Open shift: Sunday 9am-3pm line cook brunch shift dropped by Dante Brooks; Lena Fischer qualified, Marco Reyes greyed out (not trained on line).
  • Blocked pickup: Sophie Grant at 38 hours can't take a 5-hour Friday host shift (would be 43 hours).
  • Time off: Luis Ortega requests the second weekend of next month for a family wedding, pending.
  • Hollow Oak Tavern: GM Ray Delacroix, 26 staff, schedule posted Thursday for the week starting Monday.
  • Labor week at Copperleaf: 612 scheduled hours, 9 swaps, 4 open-shift pickups, 2 people within 3 hours of the limit.
  • Plan: one flat monthly price per restaurant, any number of staff, with a free trial and no card needed to start.
  • Admin list: 5 pilot restaurants active, 2 new signups on trial, 1 trial ending in 3 days without a card.

The plan, month by month

Each month has its own board. Cards are numbered in the order they are worked across the whole plan. Each card shows what I build and, where it applies, what I need from the client. If something from the client arrives late, the cards after it move back by the same amount.

AIwhirks' part ShiftSwap's part

These are best-case sprints: they assume no delays, no changes to scope and no surprises. Progress is reviewed every Thursday. Months further out are less certain, so each one is planned in detail at the review that ends the month before.

Month 1

Scope, prototype and foundation

Scope and foundation

We agree with Nina and Derek what is in version 1 and what waits, test a clickable prototype with managers and staff at two pilot restaurants before any code, and set up the accounts in ShiftSwap's own name.

  • Version 1 scope agreedEnd of week 1
  • Prototype tested at two restaurantsEnd of week 3

Text messaging needs ShiftSwap registered with the phone carriers, which can take a couple of weeks, so it starts in week 1.

Week 1 Thursday check-in
1 Scope and foundation Week 1

Kickoff and the version 1 scope

A working session with both founders to walk through a real week at a restaurant, from posting the schedule to a Saturday no-show. From it we split every idea into version 1 and later, and write the build plan we build and test against.

AIwhirksRun the session, write the build plan with the v1 and later lists, and send it for a read-through.
ShiftSwap · End of week 1Two hours with Nina and Derek for the session. Then: a real weekly schedule from one pilot restaurant, the group text screenshots you've collected, and the names of all 5 pilot restaurants.
2 Scope and foundation Week 1

Accounts in ShiftSwap's name

The app runs in accounts that ShiftSwap owns and pays for, so the product, its data and its customers belong to you from day one.

AIwhirksSend step-by-step setup notes, then set everything up once you invite us. We never need your passwords.
ShiftSwap · End of week 1Create the hosting, Twilio, Resend and Stripe accounts in ShiftSwap's name, register the business for texting in Twilio, and invite Travis to each.
Week 2 Thursday check-in
3 Scope and foundation Weeks 2-3

Clickable prototype first

Before anything is coded, a clickable prototype of the week grid, My week, swap request, open-shift board and approvals, filled with sample staff, so real managers and servers can try it on their own phones.

AIwhirksBuild the prototype from the build plan in card 1, then sit with each restaurant while they try it and write down where they get stuck.
ShiftSwap · Middle of week 2Book 45 minutes at Copperleaf Kitchen and Hollow Oak Tavern with the manager and two or three staff, ideally before a dinner shift.
Week 3 Thursday check-in
4 Scope and foundation Weeks 3-4

Founder decisions we need early

A short list of decisions only you can make, needed before billing and texting are built. Subscription price per restaurant, trial length, your lawyer's terms of service and privacy policy, and the wording staff agree to before they get texts.

AIwhirksSend the list with what each decision affects, and a draft of the texting consent wording for your lawyer to check.
ShiftSwap · End of week 4Decide the monthly price and trial length, and ask your lawyer for the terms, privacy policy and approved texting consent wording. The legal documents can follow by the middle of Month 3.
5 Scope and foundation Weeks 3-4

Restaurants, sign-in and roles

Each restaurant is its own space with its positions and staff. Owners, managers and staff sign in by phone or email and see only what their role needs. Founder admin sits above all restaurants.

AIwhirksBuild sign-in by one-time code, the four roles, restaurant setup and the staff list, with the prototype notes from card 3 folded in.
Week 4 Thursday: month review
6 Scope and foundation Week 4

Month review and next plan

At the last check-in of the month, what got done, what the prototype tests changed, and the board for Month 2.

AIwhirksUpdate this plan and walk through it with you.
Month 2

Schedules on every phone

Schedules

Managers build and post the week by position, staff see their shifts on a phone app they install from the browser, and every posted schedule goes out by text and email.

  • First real schedule posted in the appEnd of week 2
  • Staff get their week by textEnd of week 3
Week 1 Thursday check-in
7 Schedules Weeks 1-2

The week grid

The manager's main screen. Shifts by position and day, hours per person adding up as they go, copy last week, and one Post schedule button.

AIwhirksBuild the grid and load Copperleaf Kitchen's staff and a real week as the test data.
ShiftSwap · Start of week 1Staff lists from all 5 pilot restaurants with names, phone numbers, emails and positions, plus last week's schedule from each.
Week 2 Thursday check-in
8 Schedules Week 2

My shifts on the phone

Staff open a text link and land on their week, with the next shift up top and who else is working. The app installs to the home screen like any other app, with no app store.

AIwhirksBuild My week and the home screen install, and test it on the iPhones and Android phones pilot staff actually carry.
Week 3 Thursday check-in
9 Schedules Week 3

Texts and emails

Posting a schedule texts every staff member a link to their week and emails the full schedule. Staff agree to texts on first sign-in, and replying STOP turns them off.

AIwhirksBuild the messages, consent capture and quiet hours on Twilio and Resend.
ShiftSwap · Start of week 3Confirm the texting consent wording from card 4, even if it is still a draft your lawyer is checking.
10 Schedules Weeks 3-4

Availability and time off

Staff set the days and hours they can work and request days off. Requests land with the manager, and the week grid shades anyone unavailable so they don't get scheduled by mistake.

AIwhirksBuild availability, time-off requests and the shading on the grid from card 7.
Week 4 Thursday: month review
11 Schedules Week 4

Copperleaf posts a real week

Alicia at Copperleaf Kitchen builds and posts next week's schedule in the app, alongside the usual group text, and her staff check it on their phones.

AIwhirksWatch the post with Alicia, help staff who get stuck, and fix what we can the same week.
ShiftSwap · Start of week 4Ask Alicia to post one real week in the app and tell her staff to expect a text.
12 Scope and foundation Week 4

Month review and next plan

What got done, what moved, and the board for Month 3.

AIwhirksUpdate this plan and walk through it with you.
Month 3

Swaps, open shifts and the rules

Swaps and rules

Staff swap with a coworker or drop a shift to the open-shift board, the app only lets qualified people under the hours limit take it, and the manager approves in one tap.

  • First swap approved in one tapEnd of week 2
  • Two pilot restaurants swapping in the appEnd of week 4
Week 1 Thursday check-in
13 Swaps and rules Week 1

Restaurant rules

Each restaurant sets its weekly hours limit, minimum notice for swaps and drops, and what needs manager approval. Every schedule, swap and pickup is checked against them, and anything blocked says why.

AIwhirksBuild the rules screen and the checks, with the defaults from the build plan.
ShiftSwap · Middle of week 1Ask each pilot manager for their hours limit, notice period and which positions can cover which, for example whether a host can cover a server shift.
Week 2 Thursday check-in
14 Swaps and rules Week 2

Swaps and one-tap approval

Staff offer a shift to one coworker or trade for one of theirs. Only qualified coworkers who stay within the rules can be picked. Once the coworker accepts, the manager gets a text and approves or declines in one tap.

AIwhirksBuild the swap request, the coworker's accept screen and the manager's approvals queue, using the rules from card 13.
Week 3 Thursday check-in
15 Swaps and rules Week 3

The open-shift board

A dropped shift goes to the board and every qualified coworker under the hours limit gets a text. The first to pick it up gets it, pending approval, and it disappears for everyone else.

AIwhirksBuild drops, the board, the pickup texts and the approval, reusing the queue from card 14.
16 Swaps and rules Weeks 3-4

Weekly labor summary

Scheduled hours for the week by position and by person, compared with last week, with anyone near the limit flagged and a download for the owner's spreadsheet.

AIwhirksBuild the summary and walk Nina through it with Copperleaf's real weeks.
Week 4 Thursday: month review
17 Pilot Week 4

Two restaurants swap for real

For one week, Copperleaf Kitchen and Hollow Oak Tavern route every swap and pickup through the app instead of the group text.

AIwhirksCheck in with both managers midweek and fix what gets in the way.
ShiftSwap · Start of week 4Nina asks Alicia and Ray to tell their staff that swaps only count if they're in the app this week.
18 Scope and foundation Week 4

Month review and next plan

What got done, what moved, and the pilot and launch plan for Month 4.

AIwhirksUpdate this plan and walk through it with you.
Month 4

Pilot, billing and launch

Launch

All 5 pilot restaurants run real weekly schedules in the app, we add self-serve signup with a free trial and billing, fix what the pilot finds, then open public signups and hand over.

  • All 5 pilot restaurants liveEnd of week 1
  • Public signups openEnd of week 4

Public signups open only after every pilot restaurant has posted real weeks and the must-fix list is clear.

Week 1 Thursday check-in
19 Pilot Weeks 1-3

All 5 restaurants on real schedules

Bluefin Taqueria, The Saltbox Diner and Juniper Street Bistro join the first two. Every restaurant posts its real week in the app and stops using the group text for swaps.

AIwhirksLoad the last three restaurants, run a 20-minute setup call with each manager, and check in with all five twice a week.
ShiftSwap · Start of week 1Derek confirms a go-live day with each of the three new managers, and Nina keeps one running list of pilot notes.
20 Launch Weeks 1-2

Signup, free trial and billing

A new restaurant signs itself up from the website, agrees to the terms, and starts the free trial with no card. A reminder goes out before the trial ends, and the owner adds a card to start the monthly subscription.

AIwhirksBuild signup, the first-run checklist, the trial reminders and the Billing screen on Stripe Billing, using the price and trial length from card 4.
ShiftSwap · Start of week 1Final terms of service and privacy policy from your lawyer, and the monthly price and trial length set in Stripe.
Week 2 Thursday check-in
21 Launch Week 2

Founder admin

One screen for Nina and Derek with every restaurant, its trial or subscription status, staff count and last schedule posted, plus a read-only view to help a manager and a button to extend a trial.

AIwhirksBuild the admin screen and walk both founders through it.
Week 3 Thursday check-in
22 Pilot Weeks 3-4

Fix what the pilot found

Everything on the pilot list, most important first, each one shown to the manager who found it when it is done.

AIwhirksFix, re-test on real phones and show each fix.
ShiftSwap · Start of week 3Mark each note "must fix before launch" or "can wait", and ask each pilot owner whether they'll subscribe at launch.
Week 4 Thursday: month review
23 Launch Week 4

Open public signups

The signup page goes live on the ShiftSwap website. We run one new restaurant through the whole trial signup ourselves first, then watch the first real signups closely.

AIwhirksRun the end-to-end signup test, switch Stripe to live payments and stay close for the first signups.
ShiftSwap · Start of week 4Approve the launch day and point the Sign up button on your website at the app.
24 Launch Week 4

Launch review and handover

What got done, the system documents, a backup and restore check, and the list of ideas for later, starting with multi-location owners. Optional monthly support from here is your choice.

AIwhirksHand over the documents, run a restore test with you, and present the ideas list.
ShiftSwap · End of week 4Decide whether you want monthly support after launch.

ShiftSwap · Restaurant shift scheduling and swap app · Best-case schedule: assumes no delays, changes or issues.

Questions about this plan

How long does it take to build a restaurant shift scheduling and swap app?

This sample plan takes 4 monthly sprints, from kickoff to handover. The big milestones are first swap approved in one tap (Month 3) and public signups open (Month 4). A real build's length depends on its scope, and the plan is reviewed every Thursday.

What gets built first?

Month 1 covers scope, prototype and foundation. We agree with Nina and Derek what is in version 1 and what waits, test a clickable prototype with managers and staff at two pilot restaurants before any code, and set up the accounts in ShiftSwap's own name.

What does ShiftSwap need to provide?

14 of the 24 cards include something from ShiftSwap, such as decisions, access or real data, each with a due point. If one arrives late, the cards after it move back by the same amount.

Who uses the restaurant shift scheduling and swap app?

Founder admin: see every restaurant on the platform, its trial or subscription status, and step in to help a manager. Owner: start a trial, add a card, and see weekly labor hours without learning a new system. Manager: build and post the week, approve swaps in one tap, and trust that nobody slips into overtime. Staff: see their shifts on their phone, swap or drop a shift, pick up extra hours, and request time off.

Is this a real company?

No. ShiftSwap and everyone in this plan are made up. The format is real: it is how AIwhirks plans and runs every web app build.

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