In this episode of the Bear Business Vodcast, host Chris Barnard interviews Jenna Farrell, founder of Scopey, a software solution designed to manage and prevent scope creep in professional services. Scope creep, a common issue in creative and tech industries, often leads to revenue loss and project mismanagement. Jenna shares her background as a former digital agency owner and discusses the problems scope creep caused in her business, which led to the creation of Scopey.

The conversation explores the origins and evolution of scope creep, the importance of fluid and live documentation in modern work environments, and how Scopey addresses scope creep by capturing and organizing unapproved changes from client communications. They delve into how Scopey fits into agile project management and offers unique value by helping agencies upsell services and recover lost revenue. Jenna also shares insights into the cultural challenges of upselling and cross-selling, especially in the UK and Ireland, and the importance of educating clients to manage expectations and scope.

The episode ends with a discussion on Scopey’s growth, future plans, and Jenna’s experience securing funding from Enterprise Ireland to scale the business.

Introduction to Bear Business and Scopey
Chris introduces the topic of scope creep and the guest, Jenna Farrell, founder of Scopey. Jenna shares her journey from running a digital agency to developing Scopey as a solution to scope creep.

The Problem of Scope Creep
Jenna describes how scope creep affected her business, leading to revenue loss, and explains the static and outdated nature of traditional project scopes, which do not adapt to fluid project requirements.

How Scopey Works
Jenna introduces Scopey and explains how it focuses on tracking client communications to manage scope changes. She uses the analogy of project management as a chaotic kitchen, with Scopey serving as the client-facing menu that helps manage requests.

Modern Approaches to Scope Management
The conversation shifts to agile methodologies and how Scopey fits into modern work practices. Jenna explains how Scopey helps teams adapt to continuous changes without derailing projects.

Upselling Through Scopey
Jenna discusses the importance of upselling and how Scopey makes it easier for agencies to identify out-of-scope work and turn it into additional revenue opportunities.

Cultural Barriers to Upselling in Agencies
Chris and Jenna talk about the cultural challenges of upselling in the UK and Ireland, and the need to shift the mindset from selling to consulting in client relationships.

Scopey’s Early Adopters and Use Cases
Jenna shares how agencies and even industries like law and insurance are using Scopey to manage scope creep and improve their project outcomes.

Scope Creep as an Opportunity
Scope creep is reframed as an opportunity for agencies to better serve their clients and grow their revenue through strategic upselling, made easier by Scopey’s documentation and pricing features.

Future of Scopey and Integration with Other Tools
Jenna discusses the future of Scopey, its recent public beta launch, and upcoming integrations with tools like HubSpot and Salesforce, which will expand its use in larger organizations.

Enterprise Ireland Funding and Growth
Jenna shares her experience working with Enterprise Ireland to secure funding, which will help Scopey create jobs in Ireland and grow into a larger business.

Scopey’s Pricing Model
Jenna explains Scopey’s current freemium pricing model and how they are testing price points as they add new features during their beta phase.

Closing Thoughts and Favourite Game
The conversation wraps up with a light-hearted question about Jenna’s favorite game, Gaelic football, and how she has adapted to the sport since moving to Ireland.