Most agencies don't have a formal onboarding process. They have a loose mental checklist that lives in the head of whoever ran the last project. That works fine until someone is sick, a client escalates in week one, or you win two projects in the same week and everything collides. A documented onboarding checklist takes 30 minutes to run — and it prevents 80% of the delays, confusion, and miscommunication that make the first two weeks painful. Here's exactly what to put in it, and why each step matters. Why most agency onboarding breaks in the first week Client onboarding breaks in predictable places: No central intake. Different team members asked different questions. Nobody has the full picture. Access collection drags. You asked for tool access on day three. You're still chasing on day nine. Scope drift starts at kickoff. The brief looked clear in the proposal. The kickoff call reveals three things nobody agreed on. No shared timeline. The client thinks work starts Monday.…