Approved baseline
- Milestone
- First playable co-op mission
- Goal
- Prove the two-player mission loop.
- Definition of done
- Two players can join, complete the ten-minute mission, and finish the boss encounter at the agreed performance target.
For production leaders accountable for milestone reviews
Milestones change. Keep the decision trail intact.
DriftWarden gives you and your production team one record of the approved baseline, consequential changes, and the decisions behind them—so milestone reviews start with context, not reconstruction.
No confidential document required - we will use a sample milestone.
Early access: $99/month - Five studio spots - Founder-led onboarding
FIRST PLAYABLEReview approaching
Approved
Baseline
Current
4 playersFinal FX−1 week
3 CHANGESDefinition of done moved
Decision neededWhy milestone reviews go sideways
Three reasonable changes. A different definition of done.
Each request looked manageable on its own. Together, they changed what the team was expected to deliver.
What changed
- A stakeholder asks to demonstrate four-player support.
- The team agrees to bring the boss arena effects closer to final quality.
- An external backend test environment arrives one week late.
What it means at review
- Scope expanded.
- The quality bar moved.
- Integration and testing time contracted.
Decision requiredProduction now needs to accept the added risk, defer a request, or formally rebaseline before the review becomes a negotiation over what was originally agreed.
From initial agreement to review
Keep the milestone's history as clear as its current state.
- 1
Structure and challenge the milestone
- Build a milestone in DriftWarden or import an existing plan.
- AI surfaces ambiguity, incomplete acceptance criteria, unresolved assumptions, and readiness questions.
- The producer reviews every suggestion before anything changes.
- 2
Preserve the approved baseline
- Create a fixed reference when the milestone is agreed.
- Keep current planning moving without erasing the original commitment.
- Give reviewers a stable baseline for later comparison.
- 3
Capture change and prepare the review
- Bring in later decisions, notes, and relevant excerpts.
- Confirm meaningful drift and its impact.
- See unresolved risks and decisions before the review.
Review outcome
Enter the review with the record.
Bring the approved baseline, change history, and current readiness picture into the same conversation instead of reconstructing the milestone from scattered evidence.
- What did we agree to?
- What changed, and why?
- What threatens acceptance?
- What decision is needed next?
Works with your current system
Keep your task tracker. Add the missing milestone layer.
Jira and ShotGrid manage work. Planning documents describe the milestone. Chat and meeting notes capture decisions.
DriftWarden sits above those systems as the milestone record: what the team agreed to deliver, how that agreement changed, why the changes mattered, and whether the milestone is ready for review.
It is not another backlog, sprint-management system, or resource-planning tool.
AI and data handling
AI assists. Producers decide.
DriftWarden uses AI to help map imported plans, challenge ambiguity, surface possible risks, identify potential drift, and raise readiness questions.
Nothing becomes a confirmed plan update or drift entry without user review.- Names and custom terms can be redacted before AI-assisted processing.
- AI findings are suggestions, not approvals or contractual interpretations.
- Original uploaded files are deleted after processing. Information you review and intentionally save remains in the workspace under the published retention terms.
Five early-access studios
Bring a clearer record to your next milestone review.
Use DriftWarden on real milestone work with founder-led onboarding and first-project support—and help shape where the product goes next.
Early access: $99/month
Request a walkthroughFounding Studio access includes:
- DriftWarden product access
- Founder-led onboarding and first-project setup
- Direct product support
- Direct feedback and influence over early priorities
The best fit is a production leader who owns or reviews real milestone commitments, especially when a client, publisher, partner, or leadership group must approve the milestone and acceptance may affect payment, trust, or follow-on work. Externally reviewed milestones are the initial focus, while high-stakes internal milestones can also fit.
A request starts a conversation. You will not be asked to upload a confidential document before we talk.
Founder
Built from firsthand game-production experience.
DriftWarden was created by Shawn Ketcherside, a production leader with more than 25 years across AAA, new IP, MMOs, co-development, and live/mobile games, including work with BioWare/EA, Bethesda Game Studios Austin, Playful Studios, PeopleFun, and Wildcard Alliance.
His shipped work includes Star Wars: The Old Republic, DOOM (2016) multiplayer, Super Lucky's Tale, and Wordscapes. DriftWarden grew from a recurring problem Shawn encountered firsthand: teams could show what the milestone looked like today, but struggled to reconstruct what had originally been agreed and how it changed.
Connect with Shawn on LinkedInQuestions
Common questions
Does DriftWarden replace Jira, ShotGrid, Notion, or Confluence?
No. DriftWarden complements the tools that manage tasks, schedules, documents, and communication.
It preserves the milestone baseline, records consequential changes, and supports readiness review.
Won't the baseline become obsolete when the plan changes?
The baseline is not an old plan the team must return to. It is the fixed reference used to understand how the plan evolved.
Plans should change. The baseline keeps that change visible.
Do I need to share a real milestone document for a demo?
No. The standard demo uses a realistic synthetic milestone, meeting notes, and chat excerpts.
Testing one of your own documents later is optional.
Is DriftWarden only for external client milestones?
No, but externally reviewed milestones are the strongest initial use case.
It can also support internal milestones where several leaders need a shared baseline and change history.
Does AI change the milestone automatically?
No. AI can identify ambiguity, suggest improvements, and surface possible drift. A user must review and confirm every change added to the milestone record.
Is DriftWarden fully launched?
Not yet. DriftWarden is entering a limited paid early-access period.
Early participants should expect the product to evolve and will have a direct opportunity to influence it.
Ready for the next review
Preserve what was agreed before the next review.
Track what changed and why. Enter the review with the context, risks, and decisions intact.
Five paid early-access spots - $99/month - Founder-led onboarding