Web3 adoption decision & vendor-selection checklist

50 items to work through, from the concept stage through drafting an RFP.

Available in Japanese only: this checklist is currently published in Japanese only. The overview below is in English, but the full 50-item checklist has not yet been translated.

This resource brings together, in a 50-item checklist, the judgment points a company should work through internally when considering Web3/blockchain adoption, and the points to check when selecting a development vendor. It is structured to be used all the way from organizing your thinking before requirements are settled, through drafting an RFP and designing post-launch operations.

We drew these items from the questions that come up repeatedly in Netsujo's consulting and contracted-development work. It is designed for use in internal sign-off discussions, vendor comparison, and kickoff meetings.

How this resource is organized

• Section 2: Judging whether Web3 is needed (10 items)
• Section 3: Organizing internal structure and decision-making (10 items)
• Section 4: Criteria for evaluating a development vendor (10 items)
• Section 5: Confirming cost, contract, and scope (10 items)
• Section 6: Production launch and operational design (10 items)

Each item has a Yes / No / Not yet confirmed checkbox, intended for several people within your organization to evaluate independently and then compare notes. You do not need every item to be "Yes" before placing an order — the point is to surface which risks remain as "No" or "Not yet confirmed" before you proceed.

Section 2: Judging whether Web3 is needed (10 items)

Points to confirm at the stage of asking "does our company actually need Web3" — before selecting a technology, checking whether the business problem and Web3's characteristics genuinely match.

• We can articulate a problem that cannot be solved without blockchain
• Tamper-resistant records are genuinely needed for the business
• The record needs to be shared identically across multiple organizations
• Third-party-verifiable ownership or history management is required
• A token-based economic design can be built into the business model
• We can explain why a normal database would not be an adequate substitute
• We understand the regulatory preconditions (Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, Payment Services Act, Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations)
• Competitors have adopted, or plan to adopt, Web3 in the same area
• We can accept a requirement for users to hold a wallet
• We have narrowed the hypotheses to verify in a PoC to three or fewer

Section 3: Organizing internal structure and decision-making (10 items)

Items that, if organized internally before placing an order, substantially improve proposal quality and decision-making speed — a lack of preparation on the ordering side directly affects the quality of what the vendor delivers.

• The project has a single, confirmed decision-maker
• Business ownership and technical ownership are assigned to different people
• The legal, finance, and compliance points of contact are clear
• Someone is designated to prepare and share internal explanatory material
• A reporting flow and cadence to senior management is decided
• The expected timeline from project start to launch is shared
• Exit criteria (KPIs, deadline, budget-overrun threshold) are decided in advance
• Coordination with related departments (PR, sales, customer support) is arranged
• An NDA and IP-handling policy is documented
• The operating department and operating budget for after the project ends are secured

Section 4: Criteria for evaluating a development vendor (10 items)

Points to confirm and evaluate with each vendor when comparing multiple candidates — judge by their track record for reaching operation, not the polish of the proposal deck.

• They have at least 3 cases delivered through to production, not just PoCs
• They have chain-selection experience with a use case similar to yours
• They have a structure for smart contract audit (in-house review / external audit coordination)
• They have a track record working with law firms
• They can support a continuous contract across PoC, production, and operation
• A dedicated point of contact is assigned (the PM is not stretched across 2+ accounts)
• The frequency of regular meetings and review structure are set out up front
• Their documentation approach (spec, minutes, operations manual) is made explicit
• Exit and handover clauses are included in the contract
• They can share knowledge from competing or prior projects (within NDA limits)

Section 5: Confirming cost, contract, and scope (10 items)

Points to settle when comparing quotes, beyond the headline number — an "all-in" quote is a common source of later add-on charges.

• Per-phase unit pricing is broken out (concept / PoC / implementation / audit / operation)
• The definition of deliverables can be confirmed in writing
• A change-management process (how additional requirements are estimated) is spelled out
• Audit cost (external firm) is included in the quote, or explicitly shown separately
• Legal-review cost (law firm) is included in the quote, or explicitly shown as the client's responsibility
• The basis for maintenance cost (person-months / per-incident rate) is shown
• The contract type (contract-for-work / quasi-delegation) fits the requirements
• Payment terms (deposit / interim / on acceptance) are within an acceptable range
• Penalty and termination clauses are acceptable to both sides
• The need for insurance and an SLA is made explicit

Section 6: Production launch and operational design (10 items)

Structure and monitoring items needed once in production — no project ends at launch.

• The production operating department is decided and staffed
• An incident-response runbook is in place (emergency stop / asset protection / disclosure)
• A monitoring platform is running (abnormal transactions, liquidity anomalies)
• An upgrade procedure is established (propose → audit → staged deployment)
• The operating policy for a bug-bounty program is decided
• Insurance protocols (e.g. Nexus Mutual) have been considered
• A quarterly security-review budget is secured
• Someone is designated to monitor regulatory updates
• A user-support structure is in place (lost wallets, transfer issues)
• A reporting structure for usage statistics and KPIs is in place

How to use the scoring sheet

For each section's 10 items, select Yes / No / Not yet confirmed, and use the scoring sheet to visualize where things stand.

40+ items marked Yes

You are ready to place an order — proceed to an RFP or a multi-vendor quote comparison.

30–39 items marked Yes

The main issues are covered — organize the remaining unconfirmed items internally before considering an order.

Fewer than 30 items marked Yes

Concept-stage organization is still incomplete — internal discussion or consulting to structure the issues is recommended.

Talk to Netsujo

This checklist can be used entirely on your own, or with Netsujo supporting you through it. If many items are "Not yet confirmed" and you are not sure where to start, a free 30-minute first consultation can help work through the issues together. Our standard scope of support includes:

• Internal interviews and structuring for each checklist item (consulting)
• Writing a Web3-adoption-decision report
• RFP-drafting support and help comparing vendors
• Staying with you from PoC design through production operation