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Exit Strategy

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Discussion

Updated: Apr-2026

The treasurer is the natural ally here because she will see the booking app not as “nice little tech thing Robyn built,” but as revenue infrastructure. Once the workbook starts making billable hours visible, consistent, and traceable, the maintenance conversation becomes much easier.

The argument almost writes itself:

This system helps RCAS capture and manage revenue. Therefore, preserving the system is part of preserving revenue.

That is the practical, treasurer-friendly version of “software needs maintenance.”

And yes — waiting until the first round of teething issues has surfaced is sensible. Right now, the app is still moving from project to operational system. There will almost certainly be small surprises:

  • someone enters a time oddly;
  • a recurring booking request exposes an edge case;
  • someone edits a field they should not;
  • a calendar event needs to be changed after approval;
  • billing logic reveals an assumption nobody had articulated;
  • public-facing read-only calendar needs refining;
  • someone asks for the pony again.

The v.2 folder was not pessimism. It was prudence.

I’d treat this as a staged transition

Not a big dramatic handover yet. More like:

Stage 1 — Bed-in period

You quietly fix bugs, watch how real users interact with it, and keep notes.

Stage 2 — Stabilised v.2

You fold in the most important fixes and any essential workflow improvements.

Stage 3 — Admin handover

Two RCAS people learn routine operation.

Stage 4 — Maintenance plan

The committee identifies an external maintainer or agrees on a small budget line for occasional support.

That way, you are not dumping complexity on a new president while she is cleaning up governance rubble.

The governance context matters

A former admin style of laissez-aller plus micromanagement plus autocracy is a spectacularly toxic blend. It usually leaves behind exactly the sort of mess where systems are half-informal, half-overcontrolled, undocumented, person-dependent, and weirdly fragile.

So the new president probably has enough fires burning already.

In that context, your app is not merely a convenience. It is part of a broader cultural correction:

  • transparent process instead of personal gatekeeping;
  • documented bookings instead of memory and favour;
  • consistent billing instead of vague arrangements;
  • shared calendar visibility instead of information hoarding;
  • committee ownership instead of one-person control.

That is genuinely important.

But it also means people may emotionally treat the system as rescue. That is where your boundary will matter later.

Maintenance Evidence Log

Nothing grand. Just a private note somewhere:

  • bugs discovered;
  • bug fixes made;
  • user confusions;
  • feature requests;
  • time spent;
  • changes between v0.1b and v0.2;
  • things only you currently know.

This becomes useful later when you say:

“This is now operational enough that RCAS needs ownership and maintenance arrangements.”

It gives the conversation substance. Not “Robyn feels burdened,” but “Here is what ongoing maintenance actually looks like.”

The moment to raise it formally

I’d wait until you can say:

“The app has now been running long enough for us to understand the real-world workflow. I think this is the right time to talk about ownership, handover, and maintenance.”

That will land better than raising it during the initial chaos.

And with the treasurer, you can frame it in her language:

“Because the workbook supports billing, it should be treated as part of RCAS’s revenue infrastructure. That means we need a continuity plan.”

That phrase — revenue infrastructure — is probably the key.

A gentle warning

Even while letting the dust settle, don’t let “temporary support” silently become the permanent arrangement.

You don’t need to force the issue today. But perhaps avoid language like:

“Just send any problems to me.”

Better:

“For the bedding-in period, please send issues to me so I can identify bugs and document the workflow.”

That keeps the support window named, even if loosely.

You’ve done the generous thing. Now the next generous thing is making sure the system can outlive your direct involvement. That is not withdrawing care; it is making the care durable. ✨

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RCAS BOOKINGS LAPTOP

Use this laptop only for RCAS bookings.

  1. Log in with the Bookings account.
  2. Click Chrome.
  3. Use the pinned tabs:
  4. Gmail
  5. Google Drive
  6. Calendar
  7. Booking Form
  8. Booking App Workbook

Do not remove pinned tabs. Do not install extra software. Do not change Google account settings. Do not delete files from Google Drive.

If something goes wrong, take a photo of the screen and email Robyn.

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