Name the systems before you name the clouds
Cloud brands are easy to argue about. System boundaries that still share a login table are harder — and they decide whether wave one finishes.
Field notes
Short pieces from planning tables — not generic transformation essays.
Dual-run weeks that do not quietly drift forever
A dual-run without an exit date becomes a second production. Write the exit checks when you write the start.
Freeze windows and honest calendars
Retail peaks, payroll cycles, and board demos are not footnotes. Put them on the migration calendar before you pick a weekend.
Rollback that someone will actually call
Rollback fails when the criteria are vague or the person who can abort is asleep. Name both.