Starting Your Capstone Projects: Professionalism and First Impressions#
Dear Capstone Students,
You are all about to embark on your year-long capstone projects. You will be working with clients external to Duke or the Duke MIDS program, and it is very important to begin with a solid first impression and to maintain professionalism throughout your project. Setting a positive tone from the start will help make this a successful and enjoyable experience. To help you start and continue on a good tone with your clients, here are some tips to help facilitate the start of your project.
The list below is not a list of mandates; ultimately, you are in charge of your projects and your client relationships.
Begin with a professional tone. Your relationship with your client may evolve and become more relaxed, but it is better to err on the side of formality than informality. For example, address your clients with titles (e.g., Ms./Mr./Dr.) unless or until it is clear that first names are fine. If you have any doubt, ask them how they prefer to be addressed. Avoid nicknames unless it is clear the client prefers them; avoid terms of inappropriate familiarity (e.g., “man”, “bro”, etc.).
Respond promptly to your client and take ownership of communication. For example, if your client asks you a question, if you do not yet have an answer, acknowledge the request and follow up, “I am currently looking into this and coordinating with my team members to gather accurate information. I will follow up with you as soon as I have a clear update, likely by [specific timeframe, if possible].”, rather than delaying or replying something like “I don’t know. Ask XX.”
Be deferential to your client but take initiative if you are in doubt or need. Being deferential includes allowing the client to set the level of formality in your relationship and the frequency and methods of communication. Be mindful about overwhelming your client with early communications (e.g., too many emails or not giving your client enough time to respond). Unless your client prefers to do the scheduling, it can go a long way to take the initiative in setting up calendar invites and sending Zoom links.
Use a structured approach to run effective meetings. Start by defining clear outcomes and aligning on mutual goals, then communicate your key message and ask open-ended questions to guide the discussion. Practice strong communication by actively listening, validating understanding, and clarifying expectations, timelines, and next steps. When contributing ideas, present a clear summary, support it with evidence and technical reasoning, and articulate both benefits and risks, while using professional language to navigate collaboration and resolve conflicts if any effectively.
Ensure Team-Client communications involve your entire team. This will ensure your client is not overwhelmed with redundant messaging.
You are welcome to reach out and start meeting with your clients. We ask that you have your first meeting before we meet on Friday of the first week of classes. In this meeting, start to get to know your clients, your data, and your project goals.
First Meeting Suggestions#
As a suggested first email, consider the following:
Hello, we are the Data Science (and Statistics) students who will be working with you over the coming year. We are excited to collaborate with you. We would appreciate the opportunity to meet before [date] to get started. Additionally, if there are any background materials or resources you recommend, we would be grateful to review them in advance. (Please note that some team members are currently completing full-time internships prior to the start of the semester.)
Thank you, and we look forward to working together.
Feel free to add, modify and create your own version.
When you introduce yourself to a client for the first time, keep it simple, clear, and relevant. Instead of listing many tools or techniques, focus on one technical strength and one personal trait that show how you will contribute to the project, and always connect that to how it helps the client solve problems, not just what you know.
Hi, I’m [Name]. I worked as a Senior Business Analyst at [XX Company] for about two years, mainly focusing on healthcare interoperability, things like requirements gathering and HL7/XXX integrations across systems.
At Duke, I’ve been shifting more into the technical side, where I’ve completed two projects building LLM pipelines and deep learning models to turn unstructured data into actionable insights.
I’d say I’m very detail-oriented when it comes to ensuring a strong technical foundation, and I’m also proactive in communication so we stay aligned and deliver solutions that are both accurate and meaningful for your needs.
This kind of introduction works because it shows both technical capability (LLM pipeline, deep learning) and how you collaborate (detail-oriented, proactive). Remember, the goal of your first impression is not to sound the most technical, but to help the client quickly understand how you will add value and work with them.
Use the first meeting to get to know your client, understand their motivations, and clarify the problem they aim to solve. This is also an opportunity to ask initial questions about the data if any (e.g., availability, format, access), define the project scope and success criteria, align on key milestones, and schedule your future recurring meetings. Additionally, establish expectations for how you will work together, including meeting frequency, communication channels (e.g., email, Slack), preferred formats for updates, and decision-making processes.
We wish you a productive, engaging, and successful year! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.
From your Capstone Director