Reproduce the existing result yourself
About 5 weeks· Work out how you will do it· optional
Until you can reproduce what exists, you cannot tell your improvement from your bug.
Where this sits
Whatever your work will be compared against: the current model, the standard interpretation, the usual practice. Without one, "better" has no meaning.
The question this stage answers: What are you compared against — and how would anyone know you beat it?
This whole block ends with: Ends when you are cleared to start collecting.