Frame
Confirm the decision, accountable owner, cadence, inputs, delay, and baseline measure.
01 / first engagement
The first engagement
10-day Decision Systems Diagnostic
A bounded diagnosis of one consequential recurring decision. It remains useful whether or not we continue into implementation.
Timing10 business days
Founding engagements$3,000 fixed for the first three engagements
CommitmentUseful whether or not we continue
02 / fixed boundary
Scope
One decision. Enough evidence to choose the next move.
Founding pricing exchanges a narrow scope for candid feedback and permission to document non-sensitive lessons. Future pricing is expected to change as evidence accumulates.
- 01One recurring leadership or operating decision
- 02Up to five stakeholder interviews
- 03Up to three source systems
- 04One measurable current-state baseline
03 / ten business days
Working sequence
Trace before prescribing.
Trace
Map source records, definitions, transformations, handoffs, and known failure points.
Govern
Assign ownership and define access, quality, review, and exception requirements.
Design
Specify the smallest pilot, its architecture, tests, controls, and acceptance criteria.
Readout
Deliver the artifacts, explain the tradeoffs, and agree on the next 90 days without presuming a build.
04 / deliverables
Client-owned outputs
A decision package—not a sales pretext.
- 01Current-state decision and systems map
- 02Metric definitions, ownership, and source register
- 03Risk, exception, and operating-baseline assessment
- 04Pilot design with explicit acceptance criteria
- 05Prioritized 90-day roadmap
05 / qualification
Strong fit
The problem is operational, owned, and measurable.
A project-based operating model
A founder-led B2B service firm, usually 20–100 employees, where sold work must become staffed, delivered, invoiced, and collected work.
Cross-system friction
The decision spans CRM, project or time tracking, accounting, and recurring spreadsheet assembly.
A measurable consequence
Delay, rework, forecast variance, invoice timing, capacity, or margin visibility can be baselined.
An accountable owner
A CEO, COO, CFO, or operating lead will own the decision and make stakeholders and source access available.
A near-term need
The firm needs a bounded improvement this quarter and does not have an internal data-platform leader available to deliver it.
06 / boundaries
Not a fit
Clear exclusions protect the work.
- 01A generic AI requestChatbots, content automation, and indiscriminate agents without a defined decision, evidence boundary, and owner.
- 02A product configuration problemWork that one well-configured SaaS product or its implementation partner can solve cleanly.
- 03A replacement programCompany-wide ERP replacement, unbounded transformation, or an unlimited fractional technology remit.
- 04An unsupported risk profileHighly regulated or 24/7 operations before the required controls, insurance, and delivery continuity are in place.
- 05Autonomous consequential decisionsSystems intended to make financial, employment, legal, or customer-impacting decisions without accountable human review.
- 06No baseline or source accessBuyers unwilling to establish a current state, identify an executive owner, or provide the minimum records needed to trace the problem.
Bring one decision that should already be easier.
Begin the conversation07 / questions
FAQ
Before the first call.
- 01Does the diagnostic require us to buy software?No. It identifies the smallest credible intervention and may recommend configuring an existing system instead of adding another one.
- 02Is AI included?Only as a candidate capability. AI is recommended only when a bounded task, evaluation, evidence boundary, and human review are defined.
- 03What happens if we do not continue into a pilot?You retain the decision map, metric and source register, baseline, risk findings, pilot design, and prioritized 90-day roadmap.