Turn the report you already have into work that gets done.
One read of how your company actually runs - whether you're starting fresh or already have a diagnosis sitting on a shelf. I retailor what exists, or build it from zero, then hand you a plan sized to what you can actually run.
Also known as the Operating Baseline / Scale Readiness Assessment.
Why pay for an assessment now? Read the 10x Rule - every risk you don't catch now costs 10x more at the next scale.
The report exists. The plan on paper is fine.
If you already have an assessment, a strategy engagement, or a consultant's report, the plan itself is usually sound. What is missing is a version sized to your budget, your headcount, and how your company actually works - the same gap a Baseline closes when you are starting from zero.
| Figure | What it counts | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 60-90% | of strategic plans never fully launch, even when the plan itself is sound | HBR, 2022, citing Wharton research |
SourcesAndrea Belk Olson, "4 Common Reasons Strategies Fail", Harvard Business Review, 24 June 2022, citing Wharton research.
Six weeks. A fixed scope. One clear outcome.
Weeks 1-2 - Discovery
Structured interviews with leadership and key team members. I listen, map, and start identifying where things break - across people, processes, and technology.
DiscoveryWeeks 3-4 - Diagnosis
Process and system mapping. Leak, bottleneck, and risk identification. Findings cross-checked with the team to separate what is real from what is noise.
DiagnosisWeeks 5-6 - Recommendation
Written report with prioritized findings and a recommendation - what to fix first, in what order, with what resources. Your team can start executing on day 43.
RecommendationNoteStandard engagements include in-person observation sessions. Fully remote option available (interviews and document review only, no on-site sessions). International on-site work: travel and per-diem fees quoted per engagement. When it genuinely helps, you can bring me in for a follow-on as an interim or fractional product and program manager - or I'll point you to a verified provider that fits your budget. The choice stays yours.
A complete picture of leaks, bottlenecks, and what's about to break.
Deep Interviews
Structured conversations with your leadership and key team members. I listen, map, and identify where things break.
Process Review
Mapping of your core workflows, decision flows, and communication patterns. Where friction lives, where time is lost.
Architecture Check
Review of your tech stack, tooling, and data infrastructure. What supports scale, and what will break under pressure.
Risk Map
Hidden dependencies, knowledge silos, governance gaps. The things nobody talks about but everyone feels.
Written Report
A focused written report with findings, priorities, and specific recommendations. Not 100 pages, just what matters.
Action Plan
Prioritized next steps with clear ownership and timelines, built to run with the team and tools you already have. Ready for your team to execute, no translation needed.
Automation Map. Every repetitive, rule-based task I observe goes into a ranked automation backlog: the hours it consumes, the tool that automates it (preferring what you already pay for), build effort, and a payback date. Each item is tagged simplify it, automate it, or apply AI, so you get the cheapest fix that works. Want the top items built? A bounded 2-4 week Automation Sprint implements them, documents everything, and trains one person on your team to own it - then I step out.
Questions people ask before starting.
Who is this for?
Founders and leaders of growing organizations (10-150 people) who sense things are starting to strain - handoffs breaking, decisions slowing, the team feeling overloaded. Also companies that already have an assessment, strategy engagement, or consultant's report that has not turned into action, and teams preparing for a major transition (AI adoption, restructuring, new market).
What does the Scale Readiness Assessment include?
Three things. A diagnostic across people, processes, and technology. A written report with prioritized findings, tiered by impact. And a clear recommendation - what to fix first, in what order, with what resources. Your team can start executing on day 43.
What if the original plan was good but nobody implemented it?
That is the pattern the research on strategic plan execution points to: the plan is usually sound, and what is missing is resourcing and sequencing, not new content. The read is the same identity-first method as a Baseline built from zero - it just starts from what already exists instead of a blank page.
Do I need to tell you who did the original assessment?
No. I only need the report itself and access to your team. I do not review or rate another firm's work - the read is about your company's current state, using the existing report as one input among several.
Our internal knowledge is a competitive asset. Why would we hand it to an outsider?
Every engagement starts with a signed mutual NDA and a written scope before any work begins, and the confidentiality obligations continue after the engagement ends. Access is limited to the systems and documents the specific job requires. Nothing from one client is carried into another, and no client work becomes a case study, named or unnamed, without written permission.
How do you handle confidentiality?
An NDA is part of the engagement. Individual interviews are confidential - findings are aggregated so nobody is named. This is what makes the interviews honest.
How long does the assessment take?
Six weeks from kickoff to delivered recommendation. Weeks 1-2: discovery (interviews with leadership and key team members). Weeks 3-4: diagnosis (process and system mapping, leak/bottleneck/risk identification, validation with the team). Weeks 5-6: the written report and prioritized action plan.
Is this in-person or remote?
Both - your choice. The standard engagement combines in-person observation sessions (watching how work actually flows) with remote interviews and document review. A fully remote option is available - interviews and document review only, no on-site sessions. For international clients requiring on-site work, travel and per-diem fees are quoted per engagement.
How many people do you interview?
Typically 5-8 people across leadership, team leads, and a few individual contributors. We agree on the list together at the start - the goal is cross-functional coverage, not volume.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes. Two installments - half to start, half at delivery. Details discussed on the intro call.
What happens after the assessment?
You own the report. Your team can execute the plan independently. If you want ongoing support (implementation help, workshops, coaching) we can discuss that separately. No pressure, no upsell.
Is there an intro call?
Yes - free 30-minute call. We make sure it's the right fit before you commit. If it's not the right time, I'll tell you that too.
NoteThis is an operational and organizational read of your company's current state. Where an existing report or assessment is part of the input, this is not a rating, review, or audit of the firm that produced it, and not a legal, tax, or accounting opinion. Every engagement is covered by a written scope and a mutual confidentiality agreement before work begins.
Ready to see what's really happening?
Send a short brief. Bring the report if you have one, or nothing at all - I will tell you plainly whether this is the right next step.