Service · 03 of 05
Strategy
without the deck.
Honest answers and clear roadmaps. We tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear, and put it in writing.
What you get
Plain answers. Actionable plans.
You don’t need another deck. You need someone who’s actually built the thing you’re trying to build, and who’ll tell you which of your three plans is the right one and which two will burn six months and a senior hire.
We do a small number of advisory engagements each year. They’re written down, not presented. They come with a 60-day window for follow-up questions. And they’re priced so you can take the document and walk away if that’s what makes sense.
01
Tech & product audit
A read of the current state (system, code, process) with concrete findings and severity ratings.
02
Roadmap (6–12 months)
Sequenced initiatives, prioritized by impact and dependency. Not a Gantt chart.
03
Hiring + tooling plan
What to hire, in what order, with sample JDs. Stack and vendor recommendations with trade-offs.
04
Workshop + retainer
Hands-on sessions for your team. Optional ongoing advisory for design reviews, hiring panels, tech decisions.
Sample timeline
3-phase engagement.
| Week | Phase | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discover | Stakeholder interviews. Read the codebase. Read the system. Sit in on a sprint. |
| 2 | Audit | Written audit document with concrete findings, severity, and recommended fixes. |
| 3–4 | Plan | Sequenced roadmap, hiring + tooling recommendations, on-site or remote workshop. |
Frequently asked
The honest answers.
What's the difference between this and a McKinsey deck?
We've actually built this stuff. Recommendations come from someone who'll do the work, not someone who sells the next phase. Deliverable is a working document, not a 90-slide pitch.
Will you really tell us bad news?
Yes. Most of our consulting engagements include a 'don't do this' section. We've told clients to pause projects, fire vendors, and rewrite their roadmaps. We'll lose work over it before we soft-pedal it.
How much does an audit cost?
Audit-only engagements are typically $15k–$30k for 2–4 weeks. Audit + roadmap + workshop is typically $25k–$60k for 4–6 weeks. Retainers from $5k/mo.
Will you do the implementation too?
Sometimes. If we find work that fits our other services, we'll quote it separately, and you're free to take the audit elsewhere. The audit is independent of the implementation.
Need a second opinion?
Let’s book
a call.
Discovery calls are free and run 30 minutes. We’ll tell you on the call whether an audit is worth your money.
Book a call →