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02Approach

From a stuck question to a measured result.

Many business decisions stall because the facts, the numbers and the people needed to act are in different places. Every engagement follows the same five steps, so you always know what stage the work is at, what you will receive and what is needed from you.
  1. 01

    Understand

    I read what already exists (accounts, plans, sales data) and talk to the people closest to the problem. Then I write the question in one paragraph that you agree with before any analysis starts.

    You provide: numbers, documents, one owner · You get: agreed question and scope

  2. 02

    Model

    The situation becomes something you can reason with: a financial model, scenarios, a process map or a pricing analysis. Each assumption is listed with its source, and I test which ones change the answer.

    Model · assumptions register · sensitivity test

  3. 03

    Decide

    The options are set out with costs, risks and what each one needs to be true. I make a recommendation. You make the decision, and it is written down with an owner and a date.

    One-page decision memo · owner · deadline

  4. 04

    Execute

    Carrying the decision out with your team: building the prototype, setting up the weekly meeting and reporting, or running the first 90 days of the plan. This step is included in Build Sprints and the Operating Partner engagement.

    Prototype · operating rhythm · 90-day plan

  5. 05

    Measure

    We compare results with what the model expected. What worked is kept, what didn't is changed, and the next question is written down. On a retainer this happens monthly.

    KPI review · revised plan · next question

Why the steps repeat

A decision is a bet on assumptions. Checking them is part of the work.

After a decision is carried out, the results show which assumptions held. That feeds the next question, which is why the loop below closes on itself.

01 Question02 Model03 Move04 Learni8

Name the decision precisely. What would change if you knew the answer?

How options are judged

Four questions behind every recommendation.

What does it do to cash?

Profit on paper can still leave you short in month four. Every option is checked month by month for its lowest cash point.

What has to be true?

Each option depends on a few assumptions. If those cannot be tested cheaply first, that is a reason to wait or to start smaller.

Who will run it?

A good plan without an owner and time in the calendar fails. Capacity is part of the analysis.

Can it be reversed?

A pricing test can be undone in a month. A lease or an acquisition cannot. Hard-to-reverse decisions get more evidence.

Every session ends in writing

Each meeting produces a short written note of what was decided and by whom. Spoken agreements tend to drift.

Your tools, your files

Models and documents are built in tools your team already uses, so you can update them yourselves afterwards.

Clear limits

Legal, audit, tax, certified valuations and full-scale software development belong with licensed advisers or engineering teams. I will tell you when you need them.

FAQ

Questions, answered plainly

See the method applied in the six service areas, or read why a forecast is a decision tool.

Bring the decision you are stuck on.

The brief is five questions, takes about four minutes and needs no signup. You get a written summary on screen. Sending it to me is optional.

Start the free briefRequest a conversation