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Three depths of the same methodology.

One discipline, three modes of engagement. Most journeys start with the Diagnostic; some continue into a Decision Pack; some become Kairos retainers as the methodology embeds inside the operating rhythm. The label structure — Starter · Business · Advanced — runs from the lightest first application to the most committed continuous capability.

Starter
2–3 weeks · entry application

ESI Diagnostic

The first application of the methodology to a company. The standard way to begin — not a discovery call, not a proposal. A working pilot of the External Strategic Intelligence layer applied to one strategic question the leadership team is already facing.

What you get
  • External Strategic Surface Map — the four substrates that produce most of your environmental risk and opportunity, drawn explicitly.
  • Active Pattern Reading — the two to three Pattern Library entries currently active in your configuration, with mechanism and signals named.
  • Strategic Blind Spot Memo — the structural truths the current internal frame is making invisible.
  • One Decision Brief — one named choice expanded into 3–7 options with explicit choice mechanics, risk, reversibility.
  • No-Regret Move Track — actions that perform across multiple plausible scenarios.
  • Next-Cycle Recommendation — stop, deepen to a Decision Pack, or install Kairos.
When it fits

You are facing one strategic question and want the methodology applied to it before committing further. You want a low-risk, decision-shaped first contact with the layer — not a workshop, not a slide deck, an actual decision brief.

Order a Diagnostic →
Business
6–8 weeks · full spectrum on one question

Decision Pack

A full-spectrum application of the methodology to a single strategic question. Every canonical artifact is produced end-to-end. The decision is not just framed — it is structured, owned, and connected to a first Adaptation Loop review.

What you get
  • Full ESI Map — complete external architecture: players, flows, regulatory axes, transitions, windows.
  • Signal Constellation Feed — live stream of grouped signals with interpretation; not a news feed but a curated read.
  • Decision Brief, full pack — 3–7 options with explicit choice mechanics, risks, reversibility, expected environmental response.
  • Kairos Action Sequence — precise steps, owners, deadlines, triggers, stop criteria. Not "do strategy" but "do by the 17th."
  • Adaptation Loop, first review — measure environmental response, update the map, correct the next cycle.
  • Hidden Architecture brief — what was non-obvious, named.
When it fits

You have a strategic question that is too consequential to be decided in a single conversation. You want the full methodology applied — not a sample of it. You expect the deliverable to translate directly into named actions on a calendar, not into another deck waiting on consensus.

Scope a Decision Pack →
Advanced
Continuous · 6+ month commitment

Kairos Decision OS

The methodology installed as continuous capability inside the client operating rhythm. Not engagement, capability. The retainer is the sale of a continuous external sensor and decision layer as infrastructure — rhythm, access, and responsibility for the adaptation cycle.

What runs continuously
  • Monthly Signal Review — Cross Data + your leadership team; Signal Constellation update, micro-decisions, new signal capture.
  • Quarterly Decision Review — full-stack review of decisions made, environmental response observed, updates to the strategic surface.
  • Decision Briefs on demand — for choice points that surface between reviews.
  • Adaptation Loop, always-on — measure response, update the map, correct the next cycle.
  • Partner Pipeline Review — quarterly examination of the coordination orbit forming around the company.
  • Annual ESI Map refresh — full external architecture re-drawn against the year's environmental shift.
When it fits

The first cycle proved that external clarity is worth more than internal opinion volume. You want the layer present at the moments decisions actually get made — not as a quarterly visitor. Minimum six-month engagement; most relationships expand as the partner orbit grows.

Inquire about Kairos →

Anchor pricing is held internally. We share scope and investment in the first conversation — most engagements begin with the Diagnostic; some proceed to a Decision Pack or Kairos when a leverage point surfaces that warrants sustained attention.

— See the methodology in public form

Before engaging, read Public ESI Application 01: MacPaw — the same six-stage methodology applied end-to-end to a publicly observable company, with five predictions later validated by MacPaw's own CSR 2025 disclosure.

Open the MacPaw case →
Start with one real question

Pick the strategic question your team is sitting on. We will reply within 48 hours with scope, mode, and the first conversation slot.

Order a Diagnostic →