The Clarity Sprint
A fixed-fee diagnosis of the problem that keeps coming back
Most organizations don't fail for lack of solutions. They fail because they spend time and money on the wrong problem — and only find out afterward.
The Clarity Sprint finds what's actually driving the situation before you commit resources to fixing it.
A fixed-scope engagement that takes one persistent or ambiguous problem and works out what's causing it. Not advice by the hour. Not a strategy retainer. One problem, one diagnosis, one report — with a fee agreed before any work begins.
The Sprint stops before implementation. That's deliberate. You finish with a decision you can defend, not a project you've been talked into.
What it is
Two Ways to Use the Workflow
What you walk away with
A problem statement you approve before analysis begins. The stated problem is often not the real one. You review and sign off on the framing first, so the diagnosis answers a question you actually care about.
The assumptions and constraints, made explicit. What everyone believes to be true, separated from what's actually been established.
Root-cause hypotheses, tested and prioritized. Not a list of possibilities. A ranked account of what's most likely driving the problem, with the evidence behind each.
Solution options, grouped by effort and time horizon. What could be done quickly, what needs real investment, what depends on something else first.
A recommendation on where to start — and what to leave alone. Knowing what not to do yet is often the more valuable half.
What this looks like in practice
The paint pump · Midwest paint and coatings manufacturer
A real engagement, before the Clarity Sprint took its current form.
The problem. A new industrial pump ran perfectly in the lab but clogged constantly in the field.
What everyone assumed. A mechanical design flaw. The engineers were confident enough that they were preparing to crowdsource a redesign to outside solvers.
What the diagnosis found. One question: were the lab and field conditions identical? They weren't. Lab testing ran in summer at mid-seventies; field work in autumn, rarely above sixty. The paint thickened as the temperature dropped and choked the pump. A formulation change fixed it.
What it would have cost. Tens of thousands in platform fees and prize money, six months of elapsed time — and a newly redesigned pump that would have clogged the same way.
Northstar Home Repair · Residential contractor, MetroWest MA
A fictional case, built to show the full Sprint deliverable.
The problem. Revenue grew three years running to $1.9M while gross margin fell from 38% to 26%, jobs needing return visits tripled, and the owner hit 70-hour weeks.
What everyone assumed. A capacity problem. Northstar had raised rates, hired a carpenter, bought scheduling software, and marketed for better customers. Each helped briefly; none held.
What the diagnosis found. The founder-centric operating model was never redesigned as the company outgrew it. Poor job selection and owner dependency weren't separate causes — they were how that gap surfaced daily, in a loop that kept regenerating itself.
What it was already costing. At current revenue, the 12-point margin decline alone runs near $230,000 a year. The next obvious move — more capacity, more marketing — would have pushed more volume into a system already losing money on volume.
How it works
1. You describe the situation. A short intake — what's happening, what's been tried, what constrains you. Context matters more than complete information.
2. We agree on the problem statement. Before any analysis begins, you confirm the question being answered.
3. Diagnosis. Structured analysis of causes, assumptions, and constraints, with findings tested against evidence rather than intuition.
4. Report and walkthrough. You receive the written report, and we talk it through.
Typical engagement: 1-2 weeks. Fixed fee, agreed before any work begins.
Who this is for
A problem keeps coming back despite repeated fixes
A decision has stalled because nobody agrees on what's actually wrong
Leadership wants AI or automation but can't say what to apply it to first
Resources are tight enough that fixing the wrong thing isn't recoverable
Small businesses, independent professionals, advisors, and mission-driven organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this traditional consulting?
Not in the usual sense. The scope, deliverables, and fee are defined before work starts, and the engagement ends when the diagnosis is delivered — no open-ended advisory hours.
Is this just AI?
No. AI supports the analysis inside a defined process, but every conclusion is reviewed and owned by me. The AI tools help me work faster.
How is this different from brainstorming?
Brainstorming generates ideas. The Sprint starts with diagnosis. Options come only after the causes and constraints are clear.
Do we need technical expertise?
No. The process is built for business leaders and teams, not specialists.
What kinds of problems suit it?
Persistent operational issues, decisions stalled under uncertainty, cross-functional disagreement, and situations where previous fixes haven't held.