The operating model outlines the full structure of the engagement: how the work is staffed, what is delivered at each stage, how it is priced, and what capabilities, assets, and outcomes are handed over to you at completion.
Operating Model
The senior thinking on every engagement sits with the partners. Akif holds editorial direction. Jawad holds the technical and strategic diagnostic. The strategic artefacts (positioning documents, narratives, voice guides, change narratives) are written by the partners directly. Ongoing production where required is delivered by a vetted network of writers, designers and operators the partners oversee. There is no account manager between you and the people setting direction. The work scales because the production layer scales.
The Engagement Arc
Phase 1
The Diagnostic Call.
Thirty Minutes.
No preparation required. Both partners are usually on the call. You describe the situation in its messy form, not the polished brief. We listen for the real problem, which is often not the stated one. By the end of the call we tell you whether we are the right practice for the work, or whether you need someone different.
Phase 2
Scope In Writing.
Within Five Working Days.
A written document covering deliverables, timeline, price, revision cycles, and the partners leading the engagement. No hourly billing. No discovery phase that quietly extends. No change orders after kickoff. You know exactly what you are buying before any work begins.
Phase 3
Week One Delivers A Real Artefact.
Not a summary. The thing itself.
By the end of week one you have a written diagnostic of the situation, a working first draft of the primary deliverable, and a schedule for the cycles that follow. The first draft is the actual artefact the engagement is for. The positioning document. The change narrative. The voice guide. Not a discovery deck. Not a research summary. The thing itself, in a form you can read and respond to.
Phase 4
Three To Four Revision Cycles.
Each with a defined purpose.
Each cycle has a defined purpose. The first sharpens the central position. The second pressure-tests against the live commercial pipeline or the operational reality. The third integrates stakeholder feedback. The fourth, where required, is a final pass for tone and consistency. Scope does not drift across cycles. Quality does.
Phase 5
Handover and execution.
Everything transferable.
You have the plan. For simple handover engagements, you receive your final deliverable and we're wrapped with a nice handshake. For ongoing engagements, such as brand building or development, you get regular reports and one-on-one meetings to make sure you're satisfied.
What Week One Delivers
A working draft of the positioning document. Audience definition, category claim, proof points, the language map for the commercial team, and the founder voice patterns we have read from your existing communications. Twelve to eighteen pages, editable, ready for response.
A written diagnostic of where the rollout has actually landed. Cohort-by-cohort adoption read. The change narrative architecture, with a first draft of the leadership message and the cohort communications underneath it. Ready for leadership review.
A working draft of the positioning. The voice guide framework with annotated examples from a live session with the founder. The messaging architecture across home page, sales call, LinkedIn and outbound. Ready for response.
Commercial Structure
Every engagement is priced as a written scope agreed before work begins. No hourly billing. No retroactive add-ons. Engagements are typically paid in two or three installments tied to delivery milestones. Diagnostic complete. Primary artefact delivered. Final handover. Retainers exist only where ongoing work is genuinely the right structure. They are scoped separately, and we will tell you when we do not think you need one.
Handover
The strategic artefacts in editable form. Positioning, narrative, voice guide, messaging architecture, change narrative, measurement framework, as relevant to the engagement.
The production templates and editorial calendars used to run the work.
A written handover document covering decisions made, decisions deferred, and the rationale behind both.
Direct introductions to specialists where ongoing capability beyond our scope is required.
Thirty minutes. You describe the situation. We tell you honestly whether we are the practice for the work, and if we are not, who we think you should be speaking to.