Most of the people a founder or senior manager talks to about their work have an interest in the outcome. Staff want reassurance. Investors want returns. Advisors with equity want growth. A conversation with someone who has no stake in what you decide is a different kind of conversation.
01 What the monthly call is for
The advisory conversation format is not coaching and not therapy. It is a structured thinking session. The client sets the agenda each month based on what is actually on their mind. We ask questions, reflect back what we hear, and occasionally offer a perspective from outside the situation.
The value is not in the advice. It is in the discipline of having to articulate your thinking to someone who will ask you to be more precise. Most people think more clearly when they have to explain their reasoning out loud to a person who is paying attention.
02 What it is not
It is not a retainer that expands to fill available time. One hour a month is the format, and it stays one hour. It is not a relationship where we develop an opinion about what the client should do and advocate for it over time. The agenda is the client's.
It is also not a substitute for the other types of engagement. If a situation arises during an advisory conversation that requires a written diagnosis or a facilitated session, that is a separate conversation about a separate engagement.
03 Who it suits
The format works best for people who are already thinking clearly about their work and want a regular external check on that thinking. It is less useful for people who are looking for someone to tell them what to do. If you are not sure which describes you, the first call will make it clear.
The format tends to suit people who are already doing the thinking and want somewhere to put it. It gives no legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not promise a particular result.