The Decision Diagnostic guarantee.
We run a 14-day Decision Diagnostic for a fixed fee. By Day 14, one of three things is true, measured at the Day 14 readout, not on a later date: at least 3x the Diagnostic fee in owner-accepted value identified, a strategic finding of equivalent materiality, or you pay nothing. We guarantee findings in dollars. We never guarantee a sale price or a multiple, because we do not control the market.
Three ways the guarantee resolves.
- The dollar path.
At least 3x the Diagnostic fee in quantified, owner-accepted value, named in writing by Day 14. Recoverable cash, recoverable margin, or avoided cost, each with a named path to capture it. This is the path most Diagnostics hit, and the typical result runs 5x to 10x.
- The strategic finding.
If no dollar path exists at the required scale, a strategic finding of equivalent materiality confirmed in writing may substitute. A concentration risk nobody had priced, a product line the rest of the business is quietly funding, or a pricing architecture change that materially resets the earnings.
- Full refund.
If neither of the above is true at the Day 14 readout, you pay nothing. No argument, no conditions, no second look.
What “owner-accepted value” means.
Owner-accepted value is what the Diagnostic surfaces, in dollars, with a named path the owner signs off on. It falls into one of three categories:
- Recoverable cash: funds a decision can stop, redirect, or capture at current volume
- Recoverable margin: pricing, mix, and allocation upside sitting inside decisions nobody has re-run
- Avoided cost: a commitment on a path to compound that gets caught before it does
Naming the number and the path is what the Diagnostic is paid for. Capturing the number is what the 90-Day Resolution and the Decision Partnership are paid for. The Diagnostic guarantee measures the naming, not the capturing.
Who the guarantee fits.
Owner-led operating companies with $5M to $50M in revenue. Revenue is growing, profit is flat or lumpy, and nobody can say exactly why. You run on data and suspect the numbers are not telling you the truth.
The floor is $5M in revenue. Below that, the guarantee math does not hold and we refer out. We do not sell companies, promise a sale price, or find you a buyer.
How the Diagnostic fee applies to what comes next.
A 90-Day Decision Resolution signed within 7 days of the Day 14 readout credits 100% of the Diagnostic fee against the Resolution fee. Past Day 21, the Diagnostic fee is sunk and no credit applies. The credit window rewards speed of decision, not urgency theater.
Clients who continue to a Decision Partnership pay a monthly retainer, with fees tied to the value created. Realized Value is validated quarterly against Financial Rhythms™ methodology, not opinion.
Fixed fees by company size.
All engagements are fixed fee, banded by revenue, so the economics make sense at the company's scale before work begins.
The Decision Diagnostic (14 days): $10,000 for $5M to $8M revenue; $15,000 for $8M to $25M; $20,000 for $25M to $50M.
The 90-Day Decision Resolution: $30,000 for $5M to $8M; $45,000 for $8M to $25M; $60,000 for $25M to $50M. Diagnostic fee credits 100% if signed within 7 days of the Day 14 readout.
The Decision Partnership (monthly retainer): $7,500 per month for $5M to $8M; $10,000 for $8M to $25M; $12,500 for $25M to $50M. Fees tied to the value created, validated quarterly against methodology.
What is in the engagement letter.
Every term on this page is in the engagement letter, signed both sides before work begins. The guarantee is not stop-work. The owner keeps every deliverable produced through the Diagnostic regardless of which of the three guarantee paths the engagement resolves to. The guarantee measures against the Day 14 readout, not a follow-up period.
We don’t audit the past. We make the next call defensible.
Book 30 minutes with Russ.
No pitch. You leave knowing where to look first.
Book 30 minutes with RussDecide from the numbers. Prove it in the cash.