Most Businesses Don't Have a Software Problem.
They Have a Thinking Problem.
Before you hire a developer, buy another tool, or rebuild your process from scratch — spend 90 minutes with someone who maps operational systems for a living. We'll find the real bottleneck, design a system that solves it, and tell you exactly what to build, buy, or throw away.
Why Most Consultants Get It Wrong
A 40-page slide deck with a framework you could have Googled.
A documented architecture blueprint you hand to a developer and execute.
Someone who's read about your industry from the outside.
Someone who studied your industry from the inside — interviewed operators, mapped their workflows, and built the software before recommending it.
Recommendations that create dependency on the consultant.
A system designed so you never need to call us again — unless you want to build the next one.
You're the Right Fit If...
The Operator Hitting a Ceiling
You're doing $500K–$5M in revenue. Growth has stalled not because demand dried up — but because your operations can't handle more volume. You're the bottleneck and you know it.
The Founder Before the Build
You're about to spend $20K–$100K on a software build. Before you do, you want someone to stress-test the architecture, challenge the assumptions, and tell you what you're not thinking about.
The Team Drowning in Tools
You have 6 different SaaS tools, 3 spreadsheets, and nobody knows which one is the source of truth. Every week someone copies data somewhere manually. You want it fixed — permanently.
The Leader Who Needs a Thinking Partner
You're smart. You move fast. But the problems you're solving now are systems problems, not hustle problems. You need someone who can hold the full architecture in their head and pressure-test your thinking in real time.
What a Session Actually Delivers
Every engagement is scoped before it starts. You know exactly what you're getting and what it costs before you pay anything.
Opportunity Map
Best for: Operators who need a visual proof-of-ROI before committing to a build
- Full process audit: every manual workflow mapped with time, frequency, and error cost
- ROI scoring: each workflow scored with the 10-Hours-to-10-Seconds methodology
- Before/after diagrams: visual blueprint showing current state vs. automated state
- Ranked opportunity list: top 3-5 automation targets ordered by annual savings
- Implementation roadmap: sequenced build plan with estimated costs and timeline
- ROI projection: conservative, moderate, and aggressive savings estimates
- Standalone deliverable: use it to build internally, hire us, or bring to any vendor
“We spent $4K on the map and it showed us $96K in annual waste. We would have never found that without the audit.”
Diagnostic Session
Best for: Operators who need clarity fast
- Pre-session intake questionnaire (sent 48hrs before)
- 90-minute deep-dive into your operations, tools, and bottlenecks
- Live bottleneck mapping (shared screen, documented in real time)
- Verbal architecture recommendation
- Written summary delivered within 24hrs: top 3 bottlenecks ranked by ROI impact
- 1 follow-up question answered via video within 7 days — on your schedule
Architecture Sprint
Best for: Founders making a major build or ops decision
- Everything in Diagnostic Session
- 2 additional 60-minute working sessions
- Full system architecture document (Notion deliverable)
- Current state workflow map
- Future state automation blueprint
- Tech stack recommendation with rationale
- Build sequence and dependency order
- Direct message access for questions between sessions
- Handoff-ready: formatted for a developer or internal team
Fractional Ops Advisor
Best for: Growing teams that need a systems thinker on call
- 4 hours of scheduled advisory time per month
- Unlimited questions via direct message — answered within 24 hours, guaranteed
- Monthly operations review: metrics, bottlenecks, priorities
- Vendor and tool evaluations on demand
- Build oversight: review developer work, catch architectural mistakes
- Hiring advisory: define technical roles and evaluate candidates
- Optional: present findings to leadership team or investors
- Quarterly strategic roadmap session
Equity advisory reviewed for early-stage founding teams. Reach out to discuss.
Apply for AdvisoryThe Research Advantage
“I didn't build PropAuto because I managed properties. I built it because I talked to property managers until I understood their pain better than most of them could articulate it. Then I mapped the workflow, built the fix, and kept iterating until the software was actually useful — not just functional. That's how I approach every problem I consult on.”
— Chrishawn Douglas-Owens, Founder
Deep Research Before Any Recommendation
I don't walk into an engagement with pre-built answers. I ask the questions nobody else is asking — about what actually breaks, what the team works around daily, and what the software was supposed to do but doesn't. Most bottlenecks are invisible until you map the full workflow.
Architecture Before Tools
The wrong instinct is to reach for a tool. The right instinct is to map the system first — what goes in, what comes out, where it slows down, and where it breaks. Once the architecture is clear, the right tools are obvious. Skip this step and you buy software that creates new problems.
Iteration Until It's Actually Useful
A blueprint that isn't tested against reality is just a document. Every system I design gets stress-tested against the real workflow — what happens when data is missing, when the user doesn't follow the process, when volume doubles. That's how you build something people actually pay for.
The Same Thinking, Applied to Real Problems
These aren't client pitches. They're examples of the research, diagnosis, and architecture process applied to production systems.
PropAuto
The problem wasn't obvious: property managers weren't complaining about “reporting software.” They were complaining about losing 4 days a month to a spreadsheet.
Diagnosis: 6 manual steps. 5 were pure data movement with zero decision-making. Architecture: Ingest CSV → auto-generate branded PDF → deliver to owner.
Result: 20+ hours saved per client per month. Live SaaS product.
Larri Powder Coatings
The problem was framed as a staffing problem. It was actually an architecture problem. Every workflow step that required the owner was a system design failure, not a capacity issue.
Diagnosis: The owner wasn't too busy — the system was built around him being present. Architecture: AI receptionist + automated work orders + driver dispatch.
Result: 100% of quoting automated. $11K NET in month one.
What Working Together Looks Like
You Apply
Fill out a short intake form. No sales call required first. Just the real context about your business, your bottleneck, and what you've already tried.
We Scope It
I review your intake and send back a proposed scope: session format, deliverable, price, and timeline. Fixed. No surprises.
You Approve
You pay only after reviewing and approving the scope. Milestone-based. Audit-first. Same model as every ABAS engagement.
We Work
Sessions run on your schedule. I bring the prep — your intake reviewed, your industry mapped, your likely failure points already identified.
You Leave With a Document
Every engagement ends with a written deliverable. Not slide deck inspiration. A working document you can act on the next morning.
What You Walk Away With
Every consulting engagement produces documented, actionable deliverables — not slide decks full of recommendations you'll never implement.
Market Objection Mining
Structured objection report with frequency, severity, and counter-messaging recommendations.
Pricing Page Teardown
Annotated teardown checklist with specific rewrite recommendations for every section.
Competitor Feature Mapping
Structured comparison matrix with gap analysis and positioning recommendations.
Legal & Policy Simplification
Plain-English summary with flagged risk areas for every policy document.
CRM Cleanup & Tagging
Cleaned dataset with suggested tags, normalized fields, and dead lead flags.
Meeting → Action Extraction
Structured action items: owner, task, deadline, dependencies — not a summary.
Job Description Reality Check
Rewritten JD with clear expectations, realistic requirements, and screening questions.
Vendor Comparison Report
Pros/cons report with risk assessment and final recommendation.
Recent Engagements
Larri Powder Coating
Diagnostic session → architecture sprint → full operating system. AI receptionist, algorithmic pricing engine, and automated dispatch. $11K+ NET in month one.
PropAuto
Months of operator research → workflow mapping → automated owner reporting platform. Now a live SaaS product. 20+ hours saved per client per month.
Common Questions
Most consultants give you frameworks. I give you a blueprint — documented, specific, and handoff-ready. The difference is that I also build the systems I recommend, which means I have real skin in whether the architecture actually works in production.
The Diagnostic Session exists for exactly that. $500, 90 minutes, written summary. If your question takes 10 minutes to answer, I'll tell you upfront and we'll scope something smaller.
Deep pre-session research is a non-negotiable part of my process. Before PropAuto existed, there was months of operator interviews and workflow mapping. I bring that same discipline to every engagement — I do the homework before we get on the call.
Yes — that's the Fractional Ops Advisor engagement. Minimum 3 months. Most clients stay 6–12 months while a major build or operational shift is underway.
For early-stage founding teams with the right problem and the right market, yes. Reviewed case-by-case. Apply through the audit form and flag it in your intake.
Property management, service businesses (HVAC, pest control, landscaping, auto services), high-touch SaaS, and any operator-led business doing $250K–$10M in revenue where the founder is the operational bottleneck.
That's the natural next step. Consulting fees apply 100% toward a build contract if you move forward with ABAS within 30 days. No double-charging.
You Don't Need More Information.
You Need a Better Map.
One session with the right thinker changes the direction of the next 12 months. If you're operating at the level where that's worth $500, let's talk.
Book a Diagnostic Session — $500Scoped before you pay. Written deliverable guaranteed. Consulting fee credited toward any build contract within 30 days.