/ Method · 00
The public method is simple: name the proven model, choose the underserved market, define the edge, and lock the proof point before build expands. Same gates on Ventures and Client Services.
Decode → Adapt → Validate (RECON) → Build / Launch / Scale (RAID), or kill
Decode
Reference model
Adapt
Underserved market
Validate
RECON gates
Scale or kill
RAID · public memos
/ Terms
/ Operating stack
The studio stack we run and the defaults we install. Models are rented; harnesses and eval corpora are owned. Not every tool on every engagement.
Full hub: Operating stack memo →
Jobs-to-be-Done
RECONChristensen / Ulwick
Name the job a buyer hires a solution to do, the forces that block progress, and the outcomes that count as proof.
Exiid: Opportunity Engine, smoke offers, concierge specs
Receipt →Theory of Constraints
crossGoldratt
One bottleneck at a time: exploit before you elevate headcount or tooling.
Exiid: Brief Desk to first paid Diagnostic as the constraint
Receipt →Working Backwards (PR/FAQ)
RECONAmazon
Write the outcome and proof metric before scope expands.
Exiid: Model Transfer Evaluation artifacts
Receipt →Behavioral demand testing
RECONMom Test / Pretotyping lineage
Opinions are noise; costly actions are signal.
Exiid: Signal Ladder rungs 4 and 5
Receipt →Wardley Mapping
RECONSimon Wardley
Timing window and evolution of market components.
Exiid: Market Transfer criterion 5: timing window
Receipt →Shape Up
RAIDBasecamp
Fixed time, variable scope; appetite not estimate.
Exiid: 2 to 4 week Evaluation, 3 to 6 week validation sprints
Receipt →Kano Model
RAIDKano
Separate must-haves from delighters in MVP scope.
Exiid: Build stage artifact discipline
Receipt →North Star + AARRR
RAIDAmplitude / Pirate Metrics
One primary outcome metric; cohort instrumentation.
Exiid: Growth Architecture Minimum Instrumentation Set
Receipt →Growth loops
RAIDReforge-style doctrine
Loops compound; funnels diagnose.
Exiid: Loop Qualification Test (five criteria)
Receipt →ICE / RICE
RAIDSean Ellis / Intercom
Prioritize experiments when capital is scarce.
Exiid: Validation Engine kill lines
Receipt →Workflow-first automation
crossPattern
Automate steps, not an AI.
Exiid: Three lanes: deterministic, judgment-light, judgment-heavy
Receipt →Eval-driven promotion
crossML ops practice
Autonomy earned by evidence, revoked on suspicion.
Exiid: Autonomy Ladder L0 to L4, Approval Line
Receipt →OODA
crossBoyd
Fast observe, orient, decide, act cycles.
Exiid: Fast cycles, kill early operating norms
Receipt →Brief Desk to fit review
RECON2 to 3 business days: next steps or direct no-go with reason.
Decode to Validate (RECON) or kill
crossRECON before RAID; weak evidence stops the work.
Signal Ladder gating
RECONNo build capital below rung 4 (commitment or payment).
Concierge to automation spec
RAIDManual delivery logs become Product and AI build input.
Autonomy promotion and demotion
crossEval evidence promotes; suspicion demotes instantly.
Eval loop
crossGolden set on change, runtime checks every run, weekly drift review.
Public kill archive
crossFailed gates published with written reasons.
JTBD + outcome mapping
InstallRECONJob, forces, desired outcomes for smoke offers
Similarweb / Semrush
BenchRECONReference-model traffic and channel baselines
Paid signal for corridor scans
Crunchbase / PitchBook
BenchRECONFunding, M&A, category maturity
Figma
InstallRECONOffer flows, funnel maps, exceed-delta sketches
Notion
InstallRECONResearch memos, go/no-go packages, partner data rooms
Linear
InstallRECONIssue intake, sprint scope, kill decisions as closed issues
GitHub
RunscrossSpecs, ADRs, public kill archive source
Model-agnostic where it helps. Gated everywhere it matters.
Cursor
Primary coding harness: multi-file edits, CI-gated merges
RunsClaude
Decode, drafts, go/no-go memos, reviewed automation
RunsCodex
Bench coding + failover when Anthropic unavailable
BenchGemini
Bench for long-context research and multimodal decode
BenchOpenClaw
Heartbeat agents for always-on ops on client installs
InstallPi
Lightweight L1 assist for quick capture workflows
BenchOpenCode
CLI agent surface for headless CI and scripted lanes
InstallHermes
High-reasoning strategy and CEO-class planning tasks
BenchLogos identify tools we use or install; no endorsement implied.
Models are rented. Route by task lane, not one model for everything.
| Task | Default | Autonomy |
|---|---|---|
| Decode / research | Claude SonnetBench: GPT-4o, Gemini Pro | L1 |
| Structured extraction | Claude Haiku / GPT-4o miniBench: Gemini Flash | L2 |
| Code generation | Claude Sonnet via Cursor | L2 |
| High-stakes draft | Claude SonnetBench: Opus for hard judgment | L2 |
| Irreversible / identity-bearing | Human only | L0 |
| Embeddings / RAG | text-embedding-3-large or voyage-3Bench: Cohere embed | L4 |
| Batch enrichment | Haiku / mini at volume | L3 |
Coding harness
RunsAgent edits + typecheck + lint + unit/E2E CI before merge
Gates: CI green · Playwright on conversion paths
Receipt →Eval harness
InstallGolden set on every prompt/model change; trace comparison
Gates: 50 golden cases minimum
Receipt →Orchestration harness
InstallDurable workflows, retries, human approval nodes
Gates: n8n · Temporal · Paperclip (bench)
Receipt →Promotion harness
InstallAutonomy Ladder gates: 200 @ 98% before L3; demotion on suspicion
Gates: 200 reviewed @ 98%
Receipt →/ How the pieces fit
6 · Six installable systems
Product catalog for Client Services · Validation, Product, AI, Growth, Analytics, GTM.
Open →/ Five stages
Discover
RECON · Transfer shortlist
Validate
RECON · Go/no-go memo
Build
RAID · Live product or workflow
Launch
RAID · GTM test log
Scale
RAID · Unit economics report
/ Method in five minutes
Frameworks, tools, models, and harnesses with attribution and receipts.
How we decode proven models and choose underserved markets.
What happens in the first paid gate, artifacts, timeline, stop criteria.
Five-minute fit score before you send a brief.
When gates fail, the memos stay public, same discipline on client work.
/ After you send
Fit calls follow brief review, not a free pitch meeting. Reply within 2–3 business days: next steps or a direct no-go with the reason.
If a gate fails, work stops, and so does the billing. See the public kill archive →