Frameworks
Named frameworks from Subtract to Ship. Step-by-step guides you can apply today.
62 articles
The Speed-to-Architecture Transition Guide
When to stop moving fast and start building structure.
The Hire-or-Don't-Hire Decision Tree
Before you add headcount, run through this.
The Exit Signal Checklist
12 signals that your business is ready to sell, scale, or shift.
The Surface-Test-Ship Chapter Format
How every chapter in Subtract to Ship is structured. Use it for your content.
The 20-Mile March: Consistent Progress Over Time
Jim Collins's framework applied to solo founders.
The Before-and-After Framework for Testimonials
Transform boring feedback into compelling proof.
The LOFT1080 Demand Test
Test demand for workshops and events before committing resources.
The Social Proof Blueprint
Every type of social proof, ranked by impact. Build your stack.
The Content Engine: One System for All Your Marketing
Create once, distribute everywhere. The complete system.
The Empathy-Based Negotiation Framework
Win-win negotiations that protect relationships and margins.
The Lead Magnet System That Qualifies (Not Just Captures)
Most lead magnets attract freebie-seekers. Here's how to build one that identifies serious buyers and repels everyone else.
The Experience Map: Customer Touchpoint Analysis
Map every customer touchpoint to find where you're losing trust, creating friction, or missing opportunities to impress.
Kill or Commit: How to Decide on Struggling Projects
Stop keeping half-dead projects alive. The Kill or Commit framework forces a clear decision with a structured seven-question assessment.
The One-Page SOP Format That People Actually Follow
Most SOPs are too long and nobody reads them. Here's a one-page format that people actually use, with templates and real examples.
The Referral System: Deliver, Ask, Thank (Complete Guide)
A complete walkthrough of the three-step referral system that generates 40% of my consulting revenue. No awkwardness required.
The Sunday CEO Review Template and Walkthrough
A complete walkthrough of the 30-minute weekly review that keeps your business on track. Includes the full template and instructions.
The Pricing Courage Progression: 5 Stages Explained
Most founders are stuck at Stage 1 pricing. Here are the five stages of pricing courage and how to advance through each one.
The Channel Decision Matrix in Practice
Stop guessing which marketing channels to use. The Channel Decision Matrix scores each option against your specific business reality.
Building Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP Template)
A practical template for defining your ideal customer. Stop selling to everyone and start selling to the right people.
The 5-Conversation Sprint for Idea Validation
Validate any business idea in one week with five structured conversations. A fast, cheap framework that prevents building the wrong thing.
The EAOS Framework Applied to a Real Business
See the Eliminate-Automate-Outsource-Systematize framework applied step by step to a real consulting business with real results.
How to Use the Ship Trigger Decision Framework
Stop debating when to launch. The Ship Trigger framework gives you predefined conditions that make the shipping decision for you.
The Owner Dependency Audit Walkthrough
Score how dependent your business is on you with this step-by-step audit. Find where you're the bottleneck and fix it.
The Revenue Engine Mapped on One Page
Map your entire revenue system on a single page. See where money comes from, where it leaks, and what to fix first.
The Subtraction Audit: Complete Step-by-Step Guide
A detailed walkthrough of the Subtraction Audit framework. Remove what's holding your business back in five systematic steps.
The Scored Channel Decision Framework
Rank your marketing options objectively. Pick the winner.
The Instant Assessment: Your Financial Health in 5 Minutes
Three questions that reveal your business's financial reality.
The Innovation Accounting Dashboard
When traditional KPIs lie, use these instead.
The Grand Slam Offer: Packaging That Makes People Feel Stupid Saying No
An offer so good it sells itself. The framework.
The Closed World Principle for Business Innovation
The best solutions use only what's already available.
The Gap-Bridging Discovery Method
Find the gap between what exists and what's needed. Bridge it.
The Watering Hole Map: Find Where Your Customers Gather
Stop guessing. Map the places your ideal customers already spend time.
The Task Unification Framework
Make existing resources do double duty. Innovation through constraint.
The Remarkable Moments Framework
Design moments in your customer experience that people talk about.
The Four Growth Levers Every Business Has
Traffic, conversion, price, frequency. Improve one, change everything.
The Sales Identity Card: Redefine What Selling Means to You
Change your relationship with sales. Start with your identity.
The Fachberater Identity: Consulting the Austrian Way
Not a guru. A trusted expert. The DACH cultural model for advisors.
The Experience Map Template
Every customer touchpoint mapped. Emotions, actions, opportunities.
The Velocity Principle Applied to Marketing
More experiments, faster. The growth team's operating system.
The Experience Cycle: Map Your Customer's Journey
Every touchpoint. Every emotion. Every opportunity.
The Allocation Thesis: 5% Build, 95% Distribute
Most founders spend 95% building and 5% distributing. Reverse it.
Innovation Accounting for Startups
When traditional metrics mislead, use these instead.
The Value Equation: Why Your Price Isn't About Your Cost
Dream outcome x perceived likelihood / time x effort. The formula.
The Trojan Horse Test: Is Your Content Valuable Enough to Share?
If people wouldn't share it without the sales pitch, it's not good enough.
The Referral System: Deliver, Ask, Thank
Three steps to systematic referrals. No awkwardness required.
The Path Chooser: Seven Questions About Your Future
Stay small, grow, or sell? A structured exploration.
The Lead Magnet System That Actually Converts
Not a random PDF. A system that attracts and qualifies.
The Email Nurture Sequence: 5 Emails That Build Trust
The complete sequence with templates and timing.
The Sunday CEO Review Template
30 minutes weekly. The questions, the metrics, the decisions.
Kill or Commit: The Decision Framework for Struggling Projects
When to double down and when to walk away. Structured, not emotional.
The One-Page SOP Format
If your SOP is longer than one page, nobody will follow it.
Minimum Viable Experience vs Minimum Viable Product
MVE is about the outcome. MVP is about the features. Choose MVE.
The Pricing Courage Progression
Five stages from guessing to confident pricing. Where are you?
The Ideal Customer Profile Template
One page that defines exactly who you're selling to.
The 5-Conversation Sprint: Validate in a Week
Five conversations. Five questions. Clear answers about your idea.
EAOS Framework: Eliminate, Automate, Outsource, Systematize
The decision tree for every process in your business.
The Channel Decision Matrix for Founders
Score your marketing channels. Pick one. Master it.
Customer Profile Template: One Page, One Person
Download the template. Fill in the gaps. Know your customer.
The Owner Dependency Audit Step by Step
Score your business. Find where you're the bottleneck.
The Ship Trigger: How to Know When You're Ready
A framework for deciding when to launch. Hint: sooner than you think.
The Revenue Engine on One Page
Leads x Conversion x Price x Repeat. Map your entire business.
The Subtraction Audit: A Complete Guide
Remove what doesn't serve the goal. Here's the step-by-step process.