Committees do not buy features
They buy narratives they can defend in public: the problem in their language, a price they can explain, and proof they will not be stuck when a staff member leaves.
The one-page structure
- Name the duct tape. One paragraph: the spreadsheet, the paper chase, the night it broke. No feature list yet.
- Name the fix and the band. Map to a known build with a fixed range. Ranges beat mystery quotes.
- Answer continuity. Who runs it after launch? Who owns the data? Who answers the phone?
Signature thresholds
When you can, price the first step under the threshold that triggers a formal bid. Our Discovery Sprint ($3,500–$5,000) exists for exactly that reason — buy clarity without a 40-page deck.
What to leave out
Architecture diagrams. Vendor bake-offs with twelve criteria. AI buzzwords. Boards reward clarity, not thoroughness theater.