Exit-Ready Business at $142K: Building to Sell (Even Though Not Selling)
Dani’s $142K/month agency went from 3 days away equals chaos to 3 weeks without her and a 2.8x revenue valuation using a step-by-step founder extraction roadmap.
The Executive Summary
Agency owners at the $142K/month mark waste $2.72M in potential business valuation by operating as a founder-dependent bottleneck; implementing a 10-month extraction roadmap allows for a 2.8x valuation increase and a business that thrives during a 21-day founder absence.
Who this is for: Founders and agency operators in the $100K–$200K/month range whose business cannot function for more than 3 days without their direct involvement.
The $2.72M Valuation Gap: A founder-dependent business is typically valued at a 1.2x multiple, while an extracted business commands 2.8x; for a $1.7M ARR agency, this “dependency tax” costs the founder over $2.7M in personal net worth.
What you’ll learn: The Founder-Extraction Architecture—a three-layer system consisting of Client Relationship Transfer (Account Leads), Decision Protocol Distribution (Authority Levels), and the Strategic Lead Installation (Founder Proxy).
What changes if you apply it: Transition from a 50-hour “firefighting” work week to an 8-hour “Board Chair” role, achieving true optionality where the business is exit-ready even if you never intend to sell.
Time to implement: 10–12 months for full validation; involves a 68-hour total founder investment to hire relationship owners, map decision protocols, and execute a 3-week “Absence Test.”
The Founder-Dependency Trap at $142K/Month
Dani’s marketing agency was generating $142K monthly with 11 clients and a 6-person team. Strong revenue. Zero exit value.
Why? Business couldn’t run without her. Every strategic decision routed through Dani. Every client escalation needed her input. Every team question required her approval.
The test: Take a 3-week vacation.
Result: 4 client fires to put out on the first day back. The team is paralyzed without direction. Revenue dropped $18K during her absence ($216K annually if she ever got sick).
Here’s what that founder-dependency was actually costing her.
Dani, marketing agency (content + paid ads + SEO), $142K monthly revenue.
The problem in numbers:
Current valuation: 1.2× annual revenue = $2.05M (founder-dependent multiple)
Market valuation (founder-extracted): 2.8× annual revenue = $4.77M
Valuation gap: $2.72M lost value from dependency
Business continuity risk: Can’t be absent >3 days without a revenue impact
Team capacity: 6 people, but all routed through Dani (bottleneck)
Why it mattered:
Can’t sell (buyers discount 60% for founder-dependency)
Can’t take time off (business stops without her)
Can’t scale (she’s the constraint)
No optionality (trapped in business)
Estate risk (if something happens, business value = $0)
What caused it: No founder-extraction systems. Dani held all client relationships, all strategic decisions, all quality gates, and all team coordination. The team could execute tasks, but couldn’t run the business. Revenue attached to her presence.
What Dani tried:
Hired COO to “run things”: Paid $9,500/month. COO asked Dani for approval on everything. No extraction achieved. Became an expensive assistant.
Documented everything in the operations manual: 127-page manual. The team didn’t reference it. Still asked Dani questions. The manual didn’t transfer decision-making.
Created “leadership team” of 3 people: Weekly meetings to “empower team.” The team made recommendations, and Dani made decisions. No authority transferred.
None worked. Business is still 100% founder-dependent.
The cost: Current valuation $2.05M vs. founder-extracted valuation $4.77M = $2.72M gap.
Plus: trapped in business, zero time flexibility, constant burnout risk.
10-month founder-extraction build. Transferred client relationships to account leads. Built decision protocols. Installed strategic lead. Tested with a 3-week absence.
Result: Business ran perfectly, valuation 2.8× ($4.8M). From trapped to optionality. Here’s the complete roadmap.
This case uses The Exit-Ready Business, The Delegation Map, and The 30-Hour Week. Here's how the pieces stacked to create founder-extracted value.
The 10-Month Build That Created $2.7M Valuation Increase
Here’s exactly what Dani did month-by-month to extract herself from operations while maintaining $142K revenue and increasing valuation 2.3×.
Timeline overview:
Phase 1 (Months 1-3): Client Relationship Transfer
Hired 2 account leads to own client relationships
Transferred all 11 clients to account leads
Tested client satisfaction post-transfer
Result: Client retention 100%, Dani removed from daily contact
28 hours total investment
Phase 2 (Months 4-6): Decision Protocol Installation
Created 6 decision protocols (client, operations, finance, hiring, quality, strategy)
Transferred 85% of decisions to the team
Installed weekly review (not daily approval)
Result: Team operating autonomously
22 hours total investment
Phase 3 (Months 7-9): Strategic Lead Installation
Promoted account lead to strategic lead ($8,200/month)
Transferred business operations to the strategic lead
Dani's role: Board chair (strategy only, 8 hours weekly)
Result: Business runs without Dani’s daily presence
18 hours total investment
Phase 4 (Month 10): 3-Week Absence Test
Dani has been absent for 21 consecutive days
Business performance: Revenue $144K (up 1.4%)
Client satisfaction: 8.9/10 (up from 8.7)
Team functioning: 100% (zero escalations to Dani)
Result: Founder-extraction validated
0 hours (she was absent)
Total investment: 68 hours over 10 months.
Result: Valuation $2.05M → $4.8M (+134%) with zero revenue loss.
Month 1-3: Client Relationship Transfer Phase
Dani didn’t hire random team members. She hired relationship owners.
Month 1, Week 1-2: Account Lead Hiring
Most agencies hire “account managers” who manage tasks. Dani hired “account leads” who own relationships.
Account Lead Role Requirements:
Own complete client relationship (Dani never touches)
Make client-facing decisions (budget, timeline, scope)
Lead internal team on client projects
Run client calls independently
Handle escalations (don’t route to Dani)
Hired 2 account leads:
Maya: 7 years of agency experience, previously ran an 8-client book. $6,500/month
Jordan: 5 years of agency experience, owned client relationships at previous agency. $6,200/month
Account leads ≠ project managers. Project managers coordinate. Account leads own.
Key interview question: “Walk me through how you’d handle a client requesting rush delivery with no budget increase.”
Wrong answer: “I’d check with leadership first.”
Right answer: “I’d assess impact, quote premium pricing, or negotiate scope reduction—then inform leadership of the decision.”
Month 1, Week 3-4: Client Transfer Protocol
Transferred 11 clients to 2 account leads (Maya: 6 clients, Jordan: 5 clients).
Transfer sequence per client:
Dani announces: “I’m transitioning you to [Account Lead], who will be your primary contact. They own your account completely.”
3-way intro call: Dani + Account Lead + Client (30 minutes)
Week 1: Account Lead shadows Dani on client calls (observes only)
Week 2: Dani shadows Account Lead (Account Lead runs calls)
Week 3: Account Lead solo (Dani off all calls)
Week 4: Dani check-in with client (how’s transition?)
Client response tracking:
All 11 clients asked the same question: “Will Dani still be involved?”
Dani’s answer: “I’m moving to strategic oversight. [Account Lead] will handle everything day-to-day. I’ll be in quarterly business reviews, but they’re your go-to.”
Results after Month 3:
11 clients transferred (100% complete)
Client retention: 11/11 (100%)
Client satisfaction: 8.7/10 (unchanged from before transfer)
Dani has been removed from daily client contact
Account leads handling 90% of client interactions
Time freed for Dani: 22 hours weekly (from 50 hours to 28 hours)
Month 4-6: Decision Protocol Installation Phase
Removing Dani from client calls freed time. But the team still routed all decisions through her.
Month 4, Week 1-2: Decision Mapping
Dani tracked every decision that came to her for 2 weeks. 146 total decisions. Categorized into 6 types:
Client Decisions (48 decisions):
Budget approvals/changes
Timeline negotiations
Scope modifications
Quality gates
Escalations
Operations Decisions (37 decisions):
Resource allocation
Workflow priorities
Tool purchases
Process changes
Financial Decisions (22 decisions):
Vendor payments
Pricing adjustments
Expense approvals
Contractor rates
Hiring Decisions (15 decisions):
Role approvals
Candidate selection
Compensation setting
Terminations
Quality Decisions (14 decisions):
Work review/approval
Standard setting
Client deliverable sign-off
Strategic Decisions (10 decisions):
New service offerings
Market positioning
Major investments
Business model changes
Key insight: 136 of 146 decisions (93%) could be made by account leads or the team with proper protocols. Only 10 (7%) required Dani’s strategic input.
Month 4, Week 3-4: Protocol Creation
Created 6 decision protocols with clear authority levels:
Protocol 1: Client Decisions
Account lead authority: Budget changes <15% project value, timeline adjustments ±5 days, scope modifications <10% project value
Escalation to Dani: Budget >15%, timeline >5 days, scope >10%, client threatening to leave
Review: Weekly (Dani reviews decisions made, doesn’t pre-approve)
Protocol 2: Operations Decisions
Account lead authority: Resource allocation within team, workflow priorities, tool purchases <$500/month
Escalation to Dani: Major process overhauls, tool purchases >$500/month, cross-team conflicts
Review: Weekly
Protocol 3: Financial Decisions
Account lead authority: Routine vendor payments, expense approvals <$2,000, contractor hours within budget
Escalation to Dani: New vendors >$5K annually, expenses >$2,000, budget overruns
Review: Monthly financial review
Protocol 4: Hiring Decisions
Account lead authority: Contractor hiring <$5K/month, role definition, candidate screening/interviews
Escalation to Dani: Full-time hires, compensation >$6K/month, terminations
Review: Hiring decisions approved before offers (not escalated)
Protocol 5: Quality Decisions
Account lead authority: Work review against 8-point quality checklist, client deliverable approval if 7/8 or 8/8 pass
Escalation to Dani: Quality score <7/8, client quality complaints, pattern of issues
Review: Spot-check 2 projects monthly per account lead
Protocol 6: Strategic Decisions
Reserved for Dani: New services, market positioning, major investments >$25K, business model changes
No delegation: These remain founder decisions
Review: Quarterly strategic planning
Month 5-6: Protocol Testing + Refinement
Tested protocols for 8 weeks. Tracked escalations.
Week 1-4 (Month 5):
Total decisions: 312
Escalated to Dani: 38 (12% escalation rate)
Target: <10%
Over-escalation analysis: Account leads escalating routine decisions (nervous about authority).
Fix: Dani responded to unnecessary escalations: “This is within your protocol. Make the call.” Pushed decisions back.
Week 5-8 (Month 6):
Total decisions: 298
Escalated to Dani: 21 (7% escalation rate)
Target achieved
Results after Month 6:
6 decision protocols operational
93% of decisions made by account leads/team
7% escalated to Dani (only true exceptions)
Dani’s decision load: 42 decisions monthly (vs. 292 before)
Time freed for Dani: Additional 8 hours weekly (28 hours → 20 hours)
Month 7-9: Strategic Lead Installation Phase
Account leads owned clients and made decisions. But someone needed to run the business.
Month 7, Week 1-2: Strategic Lead Promotion
Dani promoted Maya (top-performing account lead) to Strategic Lead.
Strategic Lead Role:
Runs daily business operations
Manages account leads and team
Makes 95% of business decisions
Escalates only strategic exceptions to Dani
Compensation: $8,200/month (from $6,500)
Why Maya: Demonstrated decision-making quality, owned 6 clients successfully, team respected her, wanted more responsibility.
Backfilled Maya’s 6 clients: Hired new account lead (Sage, $6,500/month) to take Maya’s client load.
Month 7, Week 3-4: Operations Transfer
Transferred business operations from Dani to Maya:
Maya now owns:
Weekly team coordination
Account lead performance management
Financial oversight (P&L review, budget management)
Hiring pipeline (recruiting, interviews, offers)
Client pipeline (sales calls, proposals, onboarding)
Vendor relationships
Process improvement
Dani now owns:
Quarterly strategic planning
Annual business model review
Major investments (>$25K)
Crisis management (if Maya escalates)
Board chair role (8 hours weekly)
Dani’s new schedule:
Monday 9-11 am: Weekly strategic meeting with Maya (2 hours)
Wednesday 2-4 pm: Client quarterly reviews (as needed, 2-3 monthly)
Friday 9-11 am: Financial review + planning (2 hours)
Monthly: 4-hour strategic planning session
Total: 8-10 hours weekly (down from 50 hours)
Month 8-9: Strategic Lead Calibration
First 2 months with Maya running operations.
Month 8 reality check:
Week 1: Maya made 67 decisions, escalated 8 to Dani (12% escalation rate)
Week 2: Maya made 71 decisions, escalated 6 to Dani (8%)
Week 3: Maya made 69 decisions, escalated 5 to Dani (7%)
Week 4: Maya made 64 decisions, escalated 4 to Dani (6%)
Escalation trending down = Maya building confidence.
Month 9 stability:
Consistent 5-6% escalation rate. Maya is handling 94-95% of decisions independently.
Business performance during Maya’s leadership:
Revenue: $142K maintained (0% change)
Client retention: 11/11 (100%)
Team stability: 0 turnover
Client satisfaction: 8.8/10 (up from 8.7)
Delivery quality: On-time 91% (vs. 89% before)
Maya ran better operations than Dani (fresh perspective, less overwhelm).
Results after Month 9:
Strategic lead operational
Business runs without Dani’s daily presence
Dani is working 8 hours weekly (84% reduction from 50 hours)
Revenue maintained at $142K
Month 10: The 3-Week Absence Test
Final validation: Can the business run without the founder for an extended period?
The test: Dani was absent for 21 consecutive days (no email, no calls, no check-ins).
Month 10, Week 1:
Dani announced to the team: “I’m unavailable for 3 weeks. Maya runs everything. Emergency only: call my husband (he’ll reach me). Otherwise, Maya decides.”
Day 1-7 results:
Revenue: $36K (weekly target: $35.5K)
Client escalations: 0
Team escalations to Maya: 14 (handled internally)
Emergency calls to Dani: 0
Week 2:
Revenue: $35K (on target)
New client signed: $8,500/month contract (Maya closed)
Client escalation: 1 (scope negotiation, Maya handled)
Emergency calls to Dani: 0
Week 3:
Revenue: $37K (above target)
Team issue: Contractor missed deadline (Maya managed)
Client issue: Quality concern on deliverable (Maya fixed)
Emergency calls to Dani: 0
3-Week Total:
Revenue: $108K (vs. $106.5K target, +1.4%)
Clients retained: 11/11
Client satisfaction (surveyed): 8.9/10 (up from 8.7)
Team functioning: 100%
Founder interventions: 0
Test result: PASSED
Business not only survived without Dani—it improved. Revenue up. Satisfaction up. Zero crises.
Dani’s return debrief with Maya:
“What was hardest while I was gone?”
“Nothing major. I made 3 decisions I second-guessed, but they turned out fine. The team functioned normally. Clients didn’t ask about you.”
That last line = founder extraction complete.
The Founder-Extraction Framework Extracted
Here’s the replicable system for building an exit-ready business without exiting.
The core insight: Exit-ready ≠ planning to sell. Exit-ready = optionality. You can sell, take time off, scale without a founder bottleneck, or keep running forever—your choice.
Founder-extraction architecture:
Layer 1: Client Relationship Transfer
Clients owned by account leads (not the founder)
Account leads run all client interactions
The founder is never in daily client contact
The transfer protocol prevents a drop in satisfaction
Layer 2: Decision Protocol Distribution
90%+ decisions made by team (not founder)
Clear authority levels per decision type
Escalation only for true exceptions
Weekly review (not daily approval)
Layer 3: Strategic Lead Installation
One person runs daily business operations
Strategic lead manages all teams/decisions
Founder moves to board chair (8-10 hours weekly)
Strategic lead = founder proxy
Why this works mechanically:
Founder-dependent business: Revenue attached to the founder's presence. Founder absent = revenue risk. Valuation multiple: 1.0-1.5× revenue.
Founder-extracted business: Revenue attached to systems/team. Founder absent = business continues. Valuation multiple: 2.5-3.0× revenue.
Math: Same $142K monthly revenue.
Founder-dependent valuation: $142K × 12 × 1.2 = $2.05M.
Founder-extracted valuation: $142K × 12 × 2.8 = $4.77M.
Valuation increase: $2.72M from extraction alone.
The 3-week absence test:
Gold standard for founder extraction: Can the business run 3 weeks without a founder?
If yes → Exit-ready (buyers believe business continues post-acquisition) If no → Founder-dependent (buyers discount heavily)
3-week test validates:
Client relationships transferred (clients don’t need the founder)
Decision systems installed (team doesn’t need founder approval)
Strategic lead operational (someone runs the business besides the founder)
The Three Critical Moves That Made It Work
These 3 moves increased the valuation by $2.7M without revenue growth.
Move 1: Hire relationship owners (account leads), not task managers
Most agencies hire “account managers” who coordinate tasks but don’t own relationships. Dani hired “account leads” who own the complete client experience.
Account manager (typical):
Coordinates projects
Updates clients on progress
Escalates decisions to the founder
Executes founder’s direction
Account lead (Dani’s model):
Owns client relationships
Makes client decisions (budget, timeline, scope)
Runs client calls independently
Handles escalations without the founder
Why this matters:
Account managers reduce founder’s execution load but don’t transfer relationships. Clients still see the founder as the “real” owner.
Account leads transfer relationship ownership. Clients see the account lead as the primary contact. Founder becomes background figure.
The build:
Week 1: Hired Maya and Jordan as relationship owners ($6,200-6,500/month each)
Week 2: Trained on decision authority (not just task execution)
Week 3-6: Transferred all 11 clients using a 4-week protocol
Month 3: Client retention 100%, satisfaction maintained
Time investment: 28 hours (hiring + transfer). Result: Dani was removed from daily client contact.
Implementation checklist:
Rewrite “account manager” role as “account lead” (relationship owner)
Hire for decision-making capability (not just coordination skills)
Pay premium for ownership mindset ($6K-7K/month vs. $4K-5K for coordinators)
Train on decision authority from day 1
Use 4-week transfer protocol per client (announce → shadow → reverse shadow → solo)
Track client satisfaction post-transfer (target: maintain or improve)
Remove yourself from daily client calls completely
Move 2: Install decision protocols before the strategic lead (not after)
Most founders try to hire a “COO” or “operations lead” first, then transfer decisions. Fails because:
No decision boundaries defined (COO asks for approval on everything)
No team readiness (team still routes to the founder)
COO becomes an expensive assistant (not operator)
Dani installed decision protocols first (Months 4-6), then promoted strategic lead (Month 7) into the operational system.
Why sequence matters:
Wrong sequence: Hire strategic lead → Try to transfer decisions → Strategic lead uncertain → Routes everything to founder → Extraction fails
Right sequence: Install protocols → Team makes 90% decisions → Promote strategic lead → Strategic lead manages operational system → Extraction succeeds
The build:
Month 4: Mapped all decisions (146 total over 2 weeks)
Month 4: Categorized into 6 types (client, operations, finance, hiring, quality, strategic)
Month 4: Created authority levels for each type (team decides X, escalates Y)
Month 5-6: Tested protocols, refined based on escalation patterns
Month 7: Promoted Maya to strategic lead (into operational system)
Time investment: 22 hours (mapping + protocols + testing). Result: 93% decisions made by the team before the strategic lead promotion.
Implementation checklist:
Track every decision that comes to you for 2 weeks (categorize by type)
Identify which decisions require your strategic input (5-10%)
Create authority levels for the remaining 90-95% (team can decide)
Write protocols: “Team decides X. Escalates Y to the founder.”
Test for 8 weeks, track escalation rate (target: <10%)
Refine protocols based on unnecessary escalations
Then hire/promote a strategic lead into the operational system
Move 3: Test founder extraction with 3-week absence (not assumptions)
Most founders assume extraction worked because “the team seems fine.” Dani validated with a 3-week absence.
Why test matters:
Assumption: “I think the team could run without me.” Reality: Hidden dependencies surface when the founder is actually absent
Test reveals:
Which decisions are still routed to the founder
Which clients ask for the founder
Which team members are uncertain without the founder
Which systems break under stress
The build:
Month 10: Announced 3-week absence (21 consecutive days)
Set expectation: Maya runs everything, emergency only through husband
Tracked: Revenue, client satisfaction, team escalations, crises
Result: Business performed better without Dani (revenue +1.4%, satisfaction +0.2 points)
Time investment: 0 hours (Dani was absent). Result: Founder extraction validated.
Implementation checklist:
Plan 3-week absence (not just “long weekend”)
Announce to team: [Strategic Lead] runs everything
Set emergency contact (spouse/partner, not you directly)
Turn off email/Slack (truly absent, not “checking in”)
Track metrics: Revenue, client satisfaction, team escalations, crises
Compare to baseline: Did business maintain/improve?
Return debrief: What broke? What worked? What surprised the team?
The Hidden Problems Nobody Tells You
Here’s what Dani hit that wasn’t in the plan—and how she solved each.
Problem 1: Clients asked, “Is Dani still the owner?” during transfers
Month 2: Every client asked the same question during the transfer intro call.
Dani’s instinct: Reassure clients she’s still involved daily. Wrong—reinforces dependency.
The fix: Clear positioning: “I’m moving to strategic oversight. [Account Lead] handles everything day-to-day. I’ll be in quarterly business reviews.”
Set expectation: Account lead is primary. Dani is in the background.
Problem 2: Account leads over-escalated in the first month
Month 4: Maya escalated 18 decisions in Week 1 (many within her protocol authority).
Why? Nervous about making “wrong” call, seeking validation.
The fix: Dani pushed decisions back: “This is within your protocol. What would you decide?” Forced Maya to make a call, then reviewed (didn’t reverse unless pattern issue).
By Week 4, Maya’s escalation rate dropped to 6%.
Problem 3: The strategic lead promotion created an account lead vacancy
Month 7: Promoted Maya to strategic lead. Her 6 clients needed a new account lead.
Dani’s concern: Transfer clients twice (Dani → Maya → new account lead) = disruption.
The fix: Hired Sage as account lead before promoting Maya. Week 1: Sage shadowed Maya on all 6 clients. Week 2: Maya introduced Sage as the new lead. Week 3: Sage solo. Smooth handoff.
Problem 4: Dani felt “useless” after the extraction
Month 8: Dani is working 8 hours weekly (vs. 50 before). Felt disconnected from business.
Identity crisis: “If business runs without me, what’s my value?”
The fix: Reframed role: Board chair = strategic direction, not operational execution. Focused 8 hours on:
Quarterly planning (growth strategy)
Financial optimization (margin improvement)
New service development
Acquisition opportunities
Higher-leverage work, not lower involvement.
Problem 5: A 3-week absence revealed that Dani was checking email secretly
Month 10, Day 3: Dani “just checked” email “to make sure nothing urgent.”
Self-sabotage: If she intervenes, the test is invalid.
The fix: Accountability partner (her husband) changed the email password. Couldn’t check even if I wanted to. Forced true absence.
The test is only valid if truly absent.
The Before/After Transformation
Here’s what changed in 10 months.
Before Extraction (Month 0):
Revenue: $142K/month
Team: 6 people + Dani
Dani’s hours: 50 weekly (all operational)
Client contact: Dani is primary on all 11 clients
Decision flow: 95% through Dani
Absence test: 3-day vacation = 4 fires
Valuation: $2.05M (1.2× annual revenue, founder-dependent multiple)
After Extraction (Month 10):
Revenue: $144K/month (+1.4%)
Team: 8 people (Strategic Lead + 3 Account Leads + 4 team) + Dani (board chair)
Dani’s hours: 8 weekly (strategic only)
Client contact: Account leads are primary on all 11 clients
Decision flow: 7% escalated to Dani, 93% team
Absence test: 3-week absence = business improved
Valuation: $4.8M (2.8× annual revenue, founder-extracted multiple)
Financial impact:
Valuation increase: +$2.75M (+134%)
Revenue maintained: $144K (no growth needed for valuation increase)
Additional team cost: +$20,400/month (Strategic Lead + 2 Account Leads)
Margin impact: 72% → 64% (acceptable for extraction)
Founder time freed: 42 hours weekly = 2,184 annually
The 3 metrics that mattered:
3-week absence test: Business ran perfectly (gold standard passed)
Valuation multiple: 1.2× → 2.8× (+133% from founder extraction alone)
Decision autonomy: 5% → 93% (decisions made without the founder)
Optionality created:
Can sell for $4.8M (vs. $2.05M before)
Can take time off indefinitely (business runs without the founder)
Can scale further (founder not a bottleneck)
Can keep running forever (working 8 hours weekly)
Your Next Step: Build Founder Extraction in 12 Months
If you’re at $100K-200K monthly with a founder-dependent business, here’s your 12-month extraction roadmap.
This works for you if:
Revenue: $100K-200K/month (enough to fund extraction team)
Current state: Business stops when you’re absent >3 days
Team: 4+ people (need team to extract into)
Goal: Optionality (sell or keep, time off, or scale)
Your 12-month roadmap:
Months 1-3: Client relationship transfer
Week 1-4: Hire 2 account leads (relationship owners, $6K-7K/month each)
Week 5-12: Transfer all clients using the 4-week protocol per client
Investment: 30 hours over 3 months
Months 4-6: Decision protocol installation
Week 13-14: Map all decisions for 2 weeks (categorize types)
Week 15-16: Create 6 protocols (authority levels per type)
Week 17-26: Test protocols, refine based on escalations
Investment: 25 hours over 3 months
Months 7-10: Strategic lead installation
Week 27-28: Promote top account lead to strategic lead ($7K-9K/month)
Week 29-30: Transfer operations to strategic lead
Week 31-42: Calibrate strategic lead, move to board chair role (8-10 hours weekly)
Investment: 20 hours over 4 months
Months 11-12: Extraction validation
Week 43-45: Plan 3-week absence test
Week 46-48: Execute absence (21 days, truly offline)
Week 49-52: Debrief, fix any gaps, re-test if needed
Investment: 0 hours (you’re absent), 4 hours post-debrief
Total investment: 75-80 hours over 12 months.
Expected result: Valuation 2.0-3.0× revenue (vs. 1.0-1.5× before), founder working 8-10 hours weekly.
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