Who This Is For
This work is for operators who want answers, not reassurance.
At a Glance
- Role
- Independent paid media diagnostician
- Pricing
- Flat fee (no percentage of ad spend)
- Minimum
- $10,000+ monthly paid media spend
- Scope
- Forensic diagnosis of paid advertising systems, incentive alignment, and business outcomes
- Confidentiality
- NDAs standard. No public reviews or testimonials.
Strong Fit
You are a strong fit if you are:
A founder who signs payroll that depends on pipeline. Paid media is not an experiment for you. It is a capital commitment with direct financial exposure.
A VP of Marketing or CMO who presents performance data to a board that asks hard questions. You need numbers that survive scrutiny.
A COO or operations leader who inherited an agency relationship and needs to know if it is working. The reports look fine. You are not sure the business is fine.
A CFO evaluating whether paid media is a growth investment or a cost center. Budget reallocation decisions carry real financial risk and you need defensible data to make them.
A PE partner, investor, or board member who needs independent verification of portfolio company marketing performance.
In every case: paid media decisions must be defended to someone. This work provides the evidence for that defense.
Not a Fit
This is not a growth service. This is not creative testing. This is not campaign management.
This work is not the right fit if:
You are early-stage or still experimenting with paid media. Diagnosis requires established campaigns and meaningful spend to evaluate.
You are looking for a cheaper alternative to an agency. This is not a substitute for management. It is a verification of whether management is working.
You want recommendations without scrutiny. The diagnosis examines everything, including decisions you may have championed.
If this does not describe your situation, that is useful information too. Not every problem requires independent diagnosis.
What I Expect
This work requires:
- Access to real data. Not just the flattering parts.
- Willingness to examine downstream effects beyond the ad account.
- Openness to correction.
I don't require agreement. I require honesty.
The Tradeoff
You get: a written verdict backed by evidence, specific waste quantified in dollars, and recommendations you can act on or hand to your agency.
You give up: the version of the story where everything is fine.