The first step
The Growth Ceiling Evaluation
Revenue is the output of seven interlocking systems, and the constraint is almost always one or two of them sitting a stage behind the rest. Two weeks, a scored diagnosis, and a ranked 90 day plan. Typically $5K to $15K as a one time fee, confirmed before anything starts.
Why it exists
Almost every organization that calls us blames marketing
In most of them, marketing is not the binding constraint. The ceiling is more often created by a misaligned offer, an undertrained sales motion, broken attribution, or a leadership gap that no campaign can paper over.
The evaluation exists to settle which one it is before anyone spends another dollar trying to outwork the wrong problem.
Binding constraints: attribution, leadership cadence, demand engine. Illustrative output. Every engagement scores differently.
The framework
The seven systems we evaluate
Each is scored on a 1 to 5 maturity scale with evidence attached, so the conclusion is defensible to a board rather than a matter of opinion.
Positioning and category
Is the company occupying a defensible position in the market, or competing on features and price?
ICP and offer
Is the ideal customer profile sharp, and is the offer packaged for the way they buy?
Demand engine
Are inbound, outbound, partnerships, and brand each producing predictable, attributable pipeline?
Sales motion
Does the sales process match the buyer journey, with the right reps, scripts, tooling, and conversion math?
Retention and expansion
Is net revenue retention above 100%, and is there a real motion for expansion, referral, and reactivation?
Attribution and reporting
Can leadership see, at a glance, which spend produced which revenue?
Leadership and operating cadence
Is there a senior owner of the revenue system, and is the team operating on a weekly cadence tied to revenue targets?
The process
Two weeks, start to finish
- 01
Days 1 to 3 · Data and stack review
We pull the last 12 months of revenue, pipeline, marketing spend, CRM data, and reporting. We map the existing stack and identify gaps in attribution and visibility.
- 02
Days 4 to 7 · Leadership and team interviews
30 to 60 minute interviews with the CEO, head of sales, marketing lead, and operations lead. We surface where leadership believes the ceiling sits and where the team actually feels the friction.
- 03
Days 8 to 10 · Synthesis and constraint mapping
We score each of the seven systems on a 1 to 5 maturity scale, identify the binding constraints, and rank moves by revenue impact and time to value.
- 04
Days 11 to 14 · 90 day plan and presentation
We deliver a ranked 90 day plan with owners, KPIs, quick wins, and the compounding moves that unlock the next stage of growth.
The deliverable
What you leave with
- A binding constraints map across the seven systems, with a maturity score and evidence for each
- A ranked list of 3 to 5 highest leverage moves, with expected revenue impact and time to value
- A 90 day execution plan with owners, KPIs, and a weekly operating cadence
- A clear recommendation on whether a fractional CMO, a senior operator hire, or focused project work is the right next step
The recommendation is sometimes that you do not need us. That is a legitimate outcome and we say so.
Request an evaluation
Start with a 15 minute call
We confirm scope and fee before anything begins.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who is the evaluation for?
Organizations between roughly $1M and $20M in revenue where growth has slowed and the cause is genuinely unclear. It is most valuable when leadership disagrees about what the problem is.
What does it cost?
Diagnostic engagements of this kind typically run $5K to $15K as a one time fee depending on organization size and complexity. Scope and fee are confirmed on the discovery call before anything starts.
Do I have to sign a retainer afterwards?
No. The evaluation is a standalone engagement and ends with a recommendation, which is sometimes that a fractional CMO is not the right answer and a senior operator hire or focused project work is.
How much of my team's time does it take?
Roughly four to six hours in total across leadership interviews, plus data access. The rest of the work happens on our side.
What if we already know what the problem is?
Then the evaluation is fast and inexpensive confirmation, or it surfaces that the agreed problem is a symptom of a different constraint. In most organizations we evaluate, marketing is not the binding constraint even though marketing was the reason for the call.
Find the ceiling.
Two weeks to a defensible answer about what is capping growth, and a plan you can run with or without us.
Or call (727) 992-3817