The doctrine brief
Ten to fifteen pages naming what you believe, what you reject, and why your reader should care. The source file for everything else.
Investment
From $3,459
fixed fee, six-week engagement
Timeline
Six weeks, three working sessions, one doctrine document
Six weeks · two principals · one doctrine
Best for
Expert founders
Experts who are excellent at the work and invisible in the market — and want to fix the message before scaling the volume.
A six-week engagement to articulate the thesis only you can hold. We define the doctrine, the audience, and the three to five themes you can publish into for years without sounding repetitive.
What's included
- —Doctrine and point-of-view brief
- —Audience map and pillar architecture
- —Origin story and bio refresh
- —12-week editorial roadmap
Example deliverables
What actually lands in your inbox.
Audience map
Who you are writing for, what they already believe, and the gap your point of view closes.
Origin story & bio suite
Long, medium, and one-line versions of your story — for the site, the podcast intro, and the byline.
Twelve-week roadmap
The first quarter of publishing planned title by title, so momentum starts the week we finish.
Timeline
How it runs.
Six weeks, three working sessions, one doctrine document
- 01
Excavation
Three working sessions on your history, your convictions, and your customers' language.
- 02
Articulation
We draft the doctrine, then pressure-test it against objections until it holds.
- 03
Roadmap
Themes turned into twelve weeks of titles you can hand to any writer — including us.
Your part
What we need from you.
Time commitment
Around 5 hours over six weeks, concentrated in the interview and decision sessions.
- 01
Two 60-minute positioning interviews plus one working session on the thesis
- 02
Introduce us to two or three clients or peers for short perspective calls
- 03
Share existing site copy, decks, and how you currently describe the work
- 04
Decide — positioning requires you to rule things out, in writing
- 05
One round of notes on the doctrine document
After you book
What happens next.
From application to published work — the exact sequence, so nothing is a surprise.
Start the process →A reply with first impressions of your positioning and a link to a 15-minute conversation. Honest either way.
A recorded 90-minute session on your work, your buyers, and the decisions only you can make. This is where the doctrine comes from.
We write the doctrine, the category claim, and the language your market will repeat back to you.
A working session where you pressure-test and approve the positioning. Nothing ships without your signature on it.
You receive the full doctrine document and a sequenced roadmap — what to write, build, and say first — whether or not we execute it together.
Questions
Strategy,
answered.
What the work involves, how long it takes, and what we need from you. If a question isn't here, write to us — we answer every note ourselves.
Is this branding?
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No. Branding is how you look. Positioning is the argument you own — the claim your market repeats back to you, and the reason a buyer picks you over the obvious alternative.
What do I walk away with?
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A doctrine brief, an audience map, an origin story and bio suite, and a sequenced twelve-week roadmap. It's usable whether or not we execute it together.
How long does it take?
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Six weeks: a 90-minute deep interview, drafting, a decision session where you pressure-test it, then the roadmap.
Do I need positioning before ghostwriting?
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Usually, yes. If you don't know the argument you own, essays end up well-written and forgettable. Many founders start here and move into writing after.
How much of my time does this take?
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Around 4 hours: the deep interview, one notes pass, and the decision session.
Founder Positioning
Let's name the thesis only you can hold.
Mention Founder Positioning in your application and we'll come to the call with specific thoughts on your work — from $3,459, six weeks, three working sessions, one doctrine document.
Other offerings