Black Shard/ Approach
How an engagement runs.
Three engagement shapes. One approach, adapted. Four stages, named artefacts at each, fixed scope, fixed commercial frame, an outcome-linked component that settles on the numbers we set in scoping.
M-001 / Three shapes
Embed.
Portfolio.
The four stages below run for every shape. Build ships a scope-locked system end-to-end. Embed runs the same stages on a longer cycle, with our operators inside the team. Portfolio runs the stages alongside founders, with equity in lieu of fee where appropriate.
S-001
Scoping
We sit with the CFO, the CIO, and the head of the function whose work the system will touch. We name the before-state in numbers, the after-state in numbers, and the operating cost the engagement is worth.
- Output
- Signed scope. Fixed fee. Outcome-linked schedule. Named owner each side.
B-002
Build
Software written against the customer's stack and data. Integrations, workflow logic, and applied AI where it earns its place. Weekly demo against the named outcome. The same operators who scoped the work write it.
- Output
- Tested system in the customer environment. Runbooks. Trained operator inside the customer team.
P-003
In production
We stay through the first 90 days the system runs against live numbers. Incidents triaged, edge cases cleaned up, fast iterations as the workflow lands.
- Output
- Signed acceptance against the scoping numbers. A working operator who owns the system without us.
R-004
Outcome review
A reading of the system against the numbers we named in scoping. The outcome-linked component of the fee settles here. Either it did what we said it would, or it didn't, and we name the variance.
- Output
- Review document. Settled commercial position. Decision: extend, embed, or close.