Advisory + Product Strategy: From Fawkes Platform to Thought Leadership

A flexible, education-focused approach leveraging your Fawkes platform and natural consultative style

Executive Summary

This strategy transforms your Fawkes platform and DevOps expertise into a sustainable advisory + product business that generates $50 K + Y e a r 1,$ 100K+ Year 2 while building toward thought leadership. The approach mirrors your successful SAIC Dojo model: combining open source platform capabilities with educational delivery to solve real client challenges.

Phase 1: Foundation & Learning (Months 1-6)

Build advisory understanding while launching platform-driven offerings

1.1 Advisory Role Education & Positioning

Understanding Advisory Types:

Strategic Advisor (Recommended for You)

Time: 4-8 hours/month per client
Format: Monthly strategic sessions, quarterly planning, ad-hoc problem solving
Compensation: $3-8K/month retainer or equity (0.25-1%)
Value: Respond to challenges, provide strategic guidance, leverage experience
Perfect fit: Your consultative style and broad industry learning interest

Fractional Executive (Optional)

Time: 1-2 days/week per client
Format: Ongoing operational involvement
Compensation: $8-15K/month
Note: Might conflict with your travel/flexibility goals

Board Advisor (Future Goal)

Time: 4-8 hours/quarter per company
Format: Quarterly board meetings, strategic guidance
Compensation: Equity-focused (0.5-2%)
Requirements: Established reputation, relevant scale experience

1.2 Fawkes Platform Repositioning Strategy

Platform Evolution Plan:

Month 1-2: Complete restructuring with focus on educational integration
Month 3-4: Create “Fawkes Learning Labs” - hands-on environments
Month 5-6: Develop assessment frameworks using platform data

Educational Integration (SAIC Dojo Model 2.0):

Interactive Learning: Teams use Fawkes while learning DORA+ methodology
Real-time Metrics: Live feedback on NPS, feature adoption, value projection
Cohort-based Discovery: Groups work through actual challenges together

1.3 Network Activation Strategy

Organic Growth Approach (Respects Your Style):

Monthly Coffee Chats: 4-5 reconnection calls with network contacts
Value-First Outreach: Share insights about broader metrics philosophy
Learning-Focused: “I’m exploring advisory work, curious about your experience”
No Sales Pressure: Focus on relationship nurturing and learning

Content Sharing Strategy:

Weekly LinkedIn Posts: Share insights from client challenges (anonymized)
Monthly Newsletter: “Beyond DORA: The Full Value Chain” - 500-1000 subscribers target
Quarterly Case Studies: Deep dives into platform + education success stories

Phase 2: Product Development & Advisory Launch (Months 4-9)

Launch core offerings while building advisory pipeline

2.1 Core Product Offerings

1. “DevOps Value Chain Assessment” ($15-25K)

Duration: 2-3 weeks, 15-20 hours total effort
Deliverables: DORA+ metrics baseline, improvement roadmap, Fawkes implementation plan
Differentiation: Goes beyond DORA to include NPS, feature adoption, business value metrics
Client Profile: Engineering leaders wanting comprehensive view of delivery performance

2. “Fawkes Learning Intensive” ($8-15K per cohort)

Format: 2-day workshop + 30-day implementation support
Participants: 8-12 engineering leaders per session
Content: Hands-on platform usage while learning metrics methodology
Revenue Model: Quarterly intensives, 4 per year target

3. “Strategic Advisory Retainer” ($5-8K/month)

Services: Monthly strategic sessions, quarterly planning, ad-hoc problem solving
Time Commitment: 6-8 hours/month per client
Target: 3-4 clients maximum for work-life balance
Focus: Respond to challenges, provide strategic guidance

2.2 Advisory Client Acquisition

Ideal Advisory Client Profile:

Company Stage: Series A/B startups or growth-stage companies (50-500 engineers)
Challenge: Scaling engineering practices while maintaining quality
Leadership: CTO or VP Engineering open to strategic guidance
Compensation: Mix of cash retainer ($3-5K/month) + equity (0.25-0.5%)

Acquisition Strategy:

Network Warm Introductions: Leverage your 1400 connections systematically
Content-Driven Leads: Prospects find you through educational content
Partner Referrals: Build relationships with VCs, executive recruiters
Speaking Opportunities: Position as expert at DevOps/CTO events

2.3 Platform Commercialization

Fawkes-as-a-Service Development:

Community Edition: Free, open source, drives adoption
Professional Edition: $500-2000/month, enhanced analytics and support
Enterprise Edition: $5-15K/month, custom integrations and advisory support

Revenue Timeline:

Months 4-6: Complete platform restructuring
Months 7-9: Launch community edition, build user base
Months 10-12: Launch professional edition with paying customers

Phase 3: Scale & Systematic Growth (Months 7-12)

Build repeatable systems and expand influence

3.1 Advisory Practice Maturation

Target Advisory Portfolio:

3-4 Strategic Advisory Clients: $5 - 8 K / m o n t h e a c h =$ 15-32K monthly recurring
2-3 Assessment Projects: $15 - 25 Ke a c h p er q u a r t er =$ 30-75K quarterly
4 Learning Intensives: $8 - 15 Ke a c h p er q u a r t er =$ 32-60K quarterly

Advisory Skill Development:

Executive Coaching Training: Enhance strategic conversation skills
Board Dynamics Course: Prepare for future board positions
Industry Analysis Skills: Develop perspective on market trends and competitive dynamics

3.2 Educational Content Systematization

Content Production Schedule:

Weekly: LinkedIn thought leadership posts
Bi-weekly: Technical blog posts with Fawkes integration examples
Monthly: “Beyond DORA” newsletter with case studies and insights
Quarterly: Major research pieces or industry analysis

Educational Platform Development:

Fawkes Academy: Online learning platform integrated with open source tool
Certification Program: “DevOps Value Chain Analysis” certification
Community Building: “Fawkes Practitioners” Slack/Discord community

3.3 Industry Presence Building

Speaking Circuit Strategy:

DevOpsDays: 2-3 local events, focus on “Beyond DORA” messaging
CTO/Engineering Leadership Events: 1-2 strategic appearances
Webinar Series: Monthly educational webinars using Fawkes platform

Partnership Development:

Tool Integrations: Connect Fawkes with popular DevOps tools
Consulting Firm Partnerships: License methodology to implementation partners
Educational Institution Relationships: Guest lectures, curriculum development

Phase 4: Thought Leadership & Scale (Months 10-18)

Establish industry authority while maintaining lifestyle goals

4.1 Open Source Leadership

Fawkes Platform Evolution:

Community Growth: Target 1000+ active users
Contributor Ecosystem: 10-20 active contributors
Industry Adoption: 3-5 case studies of significant organizational implementations

Methodology Open Sourcing:

“Value Chain DevOps” Framework: Open source methodology documentation
Assessment Templates: Free, standardized assessment tools
Implementation Playbooks: Step-by-step guides for different organizational contexts

4.2 Educational Impact Scaling

Academic Partnerships:

University Curriculum: Develop DevOps coursework using Fawkes
Research Collaboration: Partner on studies of value chain metrics effectiveness
Student Projects: Sponsor capstone projects using platform

Industry Education:

Master Class Series: Deep-dive educational programs for practitioners
Train-the-Trainer: Certify others to deliver your methodology
Conference Workshop Track: Develop signature educational content for major events

4.3 Advisory Practice Evolution

Board Position Preparation:

Board Training: Complete formal board governance training
Executive Network: Build relationships with board-level executives
Industry Expertise: Develop deep knowledge in 2-3 specific verticals

Selective Client Expansion:

Enterprise Clients: Take on 1-2 larger scope advisory relationships
International Opportunities: Explore global advisory opportunities
Cross-Industry Application: Apply DevOps insights to adjacent industries

Revenue Projections & Milestones

Year 1 Target: $50K+

Revenue Breakdown:

Advisory Retainers: $20 - 30 K (2 - 3 c l i e n t s \times$ 5-8K/month × 6-8 months)
Assessment Projects: $15-25K (2-3 projects)
Learning Intensives: $10-20K (2-3 cohorts)
Product Revenue: $5-10K (early Fawkes Professional subscriptions)

Year 2 Target: $100K+

Revenue Breakdown:

Advisory Retainers: $50 - 70 K (3 - 4 c l i e n t s \times$ 6-10K/month × 12 months)
Assessment Projects: $30-50K (4-6 projects)
Learning Intensives: $25-40K (4-6 cohorts)
Product Revenue: $15-30K (Fawkes subscriptions + certifications)

Year 3 Projection: $150K+

Revenue Expansion:

Board Positions: $25-50K (1-2 positions)
Platform Revenue: $40-60K (growing subscription base)
Educational Products: $30-50K (certifications, courses)
Advisory Premium: $50-75K (established reputation commands higher rates)

Implementation Timeline & Action Steps

Month 1-2: Foundation Setting

Week 1-2:

Complete Fawkes platform restructuring plan
Design “Beyond DORA” methodology framework
Create advisory service descriptions and pricing

Week 3-4:

Launch monthly coffee chat outreach program
Begin weekly LinkedIn content creation
Develop assessment framework templates

Week 5-8:

Complete first Fawkes Learning Lab prototype
Launch “Beyond DORA” newsletter
Identify 10-15 potential advisory prospects from network

Month 3-4: Product Development

Key Deliverables:

Complete DevOps Value Chain Assessment methodology
Finish Fawkes Learning Intensive curriculum
Launch advisory services with first 1-2 clients

Month 5-6: Market Validation

Key Milestones:

Complete first assessment project
Deliver first learning intensive
Validate advisory model with initial clients
Gather feedback and refine offerings

Quarterly Reviews

Quarter 1: Product-market fit validation Quarter 2: Revenue model optimization Quarter 3: Scale preparation and system building Quarter 4: Growth acceleration and next phase planning

Success Metrics & KPIs

Engagement Metrics

Advisory Clients: 2-3 in Year 1, 3-4 in Year 2
Assessment Projects: 2-3 per quarter by end of Year 1
Learning Intensive Participants: 50+ total by end of Year 1
Network Activation: 50+ meaningful conversations in Year 1

Platform Metrics

Fawkes Users: 100+ by Month 12, 500+ by Month 18
Community Size: 200+ practitioners by Month 12
Content Engagement: 1000+ newsletter subscribers by Month 12
Speaking Opportunities: 6+ per year by Year 2

Business Metrics

Monthly Recurring Revenue: $10K+ by Month 12
Client Retention: 80%+ advisory client retention
Referral Rate: 50%+ new business from referrals
Thought Leadership: Industry recognition, media mentions

Risk Management & Contingencies

Market Risks

Risk: Economic downturn affecting advisory spending Mitigation: Focus on ROI-demonstrable offerings, flexible pricing models

Risk: Platform adoption slower than expected Mitigation: Strong educational component drives adoption, multiple revenue streams

Operational Risks

Risk: Time management with multiple advisory clients Mitigation: Clear boundaries, systematic processes, selective client acceptance

Risk: Platform development complexity Mitigation: Phased approach, community feedback, focus on core value proposition

Competitive Risks

Risk: Larger players entering DORA+ space Mitigation: Open source strategy, educational differentiation, network effects

Risk: Advisory market saturation Mitigation: Vertical specialization, unique methodology, relationship-based growth

Long-term Vision Alignment

This strategy directly supports your broader goals:

Thought Leadership Path: Open source platform + educational content creates industry influence Community Connection: Maintains deep ties to DevOps practitioners and leaders Lifestyle Flexibility: Advisory model supports travel and life enjoyment goals Educational Impact: Combines platform development with knowledge sharing Industry Contribution: Creates tools and methodologies that help entire industry

The approach builds systematically from your current strengths while introducing new capabilities gradually. Each phase reinforces the others: platform development supports educational content, which drives advisory opportunities, which provide case studies for further platform development.

Most importantly, this strategy respects your natural consultative style—responding to client challenges rather than pushing predetermined solutions—while building the systematic business development needed for sustainable growth and industry impact.

🪴 PAR Digital Garden

Explorer

Advisory + Product Strategy