Start-Right-30: The Smartest Way to Start Any Major Initiative
You have to define the initiative anyway. Do it once, do it properly, and eliminate as many failure points as possible in the first 30 days.
Every large initiative goes through a definition phase. The only question is whether you treat it as a loose collection of workshops and slide decks — or as a disciplined, AI-augmented process that creates clarity, alignment, and a decision-ready pack.
Start-Right-30 is our flagship, recommended first step for any high-stakes transformation.
You’re Already Doing Phase-0. Start-Right-30 Makes It Work.
Call it Phase-0, discovery, shaping or inception — the early stage of any initiative is where risk quietly accumulates:
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Assumptions are accepted as facts
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Leaders “agree” but mean different things
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Scope creeps before it’s even written down
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Vendors are asked to fill in gaps on the fly
Start-Right-30 turns this into a structured 30-day initiative definition process. Instead of hoping it will work out, you design it to:
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Clarify the real problem and value
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Create a shared narrative your leaders actually stand behind
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Define scope, non-scope, and guardrails
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Produce a board- and vendor-ready decision pack
A Comprehensive Initiative Definition in 30 Days
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A fully articulated Initiative Success Map across the 9 O2O steps
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A clear problem statement and value hypothesis
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Defined scope / non-scope / constraints / guardrails
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A stakeholder and dependency map
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A first-cut risk profile and mitigation view
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A Go / No-Go / Fix-First decision pack for board and partners
A Time-Boxed, High-Impact Process
A complete 30 day timeline
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Week 1 – Tune In & Frame
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Capture current context and constraints in Athena
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Review existing decks, numbers, and commitments
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Agree success criteria and boundaries for Start-Right-30
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Week 2 – Explore & Expose
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Structured workshops with leaders and SMEs
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Surface conflicting narratives and hidden constraints
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Draft initial Success Map and initiative brief
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Week 3 – Test & Refine
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Run scenarios and trade-offs
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Tighten scope, non-scope, and guardrails
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Refine risk, dependency, and impact views
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Week 4 – Decide & Package
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Finalise Go / No-Go / Fix-First recommendation
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Create board- and vendor-ready pack
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Define next steps (e.g. Throughput-90, vendor selection, OpsMax)
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From One Initiative to a Robust Portfolio
Start-Right-30 focuses on getting one initiative right. Once it’s defined properly, you can place it in the context of your whole portfolio.
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Feed Start-Right-30 outputs into Throughput-90 to understand how this initiative fits with all your other bets.
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Use them as finalised inputs for vendor selection and contracting.
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Use them as a baseline when you move into OpsMax for ongoing governance.
If You’re Not Ready for Start-Right-30
Start with Athena Pro
If you’re still building internal support, start with Athena Pro and work through a draft version of your initiative definition.
- Explore your initiative privately with AI
- Shape your own Success Map and options
- Use the insights to justify a full Start-Right-30
Try the Method with Free Athena
Get a feel for the Success Map approach with Free Athena before you commit to anything.
If You’re Going to Do It, Start Right.
Leverage Athena
You will define this initiative one way or another. Start-Right-30 lets you do it with intention, rigour, and the best of human and AI thinking combined.
NOTHING BELOW THIS!!!
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