Cohort Concept Brief

Date: April 24-25, 2026 Status: Direction document — needs Kathryn approval on name + structure decisions Decisions locked from prior session: D1 yes (Cohort = 3rd rung), D2 $7,500 founding / $10,000 standard, D3 launch July 6, 2026 Source authorities: Deiss CVO, Brunson Value Ladder, Hormozi $100M Offers, Kern Indirect Selling Source playbook: advisory-os-vault/content/frameworks/playbook-slo-funnel.md Source IP inventory: business-aos/reference/core/ip-inventory.md

What this is

A 12-week leveraged group program that walks 10-15 professional services practice owners through deploying 1-2 real systems in their own practice using the Advisory OS methodology. Founding cohort starts July 6, 2026.

This is rung 3 of the value ladder (Kit → PBOS → Cohort → Sprint → AOS). It's the Deiss profit maximizer — leveraged high-ticket DIY for the practice owner who's outgrown PBOS but doesn't want it done for them.

It is also the proof factory for the year-long program (Phase 3, 2027) — every Cohort member graduates with a built system, a case study, and the option to ascend into the year-long.

Naming — three options, pick one

The brand uses "build" / "deploy" / "system" metaphors heavily. PBOS already uses "The Build" as the monthly system within its membership rhythm. Naming the Cohort with overlapping language creates confusion.

My recommendation: The Practice Foundry. Distinct from PBOS naming, on-brand metaphorically, gives copy room ("forged in the foundry," "your first build off the line"). Alternatives stay open.

Who it's for / not for

For:

• Practice owners $500K–$2M revenue who've outgrown DIY-without-support
• Owners who want to build operational capability themselves rather than have it done for them
• PBOS members ready for deeper work (natural ascension)
• Diagnostic-qualified prospects who don't want full DFY (Sprint/AOS) but need more than a $97/mo membership

Not for:

• Coaches or course-shoppers
• Owners under $500K revenue (PBOS is the right rung)
• Owners who want it done for them (Sprint or AOS is the right path)
• Anyone looking for "tips and templates" — this is a build program, not a curriculum

What members get

The container

The deliverable they walk out with

By Week 12, each member has:

• 1 fully-deployed operational system in their practice (chosen from 6 Capability OS categories)
• 1 partially-built second system (groundwork laid for completion post-program)
• A Master Plan covering 12 months of subsequent builds
• A documented Project Plan template they can re-run
• Access to the Cohort alumni community (ascension path to year-long program)

The 12-Week Curriculum Arc

Drawn entirely from the IP inventory. No new IP needed.

Phase 1 — Foundation (Weeks 1-3)

Week 1: Practice Brain + Constraint Identifier

• Members install Practice Brain (existing skill from Kit)
• Run Constraint Identifier to extract their full constraint list
• Output: structured Constraint Brief per member

Week 2: Constraint Priority Matrix

• Apply CPM framework — type, tier, pattern-match constraints
• Identify the one constraint that, if solved, unblocks the most downstream work
• Output: signed-off CPM with a single primary build target

Week 3: Master Plan

• Build the 12-month Master Plan around the primary constraint
• Map the 6 Capability OS categories to current state
• Output: Master Plan v1 — strategic command center for the next 12 months

Phase 2 — First Build, Stages 1-4 (Weeks 4-7)

Walking the Deployment Cycle on the chosen system.

Week 4: Design

• Design the system that solves the primary constraint
• Stack against System Maturity Model — start at Structure, target Streamline by Week 10
• Output: Build Design document

Week 5: Review

• Peer review of designs across cohort members
• Apply quality gate: does the design actually solve the constraint?
• Output: Review-approved design ready to implement

Week 6: Mid-program intensive (full day)

• All members co-build their first systems live
• Stack: Subtract/Add, Proof Gap, Invisible Work, Sync Tax frameworks applied as relevant to each build
• Output: 80% complete first build per member

Week 7: Implement + QC1

• Finish implementation
• Run first QC pass against acceptance criteria
• Output: System ready for Train phase

Phase 3 — First Build, Stages 5-8 (Weeks 8-10)

Week 8: Train

• Use Educate & Delegate methodology (from 2019 IP) to train the team
• Record JIT training using the Educate & Delegate principles
• Output: Trained team + recorded SOP

Week 9: QC2 + Live

• Second QC pass post-training
• Go live in the practice
• Output: System operational, in production

Week 10: Optimize

• First optimization cycle — what's not working, what to refine
• Apply Maturity Model: assess Structure → Streamline path
• Output: First system running, optimization captured

Phase 4 — Second Build + Capstone (Weeks 11-12)

Week 11: Second build kickoff (compressed cycle)

• Apply learned methodology to a second build
• Compressed Deployment Cycle — Design → Review in one week
• Output: Second build scoped, designed, reviewed

Week 12: Capstone

• Each member presents their built system to the cohort
• Group review, year-ahead planning
• Master Plan v2 — refined for next 12 months
• Output: Cohort completion, alumni status, optional ascension to year-long program (when launched)

Pricing & enrollment mechanics

Price

• $7,500 per seat — founding cohort price
• $10,000 per seat — second cohort onward (33% raise)
• Payment options:
• Pay in full: $7,500
• 3-month plan: $2,750/mo × 3 = $8,250 (10% surcharge for plan)

Founding members lock $7,500 retroactively if/when they ascend to the year-long program (i.e., they get founding pricing on that too — Kern relationship posture, Brunson founding-loyalty mechanic).

Capacity

• First cohort cap: 10 seats
• Stretch to 12 if applications overflow with strong fits
• Hard ceiling: 15 (delivery quality starts to degrade above this)

Enrollment process (Taki-style application + deposit)

1. Application form (Tally or Paperform) — 5-7 questions:

• Practice type (consulting / wealth / CPA / financial planning / agency / other)
• Revenue range
• Team size (just you / 2-5 / 6-15 / 15+)
• The one thing you'd build first if you could
• What you've tried that didn't stick
• Why now
• Any timing constraints in next 12 weeks

1. $750 deposit (10% of $7,500) submitted with application

• Refundable if not accepted
• Held in escrow / not deposited until accepted
• Counts toward total $7,500 if accepted

1. Review window: 5-7 business days

• Kathryn (or Kathryn + Claude) reviews each application
• Selection criteria: fit (not first-come, first-served)

1. Accepted members pay remainder ($6,750 balance, or activate payment plan)

1. Onboarding (2 weeks before Week 1)

• Site Survey completed
• Practice Brain installed (if PBOS member, already done)
• Calendar holds set for 12 Tuesday workshops + Week 6 intensive

1. Cohort starts Week 1 — July 6, 2026

Enrollment timeline

How it plugs into the funnel

META AD ($20/day)
  ↓
CIB OPT-IN (free)
  ↓
TRIPWIRE PAGE (/cib-thank-you)
  ├── (no buy) → 10-email nurture → soft tease Cohort enrollment in Email 8 (when in window) → ongoing engagement list
  └── (buy $7 Kit)
        ↓
       KIT DELIVERY HUB (/practice-kit-delivery)
        ↓
       KIT-BUYER ENGAGEMENT LIST (2x/week)
        ├── (sees Cohort in quarterly push campaigns)
        ├── (also sees PBOS pitched in Phase 2)
        └── ascension paths:
              ├── Direct: Application to Cohort
              ├── Indirect: PBOS → Cohort
              └── Off-funnel: Diagnostic → Sprint or AOS

Cohort is a destination for the content engine — not the only one, but the leveraged-revenue peak that quarterly push campaigns target.

Kit-buyer nurture (separate file, post-purchase): 5-7 emails over 14-21 days warming Kit buyers for PBOS. When PBOS founding fills, this sequence shifts to warm Kit buyers for Cohort enrollment.

How it plugs into PBOS (and vice versa)

This is the canonical ladder all four authorities prescribe — leveraged offers feeding each other, ascension built into the structure.

How it plugs into Sprint and AOS (the off-funnel path)

Cohort applicants who turn out to be poor fits for the Cohort (e.g., they want it done for them, not to build it themselves) get diverted in the application review to a Diagnostic call → Sprint or AOS qualification.

Cohort itself does not pitch Sprint or AOS during the program. Members who want more after Week 12 self-select into Diagnostic conversations naturally.

Kathryn's time commitment

For comparison: a single AOS engagement (1 client, 6 months) is roughly the same hours over twice the duration. The Cohort is ~2x more hours-per-week of leveraged delivery, generating ~$75K vs. AOS's ~$25K average per client. Per-hour revenue: roughly 7-10x higher than AOS.

Financial summary

Year 1 (2 cohorts: founding + 1 standard): $175K–$262K leveraged revenue from this rung alone.

This is the line item that replaces TPC.

Risk + mitigation

What I need from Kathryn before sales page work begins

Defaults are my recommended path. Push back on any.

What ships next (assuming defaults approved)

1. This week: Cohort sales page draft (/practice-foundry) — same content discipline as the tripwire page (Brunson Hook/Story/Offer, Hormozi value equation, Kern relationship posture, Deiss tripwire-to-core-to-profit-max framing)
2. Week of May 12: Sales page QC'd, pixel-equipped, Convertri-ready
3. Week of May 19: Application form built (Tally or Paperform), deposit mechanics live in ThriveCart
4. Week of May 26: Quarterly push campaign emails written for the existing list
5. Jun 1: Enrollment opens
6. Jun 22: Enrollment closes
7. Jul 6: Cohort Week 1

Why this is aligned with all four authorities

• Deiss: Leveraged high-ticket DIY = profit maximizer. Application + deposit = qualifying buyer at scale. Founding pricing → standard pricing = price ascension. Two-track ladder (Cohort funnel + Sprint/AOS off-funnel) = exactly Deiss's CVO + custom-work split.
• Brunson: $7K-$10K group program is the canonical leveraged ladder rung. Founding price → standard price = his pricing-ladder mechanic. Cohort start dates = scarcity. Application + acceptance = perceived value driver.
• Hormozi: Group delivery, leveraged pricing, productized scope, value equation passing all 4 dimensions (specific outcome, high perceived likelihood, defined timeline, specified effort). Per-hour revenue 7-10x AOS.
• Kern: Application + selection = Kern relationship posture (we choose mutually, not first-come-first-served). Mid-program intensive = results-in-advance during program. Cohort completion → alumni community → year-long program ascension = indirect ladder he's used for years.

This brief is the decision document. Approve / push back on N1–N8, and the sales page goes into production this week.