FlōGrowth | Structural Profit Diagnostic for Founder-Led Service Firms

Structural Profit Diagnostic · FlōGrowth

YOU INVESTED IN AI AND HIRING.

Most founder-led service firms modernize activity before they modernize structure. More tools, more payroll, more motion — without stronger profit.

You modernized. The economics didn't follow.

I've carried payroll. I've seen this pattern repeatedly.

$2M–$8M Service Firms  ·  4–6 Weeks  ·  $12,000 Flat

See the pattern

The Pattern

"We modernized. We hired. We added AI.
Why didn't profit move?"

01 AI and new hires arrived. Profit didn't meaningfully improve.
02 Payroll increased faster than output. Complexity kept rising.
03 "More leads" feels like the answer. It usually isn't.

When modernization doesn't translate into stronger profit, the problem is structural. Not effort. Not the market.

Tools and hiring are layered onto an unchanged decision architecture. If structure doesn't change, the economics don't change. This is a sequencing problem.

Micro-Case

What This Looks Like
In Real Life

A founder-led service firm modernized fast: new tools, AI, and headcount. Revenue moved a little. Payroll moved a lot. Founder involvement didn't drop. They assumed the problem was demand. It wasn't.

What They Did

Hired an AI-assisted ops team

Added two senior operators

Upgraded their CRM and automation

Increased ad spend

What the Diagnostic Found

Pricing hadn't been adjusted for production leverage

Decision authority never moved below founder

Conversion was assumed, not structured

Payroll grew faster than contribution margin

The fix wasn't more marketing. The outcome was structural clarity. Not more activity.

The Mechanism

The Order
Determines Everything

Modernization without structural redesign amplifies whatever already exists in the business. The sequence matters more than the tools.

Modernization First
AI
Hiring
Tools
Complexity
Flat Profit
Structure First
Decision Architecture
Economic Alignment
Intentional Hiring
Targeted Automation
Margin Integrity

Structure determines economics.

Profit suppression is rarely a demand problem. It's a sequencing problem.

The Offer

Structural Profit
Diagnostic

A focused 4–6 week engagement to identify exactly where modernization misaligned with how your business creates profit.

We run 1–2 Diagnostics at a time. This is not a volume model.

01

Hiring-to-Output Alignment

Where payroll expanded without a matching lift in value delivery, and why.

02

Automation Placement

Where AI and tools create motion without margin. Where automation should and shouldn't live.

03

Decision Flow

Where decisions stall throughput or keep outcomes dependent on a few people.

04

Cost-to-Value Friction

Where cost increased without perceived value lift, and what structural shifts restore margin integrity.

How It Works

Four-Phase
Engagement

Built to surface root cause, not symptoms.

Phase 01

Weeks 1–2: Structural Mapping

Leadership interviews and artifact review to map decision architecture and modernization impact.

Phase 02

Weeks 2–4: Economic Alignment

Identify misalignment between payroll, automation, and value delivery.

Phase 03

Weeks 4–6: Correction Plan

A prioritized structural correction roadmap.

Deliverable

Executive Briefing

Direct findings and required decisions. No filler.

Step 01 Submit a Structural Review Takes about 2 minutes.
Step 02 If aligned, schedule a 30-minute call Focused conversation about sequencing and fit.
Step 03 Diagnostic runs 4–6 weeks $12,000 fixed. Structural findings and correction roadmap.

Engagement

What's Included

One engagement. Fixed scope. Fixed price. No ambiguity.

Engagement

Structural Profit Diagnostic

4–6 weeks · $12,000 flat

Leadership interviews
Structural mapping
Hiring alignment review
Automation placement analysis
Decision flow assessment
Prioritized correction roadmap
Not Included

This Is Not

Marketing execution
Lead generation
Workflow builds
COO replacement
Financial modeling
Best Fit

This Is For

$2M–$8M revenue
Recent AI and hiring investments
Disappointing profit improvement
Leadership willing to examine structure

Honesty

This Is Not
For You If…

Fit matters more than revenue. If this isn't right, we'll both know quickly.

You're under $1M in annual revenue
You want marketing execution or lead generation
You want someone to build or run tools and workflows for you
You believe "more leads" is the only lever that matters
You're not willing to examine structural decisions at the leadership level

Timing

Before You
Hire Again

Before you add another operator.
Before you expand marketing.
Before you buy another AI system.

Ask:

Has pricing been adjusted for production leverage?
Is decision authority defined below you?
Is conversion structured or assumed?
Is payroll growing faster than contribution margin?

If those answers aren't clear, hiring will increase complexity, not profit.

FAQ

Common
Questions

Is the initial call a sales pitch?

No. It's a 30-minute structural conversation to determine fit. If there's no alignment, we'll say so directly.

Do you implement tools or run operations?

No. This is diagnostic advisory work. I identify structural misalignment and produce a correction plan.

Who is this for?

Founder-led service firms at $2M–$8M revenue that invested in AI or hiring without proportional profit improvement.

What do I leave with?

Clear visibility into what's suppressing profit, and a prioritized 90-day structural correction plan.

If modernization hasn't translated
into stronger profit,
something structural is off.

Get clarity before another hire, tool, or initiative.