Perspectives on building consumer businesses.

Occasional notes, essays and case studies drawn from the work, investment, brand, operations, transformation and international growth.

Coming soon

Longer essays and selected case studies will be added here as they are released.

Our published writing currently sits in Situation Notes, below. You can also explore what we do, read our approach to transformation, or start a conversation.

Situation Notes

Published writing on live situations.

Our current editorial series, written for boards, founders and investors dealing with a specific problem.

Governance
When the board becomes part of the problem.
A struggling business does not always have an operating problem. Sometimes the problem is sitting around the board table.
Crisis & Operations
The product recall nobody wanted.
A recall tests far more than quality control. It tests leadership, systems, supply chain, communications and whether your business actually knows where its products are.
Finance & Turnaround
Growing fast. Running out of cash.
Revenue is climbing, retailers are ordering and everybody thinks things are going well. The bank balance says otherwise.
Retail & Commercial
Your biggest retailer just changed the rules.
A major retailer can transform a consumer brand. Losing one can transform it just as quickly.
Operations & Supply Chain
Your supply chain just broke.
Your manufacturer has stopped producing. Your 3PL cannot ship. Your packaging is delayed. Unfortunately, customers still expect their orders.
Leadership & Scale
The business has outgrown its leadership structure.
What gets a company from $1 million to $10 million is not necessarily what gets it from $10 million to $50 million.

Start a conversation

If a note applies to a business you own, govern or advise, the fastest way forward is to talk it through.