The Strong Start
Most AI projects fail because the people in the room never agreed on what they were actually trying to solve. The Strong Start fixes that before we write a single line of code.
3 hours. Starting at $4,500. It is the single most important thing we do at the start of any engagement.
one block or split across two sessions, whatever works for your team
from LDJ to a written Sprint Zero backlog and first sprint plan
to working software you can see, touch, and measure
Two Parts. One Session. Total Alignment.
The Strong Start has two components, and both happen before we write a single line of code. No “getting up to speed” period. No onboarding tax.
Alignment: Asking AI To Do Things With Our Data
~1 hour
We get everyone speaking the same language. This sounds basic, but ambiguity at the start compounds into wasted time and money later. Everyone leaves this hour with a shared vocabulary and a clear picture of how Virgent operates.
Prompt engineering—how we communicate with AI systems, what makes a good instruction vs. a bad one, and how framing affects outcomes
The models themselves—which ones exist, what they are good at, what they cost, and why model selection matters
Product thinking—how we identify problems worth solving, how we define success, and how we avoid building solutions to non-problems
Data readiness—where your data lives, what state it is in, and what has to be true before a model can use it usefully
This is not a lecture. It is a calibration. When we talk about “context windows” or “embeddings” or “intent recognition,” we are all speaking the same language with the same understanding. 30 minutes, shared baseline, no condescension.
The Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ)
~2 hours
A structured, facilitated workshop that turns your team's scattered pain points into a prioritized, actionable backlog. The loudest voice carries no more weight than anyone else's. You leave with a ranked, written list of what matters most—agreed on by the room.
The entire session takes two to three hours. You leave with a backlog—a real one, not a theoretical one—and a sprint that starts the next day.
What Happens After the Strong Start
Within 48 hours of the LDJ, we deliver a written Sprint Zero backlog and the first two-week sprint plan. Then we start building.
Sprint 1 (Sprint Zero) — Weeks 1–2
We build toward the first testable version of whatever the LDJ identifies as the highest-impact, lowest-effort starting point.
We build in flight of our research—conducting assessments and gathering a big-picture view of everything as we go. This establishes a cadence for prototyping, feedback, and iteration.
By the end of Sprint 1, there is something real to look at.
Sprint 2 — Weeks 3–4
We build on what worked, expand to the next item on the backlog, and hold our first Demo Day.
That demo is the accountability check: did we solve the problem we said we would solve? Not slides. Not wireframes. Working software.
From there we run a two-week cadence for the rest of the engagement.
Who Should Be in the Room
Anyone who could benefit from the training and alignment. At least 3 people, up to 16, with cross-functional representation being what matters most.
Operations, marketing, ecommerce, data, engineering—anyone who feels the pain points directly or will be using what we build. The more perspectives, the better the output.
Onboarding a new executive? The Strong Start is a meaningful head start. Being in the room for the LDJ means they own the output from day one—walking into a new role with a structured picture of the organization's opportunities and a clear roadmap already in motion.
CEO, leads both sessions
Subject matter experts from our side
Logistics and real-time documentation
Why This Matters
× How most consultants start
✓ How we start
The Strong Start in Action
$10K+ Saved in Month One
Strong Start identified help desk automation as the highest-impact target. Production agent deployed in 2 weeks. Exceeded our retainer cost in savings.
Read Case StudyBuilders, Not Talkers
The full breakdown of the Strong Start process, the LDJ framework, and why we built our entire practice around shipping, not presenting.
Read Case StudyNonprofit AI Workshops
“Love the Figma LDJ workshop. I will be using that in my career and in my business.” Highest-rated session of the day.
Read Case StudyCommon Questions
Can we do the Strong Start remotely?
Yes. We run remote Strong Starts over Zoom with a shared Figma board for the LDJ. In-person is ideal if you are in the DMV area, but remote works well—we have done dozens of them.
What if we already know what we want to build?
Great. The Strong Start still matters. Alignment is not just about picking a project—it is about making sure everyone understands the vocabulary, the constraints, and the success criteria. We have had multiple clients come in with a clear priority and discover during the LDJ that a different problem was actually higher-leverage.
What if we are not a retainer client?
The Strong Start is the same whether standalone or part of a retainer engagement—starting at $4,500. You get the full session, the written backlog, and the sprint plan—and you can decide from there whether to continue with us. For select engagements, we waive the fee entirely.
Do we need technical people in the room?
Not necessarily. The alignment session is designed for mixed audiences. The LDJ works best with cross-functional representation: the people who feel the pain, the people who approve the spend, and the people who will use what we build. Technical depth is our job.
What do we get in writing?
Within 48 hours of the LDJ: a written Sprint Zero backlog, the first two-week sprint plan, a summary of priorities with the impact/effort scores, and a clear definition of done for the first deliverable. Caroline documents everything in real time during the session.
Ready for Your Strong Start?
Talk to our CEO or a senior account manager for 20 minutes. We show up prepared with research on your business. If there's a fit, you get a tailored proposal at no cost.
Most clients start small and scale from there—all our experts, for less than one full-time hire. The quote is good for a year.
or call us at (443) 214-3143
