How every engagement begins
The Strong Start.
Most AI projects fail because the people in the room never agreed on what they were actually trying to solve. Strong Start fixes that in month one, before we write a line of code, and gets the first slice moving.
Foundation Month from $20,000. Promotional pricing for qualified teams through 2026, confirmed on a call.
- 3 hrs
- of workshops, one block or split in two
- 48 hrs
- from LDJ to a written Sprint Zero backlog
- 2 wks
- to working software you can measure
Two parts. One month.
Alignment first. Then a ranked backlog the whole room agreed on.
Both parts happen before we build. No getting-up-to-speed period. No onboarding tax.
Alignment: asking AI to do things with our data
About one hour
We get everyone speaking the same language. 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.
We ask
Prompt engineering. How we communicate with AI systems, what makes a good instruction, and how framing shapes outcomes.
AI
The models themselves. Which exist, what they are good at, what they cost, and why model selection matters.
To do things
Product thinking. How we identify problems worth solving, define success, and avoid building solutions to non-problems.
With our data
Data readiness. Where your data lives, what state it is in, and what has to be true before a model can use it.
This is a calibration, not a lecture. When we say context window, embeddings, or intent recognition, the whole room means the same thing.
The Lightning Decision Jam
About two hours
A structured, facilitated workshop that turns scattered pain points into a prioritized, actionable backlog. The loudest voice carries no more weight than anyone else. You leave with a ranked, written list of what matters most, agreed on by the room.
- 1
What is working. We start with wins; knowing what to protect constrains the solution space.
- 2
Capture every problem. Individually, silently. No groupthink.
- 3
Cluster, merge duplicates, name the groups in plain language.
- 4
Vote on top problems. Three votes each. Real signal on what the room cares about.
- 5
Prioritize with effort and impact to surface clear top candidates.
- 6
Reframe as How Might We challenges. Complaints become design briefs.
- 7
Ideate without discussion. Solutions generated before group pressure shapes them.
- 8
Score impact and effort. Every solution gets an honest two-axis assessment.
- 9
Map the Impact/Effort matrix. Visual clarity on what to tackle first.
- 10
Select one to three and define Sprint Zero: one problem, one measurable two-week deliverable, one definition of done.
You leave with a backlog. A real one, not a theoretical one. And a sprint that starts the next day.
What happens next
Within 48 hours you have a written backlog. Then we build.
Sprint Zero and the first two-week plan are delivered in writing after the LDJ. From there, the month runs on a two-week cadence.
Sprint 1 (Sprint Zero), weeks one and two
We build toward the first testable version of whatever the LDJ identified as the highest-impact, lowest-effort starting point. Research and assessments run in flight, and a cadence for prototyping, feedback, and iteration is established.
By the end of Sprint 1 there is something real to look at.
Sprint 2, weeks three and four
We build on what worked, expand to the next item on the backlog, and hold the first Demo Day. That demo is the accountability check: did we solve the problem we said we would? Not slides. Working software.
From there we run a two-week cadence for the rest of the engagement.
Who should be in the room
Cross-functional beats senior. Bring the people who feel the pain.
At least three people, up to sixteen. Operations, marketing, data, engineering, finance: anyone who feels the pain points directly or will use what we build. The more perspectives, the better the output.
Onboarding a new executive? Strong Start is a meaningful head start. Being in the room for the LDJ means they own the output from day one, with a structured picture of the opportunities and a roadmap already in motion.
From our side
Jesse Alton
CEO. Leads both sessions.
One or two SMEs
Subject matter experts from our side.
Caroline Alton
Logistics and real-time documentation.
Why this matters
How most consultants start, and how we do.
How most consultants start
Weeks of onboarding, assessments, and getting up to speed
A $40K strategy retainer before anyone touches code
90-page decks that gather dust
A six-month AI readiness assessment that delays building
The loudest voice in the room drives priorities
How we start
One bounded Foundation Month with reliable execution
Shared vocabulary before the first sprint begins
Democratic prioritization. Every voice weighted equally
Written Sprint Zero backlog delivered within 48 hours
Working software in two weeks, not two quarters
Published pricing
From $20,000. One bounded month.
Alignment, the LDJ, backlog standup, initial build motion, demo cadence, and staffing foundation. All of it inside the Foundation Month.
Promotional pricing as low as $14,000 for qualified teams through 2026, confirmed on a call
No workshop-only SKU. Alignment and the LDJ are part of the month, not a separate product
Retainers scoped after, sized to the priority and the velocity we have already proven
If there is a fit, Strong Start is month one.
Strong Start in action
Three engagements that started exactly this way.
More engagements that began with Strong Start
Common questions
Everything people ask before month one.
The Strong Start Foundation Month starts at $20,000. Through the end of 2026, qualified teams can access promotional pricing as low as $14,000 after a meeting with our team to confirm fit. That rate is not self-serve. Alignment and the LDJ are included in the month; they are not sold separately.
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, but remote works well. We have done dozens.
Strong Start is still the Foundation Month. Alignment and the LDJ are included in that month; they are not a separate workshop you can buy on their own. Book a meeting so we can confirm fit. After month one, retainers are scoped to the work.
Within 48 hours of the LDJ: a written Sprint Zero backlog, the first two-week sprint plan, a summary of priorities with impact and effort scores, and a clear definition of done for the first deliverable. Caroline documents everything in real time during the session.
Book a free 20-minute call, then meet with our team. We use that conversation to confirm fit and scope. If you qualify, we apply promotional Strong Start pricing as low as $14,000 through the end of 2026. There is no coupon code and no checkout at that rate without a meeting.
Great. 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. Multiple clients have come in with a clear priority and discovered during the LDJ that a different problem was higher-leverage.
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.
Ready for month one?
Talk to Jesse or a senior operator for 20 minutes.
We show up prepared with research on your business. If there is a fit, you get a tailored proposal at no cost and Strong Start is month one. Most clients start small and scale from there.
- Free first call
- Written backlog within 48 hours
- Working software in two weeks
Or call (443) 214-3143
