Drop your shoulders,
untie your knots,
reclaim your life.
Forget about adding a new complicated system. You need a simple tool you use every day. Design your business around the fundamental unit of human progress: commitments.
"Working with Ryan means that not only will you benefit from his immense value but the value he builds in those around him. He is one of a kind and I'd work with him again in a heartbeat."
- Peter Barry (Digital Product Design Manager)
"There are only a handful of people in my career who I have studied in the hope of becoming a better manager and thinker. Ryan is one them. As a systems thinker, he is remarkable—creative in the foundational way that deep, incisive thinkers are creative."
- Kevin Fenton (Writer)
"Ryan is, frankly, a delight to work with. His curiosity, creativity, and innovative nature led to some of the absolute best project outcomes, team growth, and client satisfaction I've seen."
- Carolina Gwinn (Senior UX Designer)
The Gales of Ambition
Working on your business used to give you energy—a constant tailwind. Now, it feels like you are racing headlong into a gale. You're working hard, but barely moving.
Your ambition outpaced your systems. It happens to everyone. The structures you built—reactive, ad-hoc, and unspoken—are buckling under the pressure.
Sure, your email inbox is full, but so is the one between your eyes—endless tasks, ideas, and problems that keep your mind spinning.
Marlinspike
The marlinspike is a sailor's tool. It's used to loosen stubborn knots and tighten new ones. Knots aren't good or bad, they just have a specific role, whether on the water or in a business. It's time to unravel the commitments holding you back and secure new ones that propel you forward.
Lightweight
Don't add weight—remove drag. A modular system designed for quick wins. Implement only the components you need and add on only when you need to.
Versatile
The nature of commitment applies at every level—from individual to organization. A system to tackle the concerns of today and grow with your ambition tomorrow.
Culture First
Why replace what's working? Let's map your existing culture with the common language of commitment. Then we'll introduce a new approach and move forward, together.
Three Essential Components
Lodestar
Navigate possibility.
Possibility is infinite. Make your big strategic decisions by defining where you're going and, just as importantly, where you aren't.
Tack
Adapt to reality.
Reality happens every day; the least you can do is meet about it every week. Tack is a self-healing loop to make adjustments when reality gets in the way.
Manifest
Deliver value.
Forget org charts. Forget accountabilities. Organize the aspects of your business into a value-native network where the customer is a first-class citizen.
Mutual Purpose
Culture is a shared mental model. Complexity kills culture; simplicity scales it.
Marlinspike is simple by design, ensuring the model is actually shared.
Once everyone understands where they're going, how they'll adjust, and who they serve, you achieve mutual purpose.
That's the definition of alignment.
If you've read this far, it's time.
Curious about implementation? I won't just hand you a book. Let's chat about those knots keeping you up at night.