We tried “normal” jobs
We are failed corporatists, successful entrepreneurs, and problematic non-conformers who now find it difficult to do anything other than help startups succeed. We are solution architects, program managers, heads of design, engineering leads, and change managers. Despite our myriad backgrounds, the primary unifying force of No is that we have honed a process that makes teams more efficient, resilient, and performant. We’re passionate about what we do because we know there’s a better way to work, for individuals and for companies.
We’re on a mission to maximize the potential of your teams and products, whether data, SaaS, or anything in between.
Now we do this
We extend your team. We maximize gains. We prevent roadblocks. Unlike other consultancies, which win engagements and then try to shortcut victory, we fundamentally change your business. Our only objective is delivery through system-wide optimization. We straddle the line between insider and outsider. We truly consider ourselves part of your team, but we’re not beholden to the normal hierarchy or expectations of an employee, therefore we will perform the wild experimentation and provide the candid feedback that your teams often can’t exercise.
Not every team needs us – if you feel your well-oiled machine can’t be more… oiled… that’s fine. We know that most don’t feel that way, and their performance proves it.
We’ve done it for most common types of startups.
What makes No different?
We prefer actions to words
We don’t focus on powerpoints, spreadsheets, and reports that grab attention but don’t materialize into action. We ditch the flashy, buzzword-laden presentations for action. We actually embed within the team, leading change from within instead of consulting from afar. We don’t charge exorbitant fees for conclusions that companies could have reached on their own, like “streamline processes” or “cut costs.” We give you detailed, actionable, and practical guidance.
We’re accountable
Most consultants produce expensive recommendations without having to implement or support them. No sees recommendations through to delivery, being as involved as necessary to support technical excellence. Do you want us to implement an AWS infrastructure, DevOps program, or application architecture that we’ve recommended? We’ll happily get our hands dirty, knowing that we’d only recommend what we believe in.
We’re specialists
Consultants have broad experience, which is great. No has chosen to specialize specifically in what we’re good at – creating and supporting technical systems that help engineering, product, and leadership teams deliver excellence predictably. We’ve done it with and for hundreds of startups, and it’s what we’re good at. We can’t help with a P&L or a marketing campaign, but we can help you develop the best technology teams.