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The practices
The practices
Ironstone Advisory is a post-postmodern firm that is focused on the success of its partners across 4 Practices - The Ironstone SAFE- Security, Architecture, and Ethics. The professionals in Ironstone Advisory engage in short-term projects to help companies with - growth and scaling programs, go-to-market strategies and product verticalization. Specialties include the Insurance and Capital Markets. I(A) is a functional company.💡
We work with management teams and C-level executives on the strategy and execution of new programs centred on bringing new products to market and crossing the chasms of the technology adoption curve.
Great companies change and grow with energy. The best one dont start the quarter with old staments or even answers. The best one start with questions and then seek to understand.
What are you doing in your company today? Do you have a plan?
Do you have go to market materials and buyer kits?
Do you have a way of documenting wins and losses?
What are the key objective measures of your company?
What is your operating tech stack in your company and how are the layers connected?
Why don't you have a library and a datawarehouse to operate your company?
What are the 5 most important 1 page diagram about your company and its product?
The practices
The practices
Ironstone Advisory is a post-postmodern firm that is focused on the success of its partners across 4 Practices - The Ironstone SAFE- Security, Architecture, Ethics. The professionals in Ironstone Advisory engage in short-term projects to help companies with - growth and scaling programs, go-to-market strategies and product verticalization. Specialties include the Insurance and Capital Markets. I(A) is a functional company.💡
We work with management teams and C-level executives on the strategy and execution of new programs centred on bringing new products to market and crossing the chasms of the technology adoption curve.
WE get results together.
Sample Assignments 2023-2024:
Executed - 2 Successful Contracted POCs with New Technology in one of the Largest Banks in the world
Raised - Investor Fund Due Diligence on Software Companies. $65 Investment in an Insurance Brokerage and a $50M offer on another Brokerage.
Grew Revenue - Software Sales Engagement lead of a 1.0 product and its first enterprise company. Generated $1M of revenue in the first year at a Canadian Life Insurance Company
Go To Market Execution, bring a Hong Kong based company's products into the US and Canadian Markets. Proxy GM and Advisory work. Added 3 new logos for over $2MM ARR.
Delivered - Insurance Product Marketing and Education for Software Companies
Provided - Advisory for a new bootstrap company - a no-code data abstraction layer SAAS
Completed - Founder and Funder Match-Making, Pitch Prep and Story-Telling
Created - Strategy and planning for a new start-up in the fashion tech space
Boostrap consulting - Initiate first projects for a new company. Introductions and first 3 engagement meetings
Built- Co-Founded and helped create a 10,000 Member Global Think Tank Continuously Publishing Multi Media - It's like a movie studio for your mind-bicycle - The Grey Swan Guild www.greyswanguild.org🦢
New! A Better way of BUILDING SOFTWARE powered programs✨
New! A Better way of BUILDING SOFTWARE powered programs✨
This is a better way of approaching complex enterprise software digital programs.
I am incubating a new workshop for Software Companies that is focused on Non-Functional Requirements. If your MVP is 50% of your pitch, this will make your MVP 99% better.
People spend a lot of time on functional requirements but they think less about non-functional requirements. They tend to assume that software framework selection and integration in a program will satisfy their non-functional needs. That's true to some extent, but "which framework will you choose and why?" is a big question to decide on. This approach can help you select your framework.
One of the advantages about this thinking, is that it is easy to build NFRs into your software at the beginning of your software's life, but extremely expensive to re-engineer into it after you have customers.
Also even thinking of these NFRs as part of design will help your software developers make better choices even if some of the features are stubbed out in the MVP.
It is an Ironstone Pattern of Success to assess your NFRs. What we advise is to use NFR Principles in Program Creation in this software-driven world.
The Famous Quote:
"If it was fun and easy, there would be sand on the ground and toys everywhere" Ernest Hursh.
Non-Functional Requirements Patterns
Self Service
Know Your Customer
Share Everywhere
Educate Educate Educate
All Pillars of Observability
Dynamic Dashboards and Living Notebooks
Ambient Findability
Transformations are all you need
AI First, API, Headless, Transparent Layaes, Cloud, SOMOCLO
Event Driven, Content Powered, Influencer Amplified Programs
Blue Prints, Diagrams, Canvases - The 1 Pagers
send me an email - rob@ironstoneadvisory.com if you want to early access the workshop work-in-progress.
What are these NFRs you speak of?
What are these NFRs you speak of?
Rob Tyrie - "I was working at a conference and I was telling stories about software programs that work and one that fails and I said to the folks ... "It's all about the NFRs, they make all the difference in the world and they have changed radically over time and now GAI is making them so much more possible without spending $10 Million Dollars and 3 years of 500 people wasting their collective time. And, they said, "What are these NFRs that you speak of?"
Software with all these Non-Functional Requirement elements will be more useable and more successful and viral than sofware without these NFRs.
Let's break down these new non-functional requirements for your approach, providing explanations and insights for each:
1. Self-Service:
- This requirement emphasizes enabling users to perform tasks and resolve issues on their own without needing direct assistance. The system should provide intuitive tools, clear guidelines, and automated processes that empower users to manage their accounts, configure settings, and access services efficiently. This empowers users and reduces dependency on technical support.
2. Share Everywhere:
- The system should facilitate seamless sharing of content, data, and resources across different platforms and users. This involves integrating with various social media, collaboration tools, and data exchange formats to ensure that information can be easily and securely disseminated, enhancing collaboration and reach.
3. Educate, Educate, Educate:
- A strong emphasis on education means the system should not only provide the necessary tools and functions but also educate users on how to use them effectively. This could include built-in tutorials, interactive learning modules, and ongoing user education programs to ensure users are continually informed about best practices, system updates, and new features.
4. All Pillars of Observability:
- This refers to the system's ability to be monitored and understood regarding its internal state through logs, metrics, and traces (the three pillars). The system should be designed to provide clear insights into its performance, health, and ongoing operations, enabling proactive management and troubleshooting.
5. Dynamic Dashboards and Living Notebooks:
- The system should offer customizable and interactive dashboards and notebooks that update in real-time, providing users with the latest information and analytics. These tools should allow users to explore data, derive insights, and document findings in a dynamic and user-friendly environment.
6. Ambient Findability:
- This requirement stresses the importance of making information easily discoverable and accessible. The system should be organized in such a way that users can intuitively find what they're looking for, through effective search functionalities, clear categorization, and user-centric design principles.
7. Transformations are all you need:
- Highlighting the significance of data transformation capabilities, the system should enable users to easily convert, process, and manipulate data to meet their needs. This underscores the flexibility and adaptability of the system in handling various data formats and structures.
8. AI First, APIs, Headless, Transparent Layers, Cloud, SOMOCLO (Social, Mobile, Cloud):
- This multi-faceted requirement indicates that the system should prioritize AI-driven solutions, offer robust API support for integration, operate in a headless manner for flexibility across different front-ends, ensure transparency in operations, be cloud-native for scalability and accessibility, and align with social, mobile, and cloud environments for broad connectivity and engagement.
9. Event Driven, Content Powered, Influencer Amplified Programs:
- The system should be capable of responding to events in real-time, be fueled by content-driven strategies, and leverage influencer partnerships to enhance reach and impact. This aligns with modern marketing and engagement strategies that respond dynamically to user interactions and market trends.
10. Blueprints, Diagrams, Canvases - 1 Pagers:
- This emphasizes the importance of providing users with clear, concise, and visual documentation and planning tools. The system should facilitate the creation and sharing of blueprints, diagrams, and canvases that succinctly capture and communicate key information, strategies, and plans in easily digestible formats.
These non-functional requirements define a comprehensive approach to building business systems that are user-centric, flexible, and informative while harnessing the power of modern technology trends and methodologies. Each plays a vital role in ensuring that the system not only meets current needs but is also prepared for future challenges and opportunities.
Security
Architecture
Finance
Ethics
👆The Practices Explained 👇
Architecture
Architecture
The Architecture Practice covers both Business Architecture and Technical Architecture. It covers the following types of work:
Tech Stack Assessment and Design - in 2 pages
Interactive Innovation Tech Stack Workshops - 2-6-2's
IGNITE (Spark, Smart, Start) Sessions (New🚨)
Platform Economic Analysis and Strategy
Causal Business Diagrams for Business and Software
SAAS Business Canvas Creation with Budgets and SWAGs - Business Canvas Pattern GPT.
1000 Day Radar for Cloud Tech Stacks
Vertical 1000 Day Radar - Trends in Insurance and Capital Markets
Vertical Go-To-Market Plans and Strategy Workshops
Systems Thinking and Customer Story Workshops
Product Marketing and Lead Creation in target vertical accounts
Template: The AI Solution Technology Stack for Insurance - Free
finance
finance
The Finance Practice covers the following types of work:
24 hr Business Plan Assessment
Business Plan CEO Focus Group Feedback
Incubator and Accelerator Bingo
Vertical TAM, SAM, SOM Assessment
Practice, Preparation and Pitch Participation
Financing Proposals and MOUs
Finance Referrals to Funds and Funders (Retainer Required)
Security
Security
The Security Practice covers the following types of work:
Technical Security Stack Assessment
Snap SOC review and assessment in 24 Hrs
Security strategy summary for pitch support
Identification of security partners and software
1000 Day Radar for Security Trends, Threats and Risks
Security Ideation, Innovation and Ignite - I-Cubed Workshop
Staffing and Role recommendations
Subscription Newsletter - The Ironstone Quarterly SecurTech Wrap
Ethics
Ethics
The Ethics Practice covers the following types of work. Most work is done on a pro bono basis:
The 100-point Ethics Checklist for scale-ups - Free ☯️
The Partner MOU Template - Free 🙏🙏
The Ethical Leaders Workshop (Lots of .... "I am so ethical... ". stories )- Free🧑🤝🧑🧑🤝🧑
ESG Atelier - a panel-led, interactive workshop for leadership teams - Free 🎭
KYC, AML, Anti-Fraud - Round-able Discussions with Industry experts - Free 👮🤞📚
The Fresh Small Project and Start Up Company Ethics Score Card - Free. 🤝♟️
Three Matchmaking Connections (#iaconnect3)- Free 🧠🤖
59 Min Consultations and here, there will be bets, and math - NOT Free 💳💵 (BTC 🪙)
Adivisory Monte Carlo Sessions. NOT Free 💳💵 (BTC 🪙)
Subscription to IronstoneSTACK - Newsletter, Letters and Archives - Free for 2 Months, then $199/month 🗞️📚
Sofrware - Agile Experimentation
Sofrware - Agile Experimentation
The Agile Experimentation Method used by Ironstone Advisory for software development:
The Agile Experimentation Method(tm) takes inspiration from the empirical cycle used in scientific research and adapts it for iterative software development. It differs from traditional methods like the Waterfall SDLC or MIL-SPEC 2167A in its focus on rapid experimentation and continuous learning. This is not the Agile Methodology, but it does lean on the Agile Manifesto
The core principles are:
Iterative & Incremental Delivery
Continuous Feedback & Adaptation
Active Stakeholder Collaboration
Hypothesis-Driven Experimentation
The method consists of the following cyclical phases:
I. Hypothesis Formation
Work with stakeholders to identify key problems/opportunities hypotheses about possible solutions expected outcomes and measurable success criteria
II. Experiment Planning
- Design a minimum viable experiment to test the hypothesis
- Identify resources, technologies, and constraints
- Create an experiment plan with specific tasks and timelines.
Experiment Execution
- Build a working prototype or proof of concept (Software, Agent, Dataset, Benchmark
- Measure results against defined success criteria
- Capture learnings, feedback, and new insights.
Retrospective & Adaptation
- Analyze experimental outcomes and learnings
- Decide whether to persevere, pivot, or abandon based on evidence
- Update hypotheses, success criteria, and backlog for next iterations.
Increment or Pivot (Repeat cycle)
If successful, evolve the prototype into a product increment
If invalidated, return to hypothesis formation with new insights
Key Practices:
Cross-Functional Collaborative Teams
Continuous Integration & Deployment
Automated Testing and Monitoring
Rapid Prototyping and Experimentation
Lean UX and Design Thinking Methods
Evidence-Based Decision Making
The cycle promotes continuous discovery, empirical learning, and course-correction based on real-world feedback and outcomes rather than restrictive pre-defined specifications. This allows for greater agility, innovation, and de-risking of assumptions.
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