Target: an MRR ladder. The realistic middle is $3k–10k MRR by month 24. The portfolio target (Tier B) is $20k+ MRR, profitable, ≥80% gross margin, ≥70% month-3 retention.
Rule: nothing in a later phase starts until the current phase's gate is hit. Gates and pivot rules are in WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md. The detail for days 1–90 is in 08-90-day-plan.md.
Targets are shown as ~15 hrs/week (full-time).
Phase 1: Prove the pain (Months 0–3) → Gates G1, G2
| Track | Work |
|---|
| Customers | 12 (15) calls with RIA owners and CCOs, 3 with compliance consultants. Concierge setup for 3 (5) paying firms. |
| Product | Web v1: request form with client-status, compensation and consent; CCO approval queue with pattern flags; disclosure-first widget; snapshots; record export; promoter log; roles; security page. |
| Distribution | 4 guides and 1 checklist download. First consultant partner. |
| Team | Sign a compliance advisor (a CCO or compliance consultant), 0.5–1% equity or a revenue share. |
| Legal | Securities-lawyer review of the disclosure templates. Terms of service with "not legal advice" and firm ownership of disclosures. Cyber and E&O insurance quotes. |
| Pricing | Solo $149, Team $249, Consultant $399 a month. Founding firms keep their price for 24 months. |
| Exit | 5 (8) paying firms, ≥1 consultant partner |
Phase 2: Make it repeatable (Months 4–6) → Gate G3
| Track | Work |
|---|
| Product | Consultant console (multi-firm, white-label export). Annual review reminders. Consent renewal and revocation flow. |
| Distribution | 12 guides and 3 templates live. 3 consultant partners. A recorded walkthrough replaces live demos for solo firms. |
| Ops | Help center, onboarding checklist, templated replies, status page. |
| Metrics | Activation within 14 days, monthly active firms, source of each new firm. |
| Exit | $1k ($1.8k) MRR, ≥70% of paying firms active monthly |
Phase 3: Retention and the second job (Months 7–12) → Gate G4
| Track | Work |
|---|
| Product | Video testimonials with transcripts and flags. CRM-triggered requests for one CRM. Google Business Profile import into the approval queue. |
| Distribution | 3 (5) consultant partners. One adviser-tech podcast or publication feature. A quarterly webinar with the compliance advisor on Marketing Rule updates. |
| Ops | Vendor due-diligence pack (questionnaire answers, subprocessor list, policies) as a download. |
| Exit | $2.5k ($5k) MRR, ≤2.5% monthly logo churn, 3+ (5+) consultant partners |
Phase 4: Scale what works (Months 13–24) → Gate G5
| Track | Work |
|---|
| Product | Third-party ratings module. One RIA website-platform integration (chosen by where paying firms' sites are hosted). Archive export for one archiving vendor. |
| Distribution | Double down on the single best source from months 1–12. One adviser-tech conference in year 2, only if consultants are the main channel. |
| Market | Check state testimonial rules for the 5 largest states. Add state-registered advisers only if the rules match closely. |
| Team | Full-time: a part-time support hire from ~$6k MRR. At ~15 hrs/week: automate first, hire only when support passes 3 hours a week. |
| Checkpoint | Month 18: $4k ($8k) MRR. Missing it means concentrating on the best channel and stopping all new features. |
| Decision at month 24 | $6k ($11k) or more with churn ≤2%: aim for $20k in year 3. $1–6k: run it as a profitable tool, or sell to an adviser-tech vendor. Below $1k: stop. |
| Exit | $6k ($11k) MRR, profitable |
Revenue path (illustrative, not a forecast)
| Month | Paying accounts, ~15 hrs/week | MRR, ~15 hrs/week | Paying accounts, full-time | MRR, full-time |
|---|
| 3 | 5 | ~$0.7k | 8 | ~$1.2k |
| 6 | 7 | ~$1.1k | 11 | ~$1.9k |
| 12 | 15 | ~$2.6k | 28 | ~$5k |
| 18 | 23 | ~$4k | 45 | ~$8.1k |
| 24 | 34 | ~$6k | 62 | ~$11.2k |
| Tier B | ~110 | ~$20k | ~110 | ~$20k |
This assumes blended revenue of ~$150 per account early (mostly Solo firms, founding prices) rising to ~$180 as Team and Consultant accounts grow, monthly logo churn of 1.5–2.5% after month 6, and ≥40% of new firms from consultant partners by month 12. If churn runs above 4%, this path doesn't work. Fix the record and the annual review before spending on growth.
Budget guardrails (bootstrapped)
- Hosting, video, email and tools below 10% of revenue.
- Lawyer review and insurance budgeted from month 1 (~$4–9k in year 1, estimate).
- Zero paid acquisition before the month-6 checkpoint. After it, only channels with payback under 3 months.
- Keep 12 months of personal runway at all times if full-time. If runway falls below 6 months, cut to the core product and the best channel.