How It Works

The 4C Framework.
Built from real work,
not whitepapers.

Every Clear Stack engagement follows the same four steps — Catalog, Consolidate, Connect, Coach. Here's exactly what happens, when, and why.

The Methodology

Four steps. Every engagement. Every time.

01
C

Catalog

We map every AI tool in your organization with the precision of a financial audit — what it costs, who uses it, how often, and what it actually produces. Most companies are genuinely shocked by what we find.

Not because they made bad decisions, but because AI adoption moved faster than visibility did.

⏱ Weeks 1–2

What we deliver

  • Complete AI tool inventory with costs and usage data
  • Redundancy map — tools doing the same job
  • Shadow stack audit — unsanctioned subscriptions
  • Total annual AI spend, line by line
  • Department-level breakdown with owner names
02
C

Consolidate

We eliminate redundancy, keep the best tool for each function, and negotiate better terms where leverage exists. The stack gets smaller. The monthly bill drops. The output goes up.

This is where most clients see their first clear ROI number — and it's usually larger than expected.

⏱ Weeks 3–5

What we deliver

  • Recommended consolidated stack with justification for each decision
  • Cancellation plan for redundant tools
  • Vendor negotiation playbook
  • Projected annual savings, modeled and documented
  • Governance policy to prevent future shadow sprawl
03
C

Connect

We build Make.com automation workflows connecting your surviving tools — data flows between platforms, handoffs happen automatically, and the manual steps costing your team hours get eliminated.

Every workflow is built to be understood and maintained by your team. You own it from day one.

⏱ Weeks 5–10

What we deliver

  • Custom Make.com automation workflows, fully tested
  • CRM, communication, and operational tool integrations
  • Data flow diagrams for each workflow
  • Error handling and monitoring setup
  • Full technical documentation your team can follow
04
C

Coach

We train your team until they can run the system without us — because the best outcome of this engagement is that you don't need us anymore. We document everything and stay available 30 days post-handoff.

Every question gets a straight answer. No ticket system, no offshore support queue.

⏱ Weeks 10–13

What we deliver

  • Team training sessions (recorded and indexed)
  • Step-by-step runbooks for every workflow
  • 30-day post-handoff support window
  • Recommended monitoring cadence
  • Quarterly review framework for ongoing optimization
Typical Engagement

90 days to a clear,
connected stack.

Weeks 1–2
Catalog
Full stack audit, cost mapping, redundancy identification
Weeks 3–5
Consolidate
Stack decisions made, cancellations executed, savings locked
Weeks 5–10
Connect
Automations built, tested, and deployed in your environment
Weeks 10–13
Coach
Team training, documentation, handoff, 30-day support
After
You own it
Retainer available if you want ongoing optimization
Common Questions

Questions we get
on every first call.

How do you handle tools we're locked into long-term contracts for?+
We work with what you have. The Catalog phase identifies contracts, expiry dates, and cancellation clauses. Consolidation is sequenced around your actual exit dates — we don't recommend cuts that create liability. We build your roadmap around the real timeline, not the ideal one.
Do we need a technical team internally for this to work?+
No. We've run engagements with companies that have dedicated IT departments and companies where the most technical person is the founder on a MacBook. Marcus builds everything to be maintained without developer knowledge — that's a requirement, not a nice-to-have.
What if we only want the audit and not the full implementation?+
That's a valid engagement. We do Catalog-only audits where we map your stack, identify waste, and hand you a prioritized consolidation roadmap. You implement it yourself or bring us back for Connect later. Scope is always your call.
How do you guarantee ROI?+
If we don't identify savings or efficiency gains that justify the engagement fee within the Catalog phase, we'll tell you before proceeding. We don't take engagements we can't win. For DFY implementations, if the system doesn't work as specified at handoff, we keep working until it does.
What size company is the right fit?+
The sweet spot is 50–500 employees — small enough that decisions can move quickly, large enough that tool sprawl has had time to compound. We've worked with companies as small as 30 people with surprising complexity and as large as 2,000 with surprisingly clean stacks.
Start Here

Ready to run
the 4C Framework?

Book a free 30-minute audit call and we'll start the Catalog phase on your stack before the call even ends.

⬤  Currently accepting Q3 2026 engagements — limited slots per month

Book Free Stack Audit Buy the Playbook — $49 No commitment required