Frequently Asked Questions

In this blog entry in our Medium publication Luminescence, I wrote about why I decided to strike out on my own as an independent consultant - and why I decided to name my firm Deep Sea Strategy.

A shepherd is tending his flock. 

A city slicker rolls up in his BMW, hops out and asks: "Hey, if I tell you exactly how many sheep you have, can I take one?" 

The shepherd nods, so the city slicker opens his laptop, calls up some satellite photos, runs some algorithms, and announces, "You have 1,432 sheep."

Impressed, the shepherd says, "You're right! Go ahead and take one." 

So the city slicker loads one of the animals into the backseat of his car. 

"Now," says the shepherd, "I'll bet all my sheep against your car that I can tell you what you do for a living."

A gaming sort, the city slicker says, "Sure."

"You're a consultant," says the shepherd.

"Wow!" says the consultant. "How'd you know?"

"Well" says the shepherd, "you came here without being called.  You charged me a fee I could ill afford. You told me something I already knew. And you don't know anything about my business....

Now, give me back my DOG."

The world certainly doesn't need more consultants like these.

I don't drive a flashy car - and never will.

I will engage with you as a client only if you feel you will benefit from my involvement.

I will deliver value well above whatever you end up paying me.

I will complement and supplement your existing capabilities - not replace them.

I will bring specific functional expertise and net new insights - to the table.

I will invest the time I need to get to know you, your team, your firm - and your business.

You will never have to ask for your dog back.

Early in my career, I spent 5 years working for large consulting companies - BCG and Capgemini.  I learned the basics of the consulting craft there.  I have a lot of respect for the work these firms do on behalf of their clients.  However, their business model requires them to focus on larger clients who can afford to pay their rates.  By working independently, I can support firms in every stage of growth - in the different ways each deserves to be served.

Through my career, I've been employed by startups in hypergrowth that were less than $100m in annual revenue - and mature corporate behemoths that were over $300bn in annual revenue.  I've worked for firms that were headquartered in North America, Europe and Asia.  I've worked for and consulted with leading companies in the consulting, software, financial services, retail, ecommerce and healthcare industries.   I've worked on strategy, business development, merchandising, marketing and digital/IT teams.  I've been an individual contributor - and the leader of a large team with over a 100 employees and contractors and a $30m budget.  I pride myself in being able to adapt to the needs of any client situation.

Most recently, I've found a lot of success in working with firms that are looking to scale their digital businesses by improving their customer experiences or their customer acquisition/retention approaches.  Most of my clients are medium-sized firms in growth mode, with a B2C component to their marketing and customer experience.  Given my ties and experience in both the US and India, I'm particularly well positioned to support firms that have a footprint in both geographies.  However, as I said above - I'm excited to serve a diversity of clients and needs.

During my professional career, I've worked in fully in-office, hybrid and fully remote contexts.  I've led teams that were entirely located in a single office - and geographically dispersed across continents.  As an independent consultant, I've successfully served clients separated by several time zones.  I believe that great collaboration depends more on effective communication than on colocation.  Through a thoughtful application of best practices - leveraging the latest research on remote work and the latest and greatest in collaboration technology - I ensure that I'm always on the same page as my clients and teams.

Rather than describe it myself, I trust what others have said about my style over the years.  Please check out  my LinkedIn Recommendations.

I will work with your budget constraints to come up with a financial arrangement that works for both parties.  My goal is to find a way to be of service to you and deliver high-impact work.  To that end, I work with a number of different compensation models.  I frequently work on a fractional basis (x hours/week) or on a retainer basis ($x/month).   However, I will also be honest with you if my services are not a good fit for your needs.  If we cannot work together now, I hope we will get a chance to work together in the future.

Let's talk right away - please schedule a call to discuss.  Together, we'll brainstorm the challenge or opportunity you are wrestling with and figure out a way forward.