How long does Discovery take, end to end?

Two weeks. Week 1 is in-operations work — sitting in calls, reading docs, mapping workflows. Week 2 is synthesis — ranking the install candidates and writing the outcome-eval scope and contract framework. We hand over a written deliverable; no PowerPoint.

What's the difference between $5K and $15K?

Scope. The $5K floor is one portco, one workflow cluster, one outcome-eval scope. The $15K ceiling is fund-wide — multiple portcos, the install-prioritization playbook your OP team uses across the portfolio. Most engagements land in the $7,500–$10,000 band.

Is the Discovery fee credited toward a full engagement?

Yes. If you proceed to an Atlas install within 90 days of Discovery delivery, the full Discovery fee credits against the engagement floor. We've structured it so Discovery is genuinely useful even if you don't proceed — but if you do, you don't pay twice.

What if Discovery surfaces nothing worth installing?

That's a real answer. About 1 in 5 Discoveries we run ends with 'don't install AI in this workflow yet — here's why.' You still get the operational map and the ranked-opportunities document, both of which tend to be useful for non-AI ops planning.

Can we do Discovery under NDA?

Yes — we sign mutual NDAs as standard practice. Healthcare and regulated-industry portcos additionally get a BAA-equivalent scope agreement. Talk to us about anything sensitive before the kickoff call.

§ 02 · Products · Atlas Discovery

A productized audit before any install.

For PE Operating Partners and fund Ops leads who want to see what an Atlas install would actually look like across a portco — before committing the operating partner team's calendar to a 6 to 10 week build.

A 2–3 week diagnostic. We map the portco's operations, rank AI opportunities by leverage and time-to-value, scope an outcome-evaluation framework, and produce a contract framework your OP and the portco's CFO can co-sign. The audit deliverable is yours either way.

Request the audit See full Atlas

§ 01

Pricing

$5,000–$15,000. 2–3 weeks. Audit is yours either way.

Scoped to portco size and operational complexity. We tell you the band on the intake call.

$5,000 – $15,000

One-time · 2–3 week diagnostic

—2 to 3 week diagnostic
—Audit deliverable is yours either way — full Atlas install is optional
—Pilot-extinction defense: outcome-eval scope and OP+CFO contract framing built in

§ 02

What's in the audit

Four deliverables. Built to be installed against.

Operational map

We sit in the portco's operations the way an operator does. Calls, docs, voice notes, the channels where decisions actually happen. Two weeks, no PowerPoint. We come out with a written map of every workflow, every handoff, and every gap.

AI opportunity ranking

Every AI install candidate the audit surfaces gets ranked by leverage (how many workflows it touches), time-to-value (how fast a skill ships), and lift (whether it removes manual work or replaces a vendor). The ranking is what the OP team uses to decide what to install first.

Outcome-eval scope

Atlas Discovery defines what 'this worked' looks like before any code ships. Each ranked opportunity gets an outcome metric, a measurement window, and a fallback path if the metric doesn't move. Outcome-eval scope is what separates an Atlas install from a vendor demo.

OP + CFO co-signed contract framing

The audit deliverable includes a draft contract framework your fund's Operating Partner and the portco's CFO can co-sign — scoped to the install candidates the audit ranked, with budget envelopes and decision rights spelled out.

§ 03

Fit check

Who Discovery is — and isn't — for.

A good fit

+Fund-backed portcos with $5M–$100M ARR where the OP team owns AI rollout decisions
+PE Operating Partners running 5+ portcos who need a standardized install playbook
+Founders/CEOs whose calendar is fully consumed by ops and who can co-sign an AI scope
+Companies with a named operator who'll inherit the install (not 'we'll figure it out')

Not a fit (yet)

−Pre-revenue startups — wait until you have a workflow stable enough to measure
−Organizations mid-merger or in active exec rotation — Discovery is wasted during turbulence
−Buyers shopping for the cheapest provider — we're not the floor, we're the floor that ships
−Teams that want a deck, not an install — we don't write decks

On any "not a fit" signal, we'll tell you on the intake call — we'd rather defer or refer than sell you Discovery you'll regret.

§ 03

Request the audit

Tell us which portco.

We respond within five business days.

§ —

Next step

Atlas Discovery is the entry. The full Atlas is the install.

If the audit lands and the operating partner team and the portco are aligned, the next step is a 6 to 10 week Atlas install. The audit deliverable feeds directly into the install scope — no work is repeated.

See the full Atlas Talk to the founder

§ —

Common questions

How long does Discovery take, end to end?: Two weeks. Week 1 is in-operations work — sitting in calls, reading docs, mapping workflows. Week 2 is synthesis — ranking the install candidates and writing the outcome-eval scope and contract framework. We hand over a written deliverable; no PowerPoint.
What's the difference between $5K and $15K?: Scope. The $5K floor is one portco, one workflow cluster, one outcome-eval scope. The $15K ceiling is fund-wide — multiple portcos, the install-prioritization playbook your OP team uses across the portfolio. Most engagements land in the $7,500–$10,000 band.
Is the Discovery fee credited toward a full engagement?: Yes. If you proceed to an Atlas install within 90 days of Discovery delivery, the full Discovery fee credits against the engagement floor. We've structured it so Discovery is genuinely useful even if you don't proceed — but if you do, you don't pay twice.
What if Discovery surfaces nothing worth installing?: That's a real answer. About 1 in 5 Discoveries we run ends with 'don't install AI in this workflow yet — here's why.' You still get the operational map and the ranked-opportunities document, both of which tend to be useful for non-AI ops planning.
Can we do Discovery under NDA?: Yes — we sign mutual NDAs as standard practice. Healthcare and regulated-industry portcos additionally get a BAA-equivalent scope agreement. Talk to us about anything sensitive before the kickoff call.