Introductory Resources
Foundational Reading for Architecture Practice Owners
These resources are intended to support early reflection. They are written for architecture practice owners who are beginning to think about issues such as founder dependency, exit readiness, and long-term sustainability, but who may not yet be facing immediate decisions.
They are not advisory engagements and they are not substitutes for deeper strategic work. Their purpose is to introduce key ideas, language, and questions that often underpin later decisions.
For some readers, this level of orientation is sufficient. For others, it clarifies where further thinking may be required.
Private email access
These resources sit alongside the Beyond the Blueprint newsletter.
Join the private email list to receive companion insights, tools, and future frameworks — some of which are not shared on LinkedIn.
How to use these guides
Each guide focuses on a specific aspect of practice ownership. They are designed to work independently, but together they form a coherent view of the architecture business lifecycle.
You do not need to read them in order. Start with the topic that best reflects where you are today.
How These Resources Fit Within My Work
These introductory resources sit at the base of my work.
They are designed to:
-
introduce common structural themes,
-
encourage reflection without pressure,
-
and provide language for thinking about complex issues early.
Where decisions become more interconnected, time-sensitive, or consequential, the toolkits and advisory work provide greater depth and context.
There is no expectation that these resources lead to further engagement. They exist to be useful on their own.
A Note on Use
These materials are best read slowly and revisited over time.
They are not intended to provide answers, but to improve the quality of questions being asked.
The Business Exit Checklist
A practical framework for owners thinking about exit, timing and optionality
This guide helps you assess whether your practice is structurally prepared for exit, not just financially, but operationally and strategically.
It is designed to challenge assumptions and highlight risks that are often overlooked until it is too late.→ wnload
Download the Guide
The Founder Dependency Diagnostic
How exposed is your practice if you step back?
Founder dependency is one of the most common, and least discussed, constraints in architecture practices.
This diagnostic helps you identify where dependency exists, how severe it is, and what it means for growth, value and exit options.
Download the Guide
Growing by Acquisition
A strategic guide for owners considering acquisition as a growth pathway
This guide explores acquisition as a deliberate growth strategy for architecture practices.
It focuses on judgement, structure and alignment rather than deal mechanics, and is written for owners who want to grow without losing control or culture.
Download the Guide
Designed for Legacy
A guide for owners planning succession, continuity and long-term value
Legacy is not created at the point of exit. It is created in the years before.
This guide explores succession, continuity and ownership transition, and helps owners think clearly about what they want their practice to become beyond them.
Download the Guide
Design OPS
Designing operational systems that support growth, leadership and long-term value
Operations are not administration. They are architecture.
This guide reframes operational systems as a design discipline and explores how well-designed workflows, accountability and information flow create resilience, clarity and freedom for owners.
Download the Guide