How do I know if this is right for my business?
Apply with your situation and I'll recommend the right depth, or tell you directly if none of the tiers match what's needed. Rough signal: if you're B2B, have paying customers, and growth has stopped responding to the fixes you've tried, the work usually applies. If you're pre-product-market-fit or need done-for-you copy execution, this isn't the work.
Which tier should I choose?
Tier 0 fits when you want the research foundation — useful before a reposition, launch, or major messaging refresh. Tier I fits when you want research grounded by diagnosis of how it's currently landing on your surfaces — this is the most chosen because it identifies the actual bottleneck. Tier II fits when you want research, diagnosis, and full strategic messaging guidelines your team will execute. If you're unsure, apply with your situation — I'll recommend the right level or tell you directly if none are a fit.
How much of my time does this require?
Less than most consulting engagements. For Tier 0, expect one 60-minute kickoff call, occasional questions during research (async), and a 60-minute readout call. For Tier I, add one 30-minute check-in mid-engagement. For Tier II, expect two additional strategic sessions during the messaging strategy phase. Buyer interviews are conducted by me, not you — that's part of the value. Your team doesn't need to be involved unless you want them to be.
What do I need to have ready before we start?
Access to a customer list for interviews (5–7 recent customers, ideally including some who considered you and chose otherwise). Access to your analytics if you have them. And a clear description of what you've already tried and what didn't work. That's most of what's needed. Everything else comes out of the research.
Why is everything 50% off right now?
Founding phase. I'm building a portfolio of case studies based on actual outcomes, not theory. In exchange for the reduced rate, I ask for honest feedback after implementation and permission to publish anonymized case studies where appropriate. After this phase, pricing returns to standard rates.
Does the engagement include copywriting?
No. My scope is behavioral research, diagnosis, and strategic messaging guidelines. Your team — internal copywriter, contractor, or agency — owns execution. The work produces detailed strategic direction that removes guesswork from copy decisions: what to say, why, in what order, grounded in specific research findings. What it doesn't produce is finished copy ready to publish. That's a deliberate scope choice — strategy and execution are different disciplines.
Does this apply to AI search visibility?
Yes, directly. AI-generated answers surface brands based on language-pattern matching across public mentions — reviews, forums, articles, your own site. The technical AEO consultants optimize what shows up on your site. This work maps what shows up everywhere else, which is where AI actually looks. The buyer research produces the language your market uses, which is the same language AI needs to see repeated across surfaces to surface you consistently.
What if I'm not happy with the direction?
The 60-minute readout call after research (Tier 0) and the 90-minute readout call after diagnosis (Tier I and II) are structured specifically to catch alignment issues before we go further. If the direction isn't right, we adjust before you invest more time in it. For Tier II specifically, the messaging strategy phase includes one round of revision built in. If we're fundamentally misaligned after research, I'll say so and refund the remaining balance rather than proceed with work that won't serve you.
What's the difference between the app and the consulting?
The app at deepbrandcode.app is a self-service AI-powered version of the behavioral research work — designed for founders who want to run their own buyer research at lower cost. It generates a behavioral buyer profile from public sources. The consulting is done-with-you work: I conduct real buyer interviews, run the diagnosis personally, and produce custom strategic messaging guidelines. Different depth. Different scope. Different price points.
How is this different from a positioning workshop?
Workshop-driven positioning optimizes for internal team consensus. It's a legitimate approach when leadership alignment is the primary problem. My work optimizes for buyer language accuracy — the actual vocabulary and framings your market uses. Different failure modes, different fixes. Workshop positioning tends to get rewritten within eighteen months because the language wasn't grounded in research. Research-grounded positioning survives longer because the language was validated against how buyers actually describe their situation before it was written.
