// The Method

A six-phase rhythm for AI venture formation.

The First Wedge Method is the same across Studio, Enterprise, and Guild. It exists to make one hard thing routine: deciding whether an AI wedge deserves the next dollar.

  1. 01
    Framing
    One problem. One user. One workflow. One falsifiable AI hypothesis. Written down in the wedge document — before anyone builds.
  2. 02
    Sprint
    Two-week build. Working prototype against real data. One operator, one builder, one designer, one domain expert. No committees.
  3. 03
    Pilot
    Three-week pilot with real users. Evidence captured continuously: cost, quality, cycle-time, refusal rate, user reaction.
  4. 04
    Signal
    Weekly signal review. Named signals only — no dashboards without an owner. Kill criteria checked live.
  5. 05
    Decision
    A signed decision record at week six: scale, spin out, or stop. No drift. No permanent side projects.
  6. 06
    Scale · Spinout · Stop
    Scale inside Studio or Enterprise, spin out as an independent company with equity to Guild contributors, or stop with a written note that feeds the next wedge.