Who this is for
Anyone about to buy a subscription, hire a configurator, or request a custom build — and anyone comparing vendor quotes. No named bottleneck? Do Module 03 first. Tiers mean nothing without a job attached.
Read the three tiers
About read, 5 min
Tap a tier to see what it covers. Ranges below calibrate expectations only — real quotes are fixed-price after a scoping doc.
Try this
Before tapping anything, guess: which tier is your bottleneck? Write it down. Then tap through all three.
You should see: whether your guess survives contact with the definitions. Most shop bottlenecks land Tier 1 — if yours did, that's money kept.
Tier 1 — Off-the-shelf, you run it
ChatGPT/Claude, Make, and tools you already pay for, used with discipline. This is where Modules 04 and 05 live. Most shops should wring this tier dry before spending another dollar.
Tier 2 — Configured workflows, someone wires it
A builder connects tools you already pay for: CRM wiring, missed-call text-back setup, form-to-dispatch flows. Setup often lands ~$1.5k–$5k; ongoing varies. Demand a fixed price and a scoping doc — no open-ended retainer fog.
Tier 3 — Custom software, built for the job
Purpose-built apps or agents: permit packets, inventory-aware dealer chat, dispatch boards. Builds often run ~$3k–$25k+ depending on scope. Only justified by a unique workflow plus a measurable ROI line — and a named adoption owner.
Map your bottleneck
About 15 min
Work through all seven lines. The table is an editable preview — fill it here or grab the canonical PDF:
↓ Download the tier worksheet (PDF)
| # | Question | Your answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bottleneck one-liner (from your brief) | |
| 2 | Hours/week it costs (log or honest estimate) | |
| 3 | What “good” looks like in 90 days | |
| 4 | Can Tier 1 tools + habit solve ≥80%? Why? | |
| 5 | If no: smallest Tier 2 integration? | |
| 6 | If still no: what makes this Tier 3 (unique workflow + ROI)? | |
| 7 | Adoption owner (name) — if blank, don't spend |
Write the decision line
About 5 min
Pick exactly one. Write it on a sticky note, literally or otherwise:
Decision lines — choose one
- → Tier 1 for 30 days; revisit on ___.
- → Tier 2 quote for ___ only; max budget ___.
- → Tier 3 only if ROI line ___ holds; otherwise no.
- → Don't spend — fix ___ first.
Do this week
- Tier 1: buy or start one tool and assign the owner.
- Tier 2/3: book a free consult with the brief attached, or get a fixed-price scope — no open-ended retainer fog.
- Don't spend: schedule the process fix instead. Put it on the calendar tonight.
Success check
- Tier chosen or “don't spend” written
- Adoption owner named — or spend blocked
- Decision line fits on one sticky note
Common failure modes
| Failure | Fix |
|---|---|
| Jumping to Tier 3 for a Tier-1-sized job | Force the Tier 1 trial first |
| Budget with no owner | No owner → no spend |
| Vendor “it depends” with no ranges | Demand a scoping doc / walk away |
| Ignoring adoption cost | Budget time for training + docs |
When to stop / don't buy yet
Solo or low-volume shop: wring Tier 1 before paying for configuration. No measurable line item to remove or revenue to unlock → no custom build. Dashboard-of-everything and generic website chatbots are the common traps — skip unless live data + handoff are real.
Adapted from the field note “What AI actually costs a small business in 2026.”
Write code in a terminal? There's a separate 7-lesson track for installing coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Hermes) — same Academy, different path.
Book the free 30-minute consult with your brief + decision line attached. Fixed price after scoping — or an honest “Tier 1 will do.”