What “done” looks like

You can say “yes” to these statements:

• I know my most likely independence model (Solo RIA, Supported Independence, Aggregator, Hybrid, etc.).

• I know what I’m optimizing for (control, economics, speed, support, equity, lifestyle, growth).

• I have a realistic picture of what I’ll own vs outsource in Year 1.

• I know the 3–5 “non-negotiables” that my model must satisfy.

The 7 decisions you must make (in order)

1. Your target firm experience
   What you want clients to feel, how you want to deliver advice, what you want your team to focus on.

2. Your operating posture
   Do you want to build systems… or buy them? (And how much time do you actually have?)

3. Your compliance reality
   Who is responsible? Who reviews? Who signs off? How much “structure” do you need?

4. Your investment management posture
   In-house? Outsourced? Model marketplace? TAMP? (This affects staffing + tech + pricing.)

5. Your economics posture
   Highest take-home vs lowest friction vs best long-term value. There is no free lunch.

6. Your growth posture
   Are you building for $100M, $250M, $500M+? The “right” model can change as you scale.

7. Your transition posture
   Fast and clean vs slow and cautious. Risk tolerance matters.

Use this decision lens (quick scoring)

Score each model you’re considering 1–5 on:

• Control (brand, client experience, pricing, tech)

• Support (ops, compliance, transition help)

• Economics (take-home + ongoing costs)

• Time/Complexity (what you can carry while producing)

• Growth path (what changes at 12–24 months)

If a model wins on economics but loses on complexity, it’s usually a trap for a busy producer.

Common traps in this phase

• Picking a model because it’s popular on LinkedIn.

• Over-indexing on payout while ignoring ongoing overhead and time burden.

• Underestimating compliance lift and data migration complexity.

• Buying tech before deciding the operating model.

Do this in the next 48 hours (action checklist)

• Write your “why now” in one paragraph (keep it practical, not emotional).

• Define your top 3 non-negotiables.

• Run your numbers (rough is fine).

• Identify 2–3 models to compare (not 10).

• Use the decision lens and pick a front-runner.

Tools + pages to use in this phase

• Independence Pathfinder (to narrow your likely model)

• RIA Calculator (to validate take-home + economics)

• Transition Readiness Assessment (to pressure-test timing + risk)

Next step

When you can name your model, your non-negotiables, and your constraints, you’re ready for Phase 2: Plan.