STATUS (2026-08-08): Hockey Stick folded into Hard Calls as the implementation tier. No longer a standalone brand. See Hockey Stick folded into Hard Calls as the implementation tier.
AI-native operations studio: rebuilds how companies capture context, run workflows, and deploy agents. “Leverage, not headcount.”
- Folded into Hard Calls as of 2026-08-08. Standalone launch cancelled.
- What was the Hockey Stick product is now the implementation/deployment tier inside the Hard Calls offer stack.
- The AI clone expert network (original core concept) is deprioritized to a long-term bet.
- Original offer ladder (for historical context): Founding Stack (free) -> Readiness Sprint (2-4 weeks, fixed fee) -> ongoing buildout.
- Three pillars: 01 company brain, 02 agents & workflows, 03 operating cadence (still relevant as Hard Calls implementation tiers).
- Rye Valley itself is the reference implementation (this vault is pillar 01 dogfooded).
Positioning notes (2026-07-29, from the Rye Valley self-install)
Proof asset: Rye Valley installed its own full system overnight. First brain commit 2:14am, 95% complete by 6:42am ET, 40 commits, founder + agent, ~30-40 min of founder hands-on time. The commit log of RyeValley/brain is a replayable install record and the opening-slide proof (“we run this ourselves, here’s the log”).
Sales framing (honest-ladder version; do NOT promise clients the 4.5h number):
- Day 1: “Your company brain exists by end of day 1.” Defensible for nearly every client: vault structure, seeded entity pages, first decision logged, git history started, first capture feed (meeting recorder) live. Real showable artifact vs a consultancy kickoff deck.
- Week 1-2: “Your tools are wired in, at the pace your team hands us keys.” Honest about the real constraint (client latency, not build time) and puts speed in the client’s hands.
- Week 4: “Your first leverage scoreboard with a month of trend.” The compounding proof.
The gap between Rye Valley’s 4.5 hours and a normal client’s 2 weeks is itself the demo: AI-native operating speed vs normal-company latency is the product thesis.
Install-speed observations for client estimates: founder response latency is the bottleneck, not build time. Fast variables: pre-existing tool credentials on hand, same-day OAuth clicks, decision-maker in the loop. Slow variables: key generation across many vendor UIs, OAuth flows needing the client’s browser, plan-tier API gating (e.g. Squarespace, Apollo search), vendors with no self-serve API (Thera).
Domains (verified 2026-08-01)
- Production site: hockeystickstudio.com. NOT BUILT yet: domain currently shows a Squarespace parking/Coming Soon page. Instrument analytics at build time.
- hockeystick-seven.vercel.app is only the old demo
Live views: Hockey Stick
Decisions
| Date | Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-15 | Hockey Stick Workshop Signups: Auto-Add to Attio, Michael as Default Owner | decided |
| 2026-09-02 | Michael Houck is the brand. Hard Calls is the ethos. Hockey Stick is the brain. | decided |
| 2026-08-08 | Hockey Stick folded into Hard Calls as the implementation tier | superseded |
Recent meetings
| Date | Name | Attendees |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-14 | Houck & Ben (Ben Gusberg, Cape) | Michael Houck, Ben Gusberg |
| 2026-10-06 | Hockey Stick Sync | Michael Houck, Rafael (Rye Valley) |
Playbooks
| Name | Owner | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| State of the Business: September 2026 | Michael Houck | 2026-10-01 |