The Founder Upgrade

For founders and entrepreneurs running $500K to $50M+ businesses.

YOU KNOW SOMETHING’S OFF. LET’S FIND IT.

Strategic advisory for founders who have built something real, and know they’re leaving money, time, or opportunity on the table. But can’t see exactly where.

26 years advising founders. Clients across EU, US, Middle East, and Asia.

The problem.

You see a hundred problems. But which one actually matters?

Revenue is good. Maybe even great. But profit isn’t where it should be. You’re working more than you want to. Growth has slowed.

You feel it in your gut: something’s wrong. But when you try to fix it, you end up chasing ten things at once. Nothing moves.

The problem isn’t that you don’t work hard enough. The problem is you’re too close to see clearly.

You need someone who can look at your business with fresh eyes. Someone who’s seen dozens of businesses like yours. Someone who can cut through the noise and say: “This. Fix this first.”

Free diagnostic.

Why are you really stuck?

It’s not what you think. Take the two-minute test and discover which of the Founder Traps is keeping you from your next level.

7 questions. 2 minutes. Brutal clarity.

Three ways to work together.

Choose your level of partnership.

From a 2-hour diagnosis to a year-long co-pilot relationship. Start where you are. Go where you need to go.

Entry point.

Upgrade Audit.

$5,000

2 hours to find the bottleneck that's costing you the most.

A surgical diagnosis. You walk away with clarity on the ONE thing that will unlock the most value in your business. Plus a written report with exactly what to do next.

  • 2-hour deep-dive session
  • Identification of your #1 priority
  • Written report within 72 hours
  • Concrete action plan

Best for: Founders who know something's off but can't pinpoint the real priority.

Book your audit

Core program.

90-Day Strategic Sprint.

$25,000

90 days to fix your biggest constraint, with me in your corner.

We pick ONE problem, the one that will unlock the most value, and solve it together. Not "let's talk about everything." Focused execution with bi-weekly sessions and direct access.

  • 3-hour kick-off session
  • 6 bi-weekly strategic sessions
  • Direct WhatsApp access
  • One problem, one focus, one result

Best for: Founders ready to solve a specific problem, margins, team, sales, delegation, in 90 days.

Apply for the sprint

Top tier.

Annual Advisory.

$75,000

Your strategic co-pilot for the year ahead.

For founders who need ongoing strategic partnership. Someone who knows your business intimately, who's available when it matters, who helps you navigate complexity all year long.

  • 2 strategic sessions per month
  • Direct access for critical decisions
  • Quarterly 3-hour review sessions
  • Continuous context, no re-explaining

Best for: Founders with $3M-50M+ businesses who want a permanent thinking partner.

Apply for advisory

Not sure where to start?

Upgrade Audit

$5,000

90-Day Sprint

$25,000

Annual Advisory

$75,000

Most clients start with the Audit. The best ones stay for the Advisory.

Still not sure? Take the free Founder’s Trap Test

Is this right for you?

This isn’t for everyone.

This is for you if:

  • You run a business generating $500K to $50M+ and know something's holding you back
  • You're too close to your own business to see the real priority
  • You value brutal honesty over comfortable reassurance
  • You're ready to act, not just think

This is NOT for you if:

  • You're looking for someone to tell you what you want to hear
  • You want theory without execution
  • You're not ready for honest, direct feedback
  • You think you already have all the answers

Results.

What happens when you see clearly.

Leonardo

$30K/month to $1.5M/month

Over 6 years, every major decision, strategic and personal, has been a conversation between us.

Giovanni

$200M family business

Weekly calls to navigate family, strategy, and growth where one wrong move affects generations.

Ferruccio

Navigated $1M+ debt crisis

From pharmacist to supplements company. Through crisis and out the other side. Still thriving.

Ryan

$3M/month at 25

The voice that prevented expensive mistakes, protection from his own enthusiasm.

The books.

The thinking, in book form.

Over 200,000 copies sold across my business books. These two are the operating system behind the advisory.

THE
FOUNDER

UPGRADE

Small changes, big results.

Piernicola De Maria

Available now.

The Founder Upgrade.

Thirteen chapters on the small upgrades that compound into a different company. Decisions, time, systems, growth. Read the opening chapter free.

Read an excerpt

DELEGATE
THE

NOISE

Coming, 2026.

Piernicola De Maria

Coming, 2026.

Delegate The Noise.

Move the busywork to agents and operators. Keep the work only you can do. The delegation book, rewritten for the AI-agent era.

Get notified

Ready?

Stop guessing. Start knowing.

Two hours. $5,000. Complete clarity on your #1 priority. The cost of the Audit is $5,000. The cost of continuing to guess? Much higher.