6-lesson course · about 2 hours

Decide what to cut or delay when the budget shrinks and the deadline moves up

For CEOs, founders, managing directors, business owners and senior leaders

A focused two-hour course. Use AI to lay out three to four realistic scenarios, see what each sacrifices in scope, quality and commitments, and make a defensible call within days.

Try lesson 1 free See what you’ll learn

What you’ll be able to do

By the end, you can…

Agree on the real constraintsTurn the budget cut and the new deadline into exact figures and a specific date, starting from what is already spent or committed, and write a short constraint statement your leadership team can confirm or correct.

Lay out three to four real optionsSort every project into fixed, delayable, reducible or cuttable, then build three to four scenarios that fit the new limits and are genuinely different from each other.

Use AI to draft and check, not to decideHave AI draft each scenario from your own figures and list every assumption it made, then check its numbers and dates against your spreadsheet and mark each assumption as confirmed, wrong or to be checked.

Compare options on the same termsPut every scenario through the same criteria: what is cut or delayed, what quality drops and which commitments are at risk. Learn to spot a scenario that only looks good because it leaves out a cost.

Make clear who decides and by whenName the decision owner, the people to consult and the date the call must be made.

Write a one-page decision briefState your recommendation, the costs you accept with it, and why you chose it over the alternatives.

How it works

A tutor that meets you where you are

Lessons that adapt to your levelSix lessons across two modules. Later lessons are written for your level as you reach them, so you spend time on what you need rather than what you already know.
An AI tutor you can ask anythingType or speak your questions at any point. Ask how a step applies to your own projects, or for another example from a business like yours.
Quizzes and flashcards for each lessonShort quizzes and flashcards tied to each lesson help you check your understanding and keep the key steps in mind.
Progress tracking and a certificateSee where you are in the course and pick up where you left off. Receive a certificate of completion when you finish.

Curriculum

The curriculum

The course follows the order you would work through a real budget and deadline squeeze: first fix the constraints and what can move, then use AI to test, compare and decide.

Module 1Set the Constraints and Separate What Can Move3 lessons

1Turn the Budget Cut and New Deadline into Agreed Constraints
- Calculate the new available budget from the original budget, the amount lost and the amount already spent or committed
- State the new deadline as a specific date and list the deliverables that must be ready by then
- Write a one-paragraph constraint statement your leadership team can confirm or correct
- Spot ambiguous wording such as 'about 20% less' or 'sometime in Q3' and replace it with exact figures
2Separate Fixed Commitments from Work That Can Move
- Classify every item on your project list as fixed, delayable, reducible or cuttable
- Explain for each fixed item who the commitment is to and what happens if it is missed
- Identify dependencies where moving one item breaks a commitment elsewhere
3Lay Out Three to Four Realistic Scenarios
- Draft three to four scenarios that each fit within the agreed budget and deadline
- Describe each scenario in one sentence that states its main choice
- Check that the scenarios are genuinely different rather than variations of the same plan

Module 2Use AI to Test, Compare and Decide3 lessons

4Draft and Stress-Test Scenarios with AI Safely
- Prepare a scenario input that excludes board, acquisition and employee details not cleared for the tool
- Write a prompt that asks the AI to draft each of your scenarios in full from your constraints and project list and to list every assumption it made
- Run a stress-test that asks the AI what breaks each scenario, and record the weak points it finds
- Check each AI-drafted figure and date against your spreadsheet, and mark each assumption as confirmed, wrong or to be checked, with a named person to check it
5Compare Scenarios on Scope, Quality and Commitments at Risk
- Build a comparison table that applies the same criteria to every scenario
- Write for each scenario what is cut or delayed, what quality is lowered and which commitments are at risk
- Spot where a scenario's appeal comes from leaving out a cost or condition
6Assign the Decision and Write a One-Page Decision Brief
- Name the decision owner, the people to consult and the date by which the call must be made
- Write a one-page decision brief with a clear recommendation and the costs it accepts
- Explain why the recommended scenario was chosen over the alternatives

Who it’s for

Made for you if…

Made for: CEOs, founders, managing directors, business owners and senior leaders

A founder whose funding round came in smaller than planned

You have several projects with named owners and need to decide which to cut, delay or shrink without breaking promises to key customers or investors.

A managing director whose client moved a delivery date earlier

You need to see quickly which work can slip, what quality you would be trading away and which commitments are genuinely at risk.

A business owner who has used AI only for drafting emails

You want to use an AI tool to model decisions with your own numbers, while keeping control of the judgment and keeping sensitive details out of tools that are not approved.

Questions

Good to know

How long does the course take?

It is designed as a focused course of about two hours, in six self-paced lessons.

What do I need before I start?

A current list of your projects or initiatives with owners, budgets and deadlines, comfort reading and editing a basic spreadsheet, basic familiarity with a general AI chat tool, and access to an AI tool your company has approved for confidential business information.

Which AI tool should I use?

Use one your company has approved for confidential business information. The course does not compare or recommend AI vendors or products.

How does the course handle confidential information?

Lesson 4 shows you how to prepare a scenario input that leaves out board, acquisition and employee details that are not cleared for the tool you are using.

Will I end up with something I can use right away?

Yes. Working through the lessons with your own figures, you produce a constraint statement, a set of scenarios, a comparison table and a one-page decision brief for your leadership team.

Does it cover layoffs or detailed financial modeling?

No. Layoff, employment law and redundancy procedures are outside the scope, as are detailed financial modeling, accounting and tax treatment.

Is this about long-range strategy?

No. It focuses on one immediate decision: what to cut, delay or reduce under a smaller budget and a shorter deadline. Long-range strategy and company-wide planning are not covered.

Make a defensible cut-or-delay decision within days

$47

One payment · lifetime access

Six self-paced lessons in two modules, about two hours in total
Lessons that adapt to your level as you progress
An AI tutor you can ask anything, typed or out loud
Quizzes and flashcards tied to each lesson
Step-by-step guidance to produce a constraint statement, scenario comparison table and one-page decision brief
Progress tracking and a certificate of completion

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Refunds: Full refund if you ask before you open your first lesson. Once you’ve started, purchases aren’t refundable, except where the law gives you that right.

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