Question 1

How is Arkus structured? Where do I start?

Accepted Answer

Three public entry points, chosen by the decision in front of you. Evaluate one venture or product: the Startup Diagnostic, delivered in five business days. Compare a portfolio or pipeline: the Portfolio Diagnostic, sized to your portfolio. Put AI to work in one workflow: the AI Workflow Sprint, which starts by assessing the workflow and runs 2 to 4 weeks, with a working pilot live by week three. Larger enterprise projects start with an enterprise Assessment, and Innovation Compass programs are sized after that assessment and a review of the evidence. Insider, the AI Operating System, Outreach Engine, and the platforms (Cipher, Index, Arkus AI) support those projects.

Question 2

Which entry point should I start with?

Accepted Answer

Depends on the decision. Founders and startup teams usually start with the Startup Diagnostic. Investors, tech transfer offices, and family offices start with the Portfolio Diagnostic. Enterprises, family businesses, and SMEs start with the AI Workflow Sprint when the decision is about a single workflow, or with an enterprise Assessment when the question covers the whole portfolio. The audience sections on the homepage point you to the starting point that matches the decision.

Question 3

What happens after a project? Do I have to buy the next one?

Accepted Answer

No. Each project ends with a recommendation for the right next step, if the evidence supports moving forward. Some clients stop after a Diagnostic. Some move into a Sprint. Some qualify for enterprise Compass work. Insider helps you stay connected between projects, but it is not how enterprise work is priced.

Question 4

What is the enterprise Assessment?

Accepted Answer

The starting point for enterprise work. Before Arkus proposes a full program, we run a fixed-scope assessment covering your portfolio, workflows, and real-world constraints, and give you a clear read with a recommended next step. Compass and full enterprise programs are sized after that assessment, not before. It keeps both sides honest: you commit to a limited evaluation, not an open-ended transformation.

Question 5

How do I qualify for Innovation Compass?

Accepted Answer

Compass is sized after a first call and a review of the evidence, usually after an enterprise Assessment, a Portfolio Diagnostic, or a Sprint that shows a good fit. Book an enterprise call through Talk to Arkus to start that conversation.

Question 6

How is a project sized?

Accepted Answer

Before work begins, we agree on the decision, what you get, the timeline, and who does what. Book a 30-minute call to talk through your needs; Arkus will recommend what to include and send a proposal.

Question 7

Can I request a vendor packet?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Procurement teams, TTOs, and institutional buyers can request a vendor packet through Talk to Arkus: capability statement, sample SOW, data-use summary, security overview, retention policy, how we deliver, and sample deliverables.

Question 8

What is included in Arkus Insider?

Accepted Answer

Insider is a flexible membership. It includes automatic access to Cipher (pitch deck and deal review), Index (innovation risk scoring), and Arkus AI (plain-language questions and answers), the Weekly Insider Briefing delivered Mondays via email, a monthly live session with Chandler and the Arkus team, a quarterly 1:1 with an Arkus analyst, and access to the segmented Insider community. Insider keeps you connected between projects; it is not the starting point for enterprise work.

Question 9

Can I cancel Insider anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Manage or cancel the monthly plan through the billing portal. Access continues through the end of the paid billing period.

Question 10

How does self-serve billing work for Insider?

Accepted Answer

Insider subscriptions start on the Arkus Insider checkout page. Once you pay through Stripe, the member portal turns on access to Cipher, Index, and Arkus AI.

Question 11

How is Startup Diagnostic different from Portfolio Diagnostic?

Accepted Answer

Startup Diagnostic looks at one venture and is built for founders making a decision about their own company. Portfolio Diagnostic typically covers 8+ initiatives, sized to your portfolio, and is built for investors, TTOs, and family offices comparing several initiatives. It reads the portfolio as a whole, not just a stack of separate reviews. Both use the same five dimensions and the Teixeira Framework, our four possible recommendations: Accelerate, Incubate, Develop, or Watch.

Question 12

What does each Accelerate, Incubate, Develop, or Watch recommendation mean?

Accepted Answer

These are the four possible recommendations in the Teixeira Framework. Accelerate means the evidence is strong: move ahead with confidence. Incubate means it is promising: invest in development and test the specific gaps. Develop means the evidence is mixed: hold where you are, keep checking the case, and revisit in 60 to 90 days. Watch means the evidence is weak: not this one, not now, save capital for the next cycle.

Question 13

How long does a Diagnostic take to deliver?

Accepted Answer

Five business days from order to written report, with the 60-minute debrief scheduled within 10 business days of delivery. A 72-hour rush is available when we have capacity, with fewer ventures reviewed and the details confirmed before kickoff.

Question 14

Is a diagnostic worth it?

Accepted Answer

Consider whether spending the next six months building on an assumption that turns out to be wrong costs more. The diagnostic gives a clear recommendation in five business days. If the answer is Accelerate, you move forward with confidence. If the answer is Watch, you saved yourself months of time and money spent in the wrong place. Either way, you get a recommendation for the next step: proceed, revise, or stop.

Question 15

What is the difference between the AI Workflow Sprint and the Innovation Compass?

Accepted Answer

The Sprint is a 2 to 4 week project on one workflow: it starts by assessing and choosing the workflow, and delivers a working pilot live by week three. Compass is our flagship enterprise project: it starts with an assessment, is sized after a first call and a review of the evidence, and runs in three stages: Assess, Prove, Transfer.

Question 16

What happens during a Sprint?

Accepted Answer

Four phases across 2 to 4 weeks: assessing and choosing the workflow with its owner on Day 1, technical design and planning in week one, a working pilot built on your data and live by week three, then handoff with an integration roadmap, adoption plan, and a 30-day check-in.

Question 17

What is in the Portfolio Signal & Prioritization Brief?

Accepted Answer

A Portfolio Heatmap, tested business cases for initiatives rated Accelerate, decision paths for those rated Incubate, monitoring plans for those rated Develop, plus a written summary for leadership and financial models. Written so leadership can read it in 20 minutes.

Question 18

Does Insider access continue after Compass?

Accepted Answer

Insider is included with every Compass project for 1 year. After that, your team can keep platform access through an optional membership. Your choice, with no pressure to auto-renew.

Question 19

How do we start small before committing to enterprise work?

Accepted Answer

Most leaders start with a Portfolio Diagnostic (sized to your portfolio) or the AI Workflow Sprint (which starts by assessing the workflow). Five business days for the Diagnostic, 2 to 4 weeks for the Sprint, and a clear recommendation either way. If the evidence supports moving forward, Arkus recommends the next step, and if it does not, the recommendation is to stop. You prove the value before you spend more.

Question 20

Are Cipher, Index, and Arkus AI sold standalone?

Accepted Answer

No. The platforms come with approved Arkus projects (a Diagnostic, Sprint, or Compass) and with the Insider subscription. They need context: a Cipher score is only useful when you know how to read it against the Arkus method, so the platforms come with the projects and the membership that give you that context.

Question 21

How do I get into Cipher, Index, or Arkus AI?

Accepted Answer

Four ways, in order: order a Diagnostic, join a Sprint or Compass program, subscribe to Insider for ongoing access, or request access as a partner or mission-aligned organization.

Question 22

If I subscribe to Insider, do I get automatic access to all three?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your subscription credentials are the platform credentials.

Question 23

Do you work outside the US?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Active across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, with a dedicated São Paulo team for Brazil and LATAM.

Question 24

Do you work in Portuguese?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Conversations and delivery are available in English or Portuguese. The language of the final documents is agreed in the project plan before work begins.

Question 25

What is the smallest project?

Accepted Answer

The Startup Diagnostic is our focused project for one venture. A first call helps show whether it matches the decision you need to make. Insider provides ongoing research and platform access between projects.

Question 26

Who is the primary contact?

Accepted Answer

Every Talk to Arkus conversation goes straight to Chandler Lewis, Founder and Managing Director. After the first conversation, Nadia coordinates the project.

Question 27

How does Arkus compare to CB Insights, PatSnap, or similar platforms?

Accepted Answer

Those are market research platforms, and they are excellent at tracking what is happening in the market. What they do not do is evaluate your specific initiatives against a consistent method and give you a recommendation. Arkus uses that research to help you decide; it does not replace it.

Question 28

Why not just do this internally?

Accepted Answer

Most of our clients have strong internal teams. They bring Arkus in because an outside view takes the politics out of setting priorities. It is easier to shelve someone's favorite initiative when the recommendation comes from a clear method, not a colleague. The other reason is speed: an independent team can deliver a clear recommendation in five business days while your team keeps doing their day jobs.

Question 29

We already have an internal AI team. What does Arkus add?

Accepted Answer

Your AI team gets a head start. A working prototype live by week three instead of a three-month discovery phase, plus an integration roadmap they can follow. The Sprint gets your team to results sooner. We are not replacing them. We are giving them runway.

Question 30

Arkus is a small firm. How do we know this is rigorous?

Accepted Answer

The method is aligned with ISO 56002, the international standard for innovation management. In the published Von Braun Labs project, a Stanford semiconductor expert reviewed all eight scorecards live and found the gaps we identified matched his own founder-level assessments. Every recommendation ties back to the five Arkus dimensions and the evidence cited for the project.

Question 31

I have never heard of Arkus. What is the credibility story?

Accepted Answer

We are a relatively new brand, but the team is not. Our Managing Director is the first named inventor on a USPTO wearable AR clinical decision support application, holds an M.Sc. from Johns Hopkins, chairs the Washington State LTC Transformation Workgroup, and has led innovation programs across North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. The method behind our platforms has been used on portfolios in all three regions. The fastest way to evaluate us is to see the work: request a sample report through Talk to Arkus.

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