Free system · 5 modules · tamnguyen.ai
The full system to turn Claude expertise into a $5K-$10K consulting offer. Discovery interview templates, the AI Maturity scorecard, the audit pitch deck, the findings deliverable, and the client acquisition motion I use myself.
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The framework everything hinges on
Every company you ever prospect sits at one of these 5 levels. The whole consulting motion (pitch, scope, price, deliverable) keys off of where they land. Module 2 has the 16-question scorecard that plots any company in 10 minutes, plus the 4-step discovery script for each level.
Most prospects sit at level 2. They've bought tools, they have no system, and they feel stuck. That's the easiest tier to sell into. The book has the discovery script that makes them feel the gap between level 2 and level 4 without a single pushy line.
What's inside
10 questions, real answers
The honest sticking points from operators thinking about turning their AI skill into a consulting practice: pricing, first client, legal, the safety net.
Less than you think. The bar isn't 'I'm an ML researcher,' it's 'I've shipped Claude projects in my own work and can explain them to a non-technical buyer.' If you've built 2-3 useful internal automations and can talk about ROI in their language, you're qualified for the SMB end of the market. The book is built for operators making the jump from corporate, not for consultants with 10 years of agency experience.
Three rough tiers. Local SMBs (5-50 employees): $2K-$5K for a 2-week audit, $5K-$10K for an implementation. Mid-market: $10K-$25K audits, $25K-$75K implementations. Enterprise: $50K-$200K+ for everything. Most new consultants do their first 3-5 engagements at $2K-$5K to build case studies, then move up. Module 4 has the pricing logic and how to defend it.
The Local-First Doctrine: your first 5 clients should be inside 30 miles, found through real-world proximity (chamber of commerce, local meetups, your existing network). Why: shorter sales cycle, you can meet in person, they don't compare you to a coastal agency. Cold outreach and inbound come later. Module 5 has the playbook.
Get an LLC before client #1 (~$200 in most states, 1 hour). Use a simple consulting agreement (a $50 LegalZoom template is fine). E&O insurance is optional for your first 2-3 engagements but get it before you hit $25K+ contracts. Don't let the legal stuff become procrastination — operators who wait until everything's perfect never start.
Three safety nets. (1) The Operating Map you build for the client is valuable on its own — even if you don't ship code, they have documentation they didn't have before. (2) For implementation work, scope a phase-1 that's 90% Claude prompts and SOPs, not custom engineering. (3) The Findings Deck (Module 4) deliverable is the safety net itself: even a stalled engagement produces a roadmap they can run with another vendor.
Generic guides tell you to 'find your niche' and 'build authority.' This is the specific motion: the questions to ask in discovery, the deck slides for the pitch, the deliverable template, the pricing logic, the post-to-DM funnel. It's the workflow, not the philosophy. The book is everything I'd hand a junior consultant on day 1.
Yes, this is the most common path. Most readers do 2-3 evening hours a week building their first engagement around their day job. Module 5 has a chapter on managing the conflict: how to discover clients without using company time/equipment, how to handle the first 'are you serious about leaving?' moment, when to flip from side-hustle to full-time.
Great — they're at Maturity Level 2 or 3, which means they have budget and they've already felt the pain. The pitch shifts from 'AI is useful' (level 0-1) to 'you have AI but no system, here's how to get to compounding returns' (level 2-3). The Maturity Model in Module 2 has the exact discovery script for each level.
Minimum stack: Google Workspace (docs + sheets), Cal.com or Calendly for booking, a free CRM (Notion or HubSpot free tier), Loom for async pitches, Stripe for invoicing. That's $0-$20/mo to get started. The Discovery Deck and Findings Deck are Google Slides templates in Module 3 and 4 — you don't need a designer.
Different sides of the same table. CLAP teaches you to RUN audits and consulting engagements for clients. The Process Audit Call is me running one on YOUR business. Read CLAP if you want to do this professionally for others. Book the Audit Call if you want to operate it on your own company. Many readers do both: book the Audit to see how I run it live, then use CLAP to run it for clients.
Get the full system
The Playbook, the AI Maturity Model + scorecard, the Discovery Deck, the Findings Deck template, and the Find the Clients playbook. Free, in your inbox.
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