AI can help you explore an idea. Expert review helps you understand whether that idea survives contact with standards, policy, market incentives, and implementation reality.
A Strategic Sanity Check is a focused advisory session for teams working through questions in digital identity, CIAM, wallets, browser-mediated identity, privacy, governance, identity standards, or related regulatory pressure.
It is designed for people who need experienced outside judgment before investing further in a direction.
What this is for
This service is a good fit if you are asking questions like:
- Does this identity idea make sense given where standards work is headed?
- Are we making assumptions about wallets, verifiable credentials, mDLs, FedCM, passkeys, or browser-mediated identity that may not hold?
- Are there policy, regulatory, or governance issues we are underestimating?
- Is this actually a standards problem, a market adoption problem, a product positioning problem, or some awkward combination of all three?
- Are we using the right language for the audience we want to reach?
- What would an informed identity or standards audience likely challenge?
The goal is not to give you a generic brainstorm. The goal is to help you see the weak points before they become expensive.
What is included
A Strategic Sanity Check includes:
- Review of a short pre-read, up to 5 pages or equivalent
- A 90-minute advisory session
- Discussion of assumptions, risks, standards dependencies, policy pressure, interoperability concerns, and adoption challenges
- A brief written follow-up summarizing key risks, open questions, and suggested next steps
Fee: $2,500
What this is not
This is not a full consulting engagement.
It does not include market research, competitive analysis, product architecture review, implementation guidance, technical design, standards drafting, or a detailed written report.
If the discussion shows that you need deeper analysis, ongoing advisory support, or help developing a standards or market strategy, we can discuss a separate engagement.
Who this is for
This service is best suited for:
- Product teams exploring digital identity features or market positioning
- Founders testing assumptions before investing further
- Standards-adjacent teams trying to understand where their work fits
- Policy, trust, or governance teams looking for a reality check
- Organizations trying to understand how browser, wallet, credential, or identity standards may affect their plans
It is probably not the right fit if you are looking for free idea validation, informal “pick your brain” time, implementation help, or a sales discovery call.
Why work with me
I work at the intersection of digital identity, internet standards, governance, and real-world adoption. My work includes standards facilitation, strategic advisory services, research, writing, and helping organizations understand how technical, policy, and market pressures shape digital identity systems.
That means I am not only looking at whether an idea sounds good. I am looking at whether it fits the direction of the standards work, whether the incentives make sense, whether the terminology will land with the right audience, and where the hidden friction is likely to appear.
How to prepare
To make the session useful, send a short pre-read in advance. This may include:
- A short description of the idea, product, or question
- The audience or market you are trying to reach
- The assumptions you want tested
- Any specific standards, technologies, or policy developments you think are relevant
- The decision you are trying to make next
Keep it focused. The session works best when there is a clear question on the table.
Request an Identity Reality Check
If you would like to schedule an Identity Reality Check, contact me with a brief description of the question you are working through and what decision you are trying to make.