Hamilton Ridley Consulting · Private

HRC Runway Plan v0.2

Daniel Kemp · Living planning document · Last updated 2026-05-12

NJM ends Dec 31, 2026. We have ~33 weeks of fully-funded runway to grow HRC into the income that replaces it. If HRC clicks, life gets better — more time, more family, more freedom. If it doesn't, we activate a high-leverage W-2 search with ~$95K banked from NJM. Either way, we're financially fine.

What's actually on the line

The goal isn't "build a business." The goal is:

This plan exists to make that the real outcome, with visible progress every month so we never have to wait a year hoping something works.

Five-Track Scoreboard

Track 1
Cashflow Floor
$27.6K/mo
Dec 2026 target $20K+ · stretch $25K+
Track 2
HRC Productized
~$0/mo
Dec 2026 target $5K · stretch $8K
Track 3
HRC Custom YTD
~$6K
Dec 2026 target $40–60K · stretch $80K
Track 4
Family Hours
baseline
Dec 2026 target +5 hrs/wk · stretch +10
Track 5
NJM Signal
30%
Extension known by Sep 30

The 7-Month Runway Frame

Today is May 12, 2026. NJM ends Dec 31, 2026 (with a 30% chance of extension — known by end of Q3).

Between now and the cliff, NJM pays approximately $102K net. Even after expenses, much of that is bankable as HRC seed capital — and removes the financial pressure that would otherwise force premature decisions.

The plan treats the runway as a structured 7-month experiment, not a stress event.

Decision tree at Dec 2026

HRC ≥ $13K/mo
Drop NJM-cliff worry entirely. Keep TechSee + HRC. Life gets better.
HRC $7–12K/mo
Keep TechSee + HRC. Optional gentle W-2 search for upside.
HRC < $7K/mo
Activate $400K+ W-2 search with 6+ months banked NJM runway.

In all three branches, the family is financially fine. This is a remarkably low-risk experiment.

Realistic vs Stretch Targets

Daniel has never run a marketing motion before. Realistic targets bake in a learning curve. Stretch numbers are upside, not the trigger condition.

PeriodRealistic HRC net/moStretch
End of Q2 2026 (Jun 30)$2–3K$5K
End of Q3 2026 (Sep 30)$5–7K$10K
End of Q4 2026 (Dec 31)$8–10K$13K+

The Real Risk: Marketing

HRC has a productized offer (Code Review v2, four tiers) and three active partner engagements. What it does not have is inbound demand. This is the single biggest risk to the plan.

Three lanes — pick this month

LaneCostSpeedWhat it is
1. Content + LinkedIn$0Slow (6 mo)2 posts/wk, 1 case-study/mo, LinkedIn revamp live, free-tier review as lead magnet
2. Partner referralsLowMediumFormalized referral agreements. $500–$1K per close.
3. Fractional marketer$2–4K/moFastPart-time marketing operator runs content + outreach + funnel

Recommendation: Lanes 1 + 2 in parallel. Lane 3 stays parked until 5+ paid reviews prove the offer converts.

First 30 days on marketing

Quarterly Milestones

Q2 2026 — Foundation

Now → June 30

Q3 2026 — Compound

July → September 30

Q4 2026 — Scale or Pivot

October → December 31

AI-as-Employee Architecture

The shift: Claude and a fleet of agents act as paid staff Daniel directs — not as a tool Daniel uses.

  1. Operator layer (recurring jobs) — scheduled runs for weekly HRC pipeline review, monthly metric rollup, prospect transcript ingestion, KB capture, Gmail triage, LinkedIn post scheduling, content drafts.
  2. Delivery layer (per-engagement) — versioned skill bundles for HRC code reviews, Phase 1 playbook runs, discovery-to-deliverable pipeline. Each produces branded artifacts and auto-schedules follow-ups.
  3. Strategy layer (weekly) — 30-min Friday session with Claude: update this plan, review the scoreboard, decide what to start/stop/double-down. This is the focus mechanism.

Sons plug in at the operator layer — they take Claude's output and produce client-ready packaged deliverables, schedule meetings, run research. Operational leverage, not co-founders.

Sons-as-Operators Ramp

DateMilestone
May–Jul 2026Build the systems they plug into (templates, runbooks, QA checklists)
Aug 2026Older son (16) starts 5–10 hrs/wk on packaging deliverables, research, QA
Sep 2026Younger son (13) starts 3–5 hrs/wk on lighter admin tasks
Oct 2026Both running standard operator tasks independently; Daniel reviews weekly
2027If HRC clicks, expand into formal employment with payroll setup

IP & Risk Register

RiskSeverityMitigation
CXone Script Manager app IP overlap with NJMLowListed as personal property pre-Randstad. Documented, clean.
CXone Script Manager data sourcing via NJM RingCentral channelMed–HighClean data path required before commercializing: customer-granted access, distilled patterns, or synthetic data. 15-min IP attorney consult before launch.
TechSee work bleeding into HRC IPMediumAudit deliverables; anything built on TechSee time stays TechSee. Co-Work + HRC tooling are personal.
Marketing learning curve slower than runwayPrimaryPick lanes 1+2 within 30 days. Trigger lane 3 if Q3 misses target by 30%.
Focus / context-switching across 3 jobsChronicThe plan is the focus mechanism. Weekly Friday review. Constraint, not motivation.
Sons' ramp longer than expectedMediumNo critical-path tasks on them in 2026. Upside, not load-bearing.
NJM extends, HRC stalls because no cliff pressureLowThe plan stands either way. The goal drives HRC, not the cliff.

Open Decisions

Friday Review Protocol

Every Friday, 30 minutes:

  1. Update the Five-Track Scoreboard with current numbers
  2. Review what shipped this week
  3. Decide one thing to start, one to stop, one to double-down on
  4. Update the Open Decisions list
  5. Add an entry to the Changelog
  6. Push the update so Crystal sees it Friday evening

Changelog

2026-05-12 v0.2 Initial structured plan from brainstorming session. Targets calibrated to financial reality ($27.6K/mo combined net), marketing learning curve baked in. Hosting: lmsyademo.com. Recommendation: ride NJM to natural end, lanes 1+2 marketing, sons in Aug 2026, no $15K recruiter spend.