Bring one problem. Leave with a plan you could act on next week.
Forty-five minutes with two of our engineers. No deck, no discovery call, no pitch — a working session on the thing that is actually blocking you.
The whole offer, on one screen
So there is nothing to discover on the call itself.
- Best for
- CTOs and engineering leaders with a stuck platform or a scoping decision to make.
- Format
- 45 minutes, video, two ZenMinds engineers — the people who would do the work.
- You bring
- One problem, plus any architecture context you already have. No prep deck.
- You get
- A problem frame, the top three risks worth testing, and a practical next step.
- After
- A one-page written architecture note, within 3 working days.
- Cost
- Free, confidential, and no deck — yours or ours.
Four blocks, three things to take away
Each block exists to produce one of the outcomes above. If we are not going to get there, we will say so in the first ten minutes.
- 0–10 min
Context
You describe the system and what is actually hurting. We ask about constraints, not budget.
- 10–25 minProblem frame
Frame the problem
We restate the problem in engineering terms until you agree it is the right problem. Often it is not the one you walked in with.
- 25–40 minTop three risks
Find the risks
We name what could sink it — the assumptions that are load-bearing and untested — and rank them.
- 40–45 minPractical next step
Agree a next step
One thing you can do next week to reduce the biggest risk, whether or not we are involved.
You get it in writing
Within three working days we send a one-page architecture note: the problem as we understood it, the risks we ranked, and the step we suggested. It is written so you can forward it to someone who was not on the call.
It is yours either way. There is no version of this that arrives with a proposal attached.
- Problem
- One paragraph, in your terms, that you agree with.
- Risks, ranked
- Three, with what would have to be true for each to bite.
- Next step
- One action, sized to a week, with what it would prove.
Worth booking — and when it is not
Two engineers for 45 minutes plus a written note is a real cost on our side. We would rather you self-select than sit through a session that was never going to help.
- A platform that has stalled and you need an outside read on why
- A build-versus-buy or re-architecture call you have to defend
- An AI initiative that demos well but will not survive production
- A delivery process producing output but not predictability
- You want a vendor pitch or a capabilities deck
- You need a fixed-price quote before any technical conversation
- The decision is already made and you need a second opinion on record
- You cannot share enough context to make 45 minutes useful
If it is not a fit, we will tell you on the call
The questions people ask first
Is this a sales call?
No. Two engineers, no salesperson, no deck. If there is a commercial conversation later, it starts after this one and only if you raise it.
What if my problem is not fully formed?
That is the common case and a good use of the time. Framing the problem is the first thing we do, and often the most valuable.
How confidential is it?
Fully. We will sign your NDA before the session if you want one — send it with the booking. Nothing discussed appears in our material.
One problem, not a portfolio
Tell us the problem. We will bring two engineers.
Send one paragraph on what is blocking you and we will come back with times. If we are not the right people, we will say so before the call.