Program · Small businesses
Owner Dashboard & Decision Co-Pilot
A hands-on program for owners and leaders who want a clear, simple view of their business — and an AI “thinking partner” to help reason through decisions without replacing their judgment.
We'll define the numbers that actually matter, build a one-page owner dashboard using tools you already have, and show you how to use AI to summarize trends, explore scenarios, and keep a light decision log over time.
Program overview · Audio
A short overview of the program: who it's for, what we cover, and how to get the most value out of it as a busy professional.
What your business will be able to do after this program
Less “I’m flying blind” and more calm, repeatable visibility into how the business is really doing.
- • Agree on a short list of metrics that truly matter for your business — not a 40-metric dashboard nobody checks.
- • Build a simple owner dashboard in tools like Google Sheets, Notion, or your existing BI/light reporting.
- • Use AI to turn data into plain-language summaries and “what this might mean” narratives.
- • Run structured decision conversations with AI as a thinking partner, not an oracle.
- • Keep a short decision log so you remember what you decided and why — and whether it worked.
Who this is for
- • Owners and GMs of small businesses
- • Finance/ops-minded leaders who want better signal
- • Teams that are stuck between “too many spreadsheets” and “too much BI tooling”
What you'll work on
- • Your real numbers: revenue, pipeline, delivery, cash
- • A live owner dashboard you can keep updating
- • A practical way to use AI in your review cadence
Curriculum at a glance
Four modules to go from scattered numbers to a clear view and a simple decision ritual.
Module 1
Clarifying the numbers that actually matter
- • Identify the 5–10 metrics that really describe the health of your business
- • Separate “operator metrics” from “owner metrics”
- • Decide what you want to see weekly vs. monthly
Module 2
Building a simple, trustworthy owner dashboard
- • Pull data from the tools you already use (sheets, accounting, CRM)
- • Design a one-page view that doesn’t require a data team
- • Document where each number comes from so you can trust it
Module 3
Using AI as a decision-thinking partner
- • Summarize trends and outliers in plain language with AI
- • Use AI to explore scenarios, trade-offs, and risks
- • Keep the owner in charge of judgment and final decisions
Module 4
Review rituals & decision logs
- • Set up a simple weekly or monthly review rhythm
- • Use AI to maintain a short decision log over time
- • Turn insights into clear follow-ups for your team
1. Clarifying the numbers that actually matter
If everything is important, nothing is. We start by choosing the few metrics that really move the business.
We begin by untangling the numbers you're currently looking at (or avoiding) and decide which ones genuinely tell you whether things are healthy or drifting.
- • Inventory current reports, exports, and spreadsheets
- • Separate “owner view” from detailed operator views
- • Choose 5–10 core metrics aligned to your model
- • Decide how often each one needs to be updated
Owner metrics canvas
You’ll complete a one-page canvas that captures:
- • The key outcomes you care about (profit, pipeline, etc.)
- • The specific metrics that connect to each outcome
- • Where each metric currently lives (tool/source)
2. Building a simple, trustworthy owner dashboard
Use the tools you already have to create a one-page view you’ll actually check.
Next, we design and build an owner dashboard — usually in Sheets, Notion, or your existing light BI — that pulls your chosen metrics into a single place.
- • Choose the right dashboard tool for your reality
- • Lay out metrics so you can scan them in minutes
- • Add simple visuals only where they actually help (not just for decoration)
- • Document how each number is calculated and updated
Owner dashboard v1
By the end of this module, you'll have a working v1 dashboard that shows:
- • Current values for each key metric
- • Basic trend or comparison to last period
- • Notes on data gaps or manual steps, if any
3. Using AI as a decision-thinking partner
Turn numbers into narratives and scenarios — with you still in charge of the call.
Here we plug AI into your review process: summarizing changes, highlighting potential issues, and helping you think through scenarios and trade-offs.
- • Export or summarize your dashboard into a format AI can digest
- • Use prompts to generate “what changed and why it might matter” narratives
- • Explore scenarios: “what if we adjust X or Y?”
- • Keep the final decision firmly with the human owner
Decision co-pilot prompt pack
You’ll build a small set of prompts you can reuse each review cycle, such as:
- • “Summarize this month vs. last month in plain language”
- • “Highlight 3 things I should pay attention to and why”
- • “Help me think through options for improving [metric]
4. Review rituals & decision logs
Make it a habit: short, regular reviews and a simple log of key calls you’ve made.
Finally, we design the lightweight rhythm: when you review the dashboard, who joins, and how you capture decisions and follow-ups without creating another admin burden.
- • Choose weekly vs. monthly review patterns
- • Decide who attends and what each person brings
- • Use AI to help maintain a short decision log
- • Tie decisions to specific follow-ups and owners
Owner review playbook
You’ll leave with a simple playbook that includes:
- • Agenda templates for your review meetings
- • A decision log format you can keep in Docs/Notion
- • A checklist for updating data before each review
Format & logistics
Built for owners who can’t disappear into a multi-week offsite just to get visibility.
Schedule
- • 3–4 weeks total
- • Weekly live working sessions (60–90 minutes)
- • Light homework: data pulls and small tweaks
Team
- • 1–3 core participants (owner + ops/finance)
- • Optional involvement from a key team lead
- • Private cohorts per business
What you leave with
- • A working owner dashboard you can maintain
- • An AI “co-pilot” prompt pack for reviews
- • A review ritual and decision log pattern you can keep
FAQ: Owner Dashboard & Decision Co-Pilot
Questions owners usually ask before investing time in better visibility.
Do we need a full BI stack or data warehouse first?
No. Most small businesses in this program use a mix of accounting tools, CRMs, and spreadsheets. We'll work from what you have, and only recommend heavier tooling if it's clearly worth it for your size and complexity.
How much of this is “set and forget” vs. ongoing work?
Building the dashboard is one-time setup plus occasional tweaks. The ongoing part is your review ritual — which we intentionally keep short and focused, so it's sustainable even in busy weeks.
Can AI really help with decisions, or will it just make me second-guess everything?
Used well, AI is a thinking partner: it helps you see options, highlight trade-offs, and articulate assumptions. We keep you firmly in charge of the call, and we'll avoid prompts that frame AI as the “final answer.”
What if our data is messy or incomplete?
That's normal. Part of the work is acknowledging where data is rough and deciding “good enough” thresholds for each metric. We’d rather have a few slightly noisy but directionally useful numbers than a perfect dashboard nobody has time to build or maintain.
Ready to get a calmer, clearer view of your business?
This program gives you a simple owner dashboard, an AI decision co-pilot, and a review rhythm you can stick with — without turning you into a full-time analyst.
If you’d like to pair this with AI Reports & Dashboards for Owners or No-Code Automation, mention that in your note and we'll suggest a track.