Positioning
Practice: Meridian Coaching. One-line positioning: "Executive coaching for first-time engineering managers who\'ve been promoted 6-12 months ago and haven\'t had a manager themselves in 4 years."
ICP (audience evidence)
First-time engineering managers, promoted 6-12 months ago, at Series B/C SaaS companies (50-500 people). Managing 4-8 direct reports. ~$180-240k total comp. Estimated 90,000-140,000 across the US alone. High willingness-to-pay if the value prop is specific enough to make the buyer feel targeted (generic "leadership coaching" doesn\'t; "engineering manager" does).
Service ladder
- Free tier: Weekly newsletter (technical-manager themes). Lead-magnet PDF ("The first 90 days as an engineering manager").
- Entry paid ($297): 45-minute intro consultation. Framing: "one specific thing you\'re stuck on."
- Core programme ($8,000): 12 weekly sessions + weekly async support. Structured around: first 90 days, one-on-ones, performance reviews, manager-of-managers transition.
- Group programme (later): Cohort programme for 6-8 first-time engineering managers, $4,000/person.
Content plan (90 days)
- LinkedIn: 3 posts/week — lesson clip (Monday), contrarian take (Wed), reader question (Fri).
- Newsletter: Weekly Tuesday morning. Format: one specific case study, one framework question, one tactical tip.
- Podcast tour: Book 4 podcast appearances over 90 days. Target: engineering-management podcasts (Lead Time, Programming Throwdown, engineering-manager-focused shows).
- YouTube (secondary): One 15-minute deep dive per month on a specific case study.
Sales page for core programme (excerpts)
Headline: "12 weeks with someone who\'s coached 40 first-time engineering managers through the same terrain you\'re on."
Problem section: "You were the best engineer on the team. That\'s why they promoted you. Now you spend 60% of your day in one-on-ones, and every time you have to give hard feedback you rehearse the conversation for 40 minutes and it still comes out wrong."
Who it\'s for: "First-time engineering managers, promoted 6-12 months ago, at 50-500 person companies. If you have direct reports who report to direct reports, this programme isn\'t designed for you."
Who it\'s not for: "Life-coaching, personal-life integration, generic \'leadership development.\' If you\'re looking for those things there are excellent coaches for them — I\'m not the right one."
Monetisation math
Target: 6 core programme clients per year at $8,000 = $48,000. Add 2 intro consults per month at $297 = $7,128/yr. Add 20 newsletter sponsors at $500 = $10,000/yr. Year 1 realistic: $50-65k. Year 2 with cohort programme: $110-140k.