Blog

Field notes from the operator track.

Posts on operational discipline, fractional COO engagements, the StackOS framework, and what gets cut in the first 90 days. Written by Cedric Corbett. No advice columns. No SEO-stuffed listicles.

Replacing the SaaS Stack with $75/mo of Cloudflare

Most small operators run on $500–$3,000/month of SaaS that compounds with every new hire. Here is exactly what we replaced, line by line, to run Obsidian Axis Group on $74/month.

What We Cut in the First 90 Days

A typical $10M–$50M operator carries 30–40% operational waste. The first 90 days of an Axis Method engagement cut waste through removal, not addition. Here is what gets cut, and why.

How to Read an Operational Waste Audit

Three numbers come out of the Diagnose phase of every fractional COO engagement. Most operators see them once and never know what to do with them. This is how to read each one, and what each implies for the next 90 days.

How to Actually Move a Team from Storming to Performing

Most LMM teams stop at Norming and the leadership thinks that is success. It is not. This is how Tuckman's stages and Edmondson's 2x2 of safety and accountability combine in a 90-day operating-discipline install.

Lean Six Sigma for the Lower-Middle Market, Without the BS

DMAIC, SIPOC, Black Belts, control charts, kaizen events. At enterprise scale these earn their cost. At $10M to $100M, most of the methodology is overhead. Here is what to keep, what to drop, and how we use the principles inside an Axis Method engagement without naming them.

Want it applied to your business?

Book a 30-minute scoping call. We'll review your operational situation and tell you which engagement, if any, fits where you are.