This workflow is designed to help $10M–$50M service-based companies stand up a recurring revenue engine within 12 months, using only their internal marketing director and two staff. It breaks the journey into eight practical steps, starting with a clear snapshot of objectives and guardrails, then moving through opportunity mapping, offer design, unit economics, go-to-market execution, fulfillment systems, and churn defense, and finally a 90-day rollout plan with KPIs. Each step asks for minimal context, produces a concise execution-ready deliverable, and builds toward a realistic path to reaching 20% of total revenue from recurring streams.
# RECURRING REVENUE — AI WORKFLOW
# (FOR $10M–$50M SERVICE-BASED COMPANY WITH A MARKETING DIRECTOR + TWO STAFF)
// You are ChatGPT. Guide me through each step below.
// At each step:
// 1) Ask ONLY for the CONTEXT you need.
// 2) Use ONLY what I provide (fill reasonable gaps if I omit details).
// 3) Produce the ACTION deliverable for that step (concise, execution-ready).
// 4) Ask for CONFIRMATION before advancing.
// If I ask for help or synthetic data during any Context stage, provide it without restarting the step.
// Assume I have access to nothing except my knowledge and this LLM.
// Keep outputs short: bullets and compact tables.
// DEFAULT ASSUMPTIONS (used when info is missing):
// - Business: B2B services, $20M annual revenue, 40% gross margin, US market.
// - Goal: Reach 20% of total revenue from recurring streams within 12 months (target ARR = $4M; MRR ≈ $333k).
// - Team Capacity (Marketing): Director 8 hrs/wk, Staff A 6 hrs/wk, Staff B 6 hrs/wk (total 20 hrs/wk).
// - Pricing Anchor: Typical project/engagement ≈ $80k; ~80 active clients/year.
// - Internal SLA: 2-business-day standard response; minimal new headcount.
// MOAT TAGS YOU MAY USE IN TABLES (OPTIONAL):
// Technology & Integration, Domain Expertise, Speed & Agility, Data & Insights, Scalability & Reach, Cost/ROI Model, Brand Positioning
# STEP 1: SNAPSHOT, OBJECTIVE & GUARDRAILS
// INTRO: Define the starting point, a 12-month recurring revenue target, and practical limits for a small marketing team.
// CONTEXT (ask):
// - Current annual revenue ($10M–$50M) & gross margin %:
// - Avg deal size, # active clients/year, typical project length:
// - Top 2 customer segments & outcomes they buy from you:
// - Current retention/renewal/support motions (if any):
// - Team capacity (Director hrs, Staff A hrs, Staff B hrs) & quarterly budget for launch:
// - Constraints (cash, staffing, compliance, geography):
// FALLBACK RULES: Use DEFAULT ASSUMPTIONS above if unspecified.
// ACTION (do):
// - One-paragraph brief (who you serve, what they buy, current motions, constraints).
// - Target table: Current Rev | Recurring Target (12 mo) | MRR Goal | Team/Budget Guardrails | Success Definition.
// - Responsibility map: Director (strategy/QA), Staff A (content & analytics), Staff B (outreach & ops).
// CONFIRMATION: Type OK to proceed or provide edits.
# STEP 2: VALUE INVENTORY & RECURRING OPPORTUNITY MAP
// INTRO: Inventory repeatable deliverables and map them to subscription/retainer concepts.
// CONTEXT (ask):
// - List repeatable deliverables (checklists, reports, monitoring, training, support):
// - What continues to deliver value post-project (maintenance, insights, access, stewardship):
// - Proprietary methods, templates, connectors, or data you own:
// - Segments most likely to adopt a subscription in 30–90 days:
// FALLBACK RULES: Assume quarterly reviews, KPI reporting, enablement refreshers, and light maintenance/support exist.
// ACTION (do):
// - Opportunity Map (6–10 items max): Idea | Customer Segment | Job To Be Done | Offer Type (Retainer/Managed/Subscription/Membership/Licensing) | Frequency (mo/qtr) | Moat Tag | Notes.
// - Flag 3 “fast-start” ideas (low setup, high stickiness) for testing.
// CONFIRMATION: OK to proceed or edits.
# STEP 3: PRIORITIZATION (IMPACT × EASE) & SHORTLIST
// INTRO: Rank ideas to find the fastest path to MRR given team capacity.
// CONTEXT (ask):
// - Decision weights (sum 100): Impact on revenue, Ease to deliver, Strategic fit, Churn risk (low risk = higher score):
// - Any must-include or off-limits ideas:
// FALLBACK RULES: Weights = Impact 40, Ease 30, Strategic Fit 20, Churn Risk 10.
// ACTION (do):
// - Score each idea 1–5 per criterion; compute Weighted Score; present table: Idea | Impact | Ease | Fit | Risk | Weighted Score | Why Now.
// - Return a Shortlist (Top 3) with one-line “why now” each.
// - Assign an internal owner: Director/Staff A/Staff B for each shortlisted idea.
// CONFIRMATION: OK to proceed or edits.
# STEP 4: OFFER DESIGN — TIERS, SCOPE & PRICING
// INTRO: Turn the Top 3 ideas into clear, sellable recurring offers with Good/Better/Best tiers.
// CONTEXT (ask):
// - Billing cadence preference (monthly vs quarterly):
// - Hard limits on response times/SLA, included hours, and change requests:
// - Reference prices your clients typically pay now (project/retainer):
// FALLBACK RULES: Monthly billing; 2-bd response SLA; reference project $80k.
// ACTION (do):
// - For each shortlisted idea, define 3 tiers (Good/Better/Best): Tier Name | Scope (incl./excl.) | Cadence | SLA | Setup Fee | Monthly Price | Success Metric (leading indicator).
// - Add “fair-use” rules (caps per tier) + 90-day pilot terms (opt-out or apply setup fee to month 4).
// - Table “Who it’s for & ROI”: ICP fit | Typical baseline | Expected outcome by 90 days.
// CONFIRMATION: OK to proceed or edits.
# STEP 5: UNIT ECONOMICS & SIMPLE ROI/BREAKEVEN
// INTRO: Validate pricing and capacity with quick math to protect margin.
// CONTEXT (ask):
// - Delivery time per tier/month (hrs) and fully loaded hourly cost ($/hr) for team/contractors:
// - Expected adoption in first 90 days (client counts by tier):
// FALLBACK RULES: Cost $85/hr; delivery 4/8/16 hrs per tier; adoption 12 clients in 90 days (20% Good / 60% Better / 20% Best).
// ACTION (do):
// - Unit economics per tier: Price | Hours | Cost | Gross Margin $ | GM % | Clients to reach MRR goal.
// - 12-month sensitivity: Clients (Low/Base/High) × Blended ARPU → MRR & ARR.
// - Capacity check: Hours required vs team availability; highlight gaps & fixes (scope trims, async reporting, automation).
// CONFIRMATION: OK to proceed or edits.
# STEP 6: GO-TO-MARKET (GTM) — MESSAGING, CHANNELS & MICRO-FUNNEL
// INTRO: Create copy, pick 1–2 channels, and outline a minimal funnel your team can run.
// CONTEXT (ask):
// - Tone (professional, friendly, direct, contrarian):
// - Channel access (LinkedIn, house email list, partners/referrals, webinars/events):
// - Preferred primary CTA (book diagnostic, start pilot, request proposal):
// FALLBACK RULES: Tone = professional/plain; Channels = LinkedIn + house email + partner intros; CTA = “Book a 20-min Recurring Revenue Diagnostic.”
// ACTION (do):
// - Message kit: (a) 1 headline, (b) 2-line value pitch, (c) 3 hooks, (d) 1 outreach email/DM + 1 follow-up bump, (e) 1 CTA line.
// - Micro-funnel map: CTA → landing blurb (3 bullets) → short form (Name/Email/Company/Role) → thank-you (scheduler + prep list) → 5-touch nurture (14 days).
// - Weekly execution slate with owners: Director (QA/analytics); Staff A (content/email); Staff B (outreach/CRM hygiene).
// CONFIRMATION: OK to proceed or edits.
# STEP 7: FULFILLMENT SYSTEM, SLAS & CHURN DEFENSE
// INTRO: Define delivery rhythm, proofs of value, and renewal protection.
// CONTEXT (ask):
// - Who delivers what (internal vs contractor) and weekly availability:
// - Preferred reporting cadence (dashboard monthly; executive QBR quarterly):
// FALLBACK RULES: Director owns QBRs; Staff A produces reports/templates; Staff B manages tickets/scheduler.
// ACTION (do):
// - Operating playbook: Weekly tasks | Monthly deliverables | QBR agenda (goals → KPI trendlines → ROI → backlog → tier-up).
// - SLA matrix by tier; escalation path; value moments to capture (first win ≤30 days).
// - Churn defense: Onboarding checklist (Day 0–14), renewal sequence (60/30/15 days), save-offers (pause/scale-down, optimization sprint, seat add-ons).
// CONFIRMATION: OK to proceed or edits.
# STEP 8: 90-DAY PLAN, KPIS & REVIEW LOOP (FINAL)
// INTRO: Schedule a realistic rollout and define a minimal dashboard for the team.
// CONTEXT (ask):
// - Team’s reliable weekly hours; blackout weeks in next 90 days:
// - Any executive reporting requirements (board/ELT cadence):
// FALLBACK RULES: 20 hrs/wk combined; no blackout weeks; monthly exec summary.
// ACTION (do):
// - 90-day rollout: Weeks 1–4 (finalize 3 offers, LP, scripts, dashboard; identify 40 warm accounts) | Weeks 5–8 (run diagnostics; close 12 subs; first wins) | Weeks 9–12 (optimize pricing/scope; publish 2 mini-cases; partner push).
// - KPI table: Leading (diagnostics booked, replies, partner intros) | Value (time-to-first-win, adoption %, report opens, tickets resolved) | Lagging (MRR, churn %, GM %, expansion rate).
// - Biweekly “Keep / Kill / Double-Down” checklist and reallocation rule (+20% time to top performers).
// - Consolidated one-page plan: Objective, Shortlist Offers, Pricing, Funnel, Ops Rhythm (who/when), KPIs, Next 7-day checklist.
// CONFIRMATION: Reply DONE or request edits.