The Nine Belts Investor/Banking Edition

Mission

Understand how the AI economy has fundamentally changed business valuation. Recognize that traditional metrics are obsolete and new benchmarks are being written.

What You Build

• AI Economy Assessment Framework – Understanding how knowledge work costs are collapsing by orders of magnitude
• Obsolescence Risk Matrix – Identifying companies at risk of rapid displacement
• Baseline Metrics Documentation – Current cost per deliverable, productivity benchmarks, margin structures

Key Metrics

Document that tasks taking days now take minutes. Establish baseline: knowledge work costs collapsing 10×–100×.

Pass Criteria

Can articulate why "AI is not just a tool but a recalibration of the economy itself." Completed assessment of at least 5 companies showing traditional vs AI-potential metrics.

Mission

Master the ability to value companies twice: once as they operate today, once as AI could make them. Understand the step-change impact of AI-enabled productivity.

What You Build

• Dual Valuation Models – Base Case (No AI) vs. AI-First Case (Fully Enabled)
• Operating Cost Transformation Analysis – 40-hour tasks becoming 4-hour tasks
• Margin Expansion Projections – From 10% to 40% margins documented
• Revenue Acceleration Models – 3.9× revenue generation, 25× growth potential

Key Metrics

Traditional: 5× EBITDA, 2-3% annual improvements. AI-First: 15× EBITDA, 90%+ cost reduction on knowledge tasks, triple-digit margin increases.

Pass Criteria

Complete dual valuation showing $100M company worth $50M traditional vs. $200M AI-enabled. Document specific transformation paths.

Mission

Move from org chart thinking to deliverable-based analysis. Map every role to its 64 core deliverables and assign current costs.

What You Build

• Deliverables Matrix (8×8) for key roles: Controller, Marketing Manager, FP&A Analyst, Sales Manager
• Cost-per-Deliverable Analysis – e.g., Monthly Financial Report: 80 hours/$4,000
• Department Work Boards – Visual representation of all deliverables with time/cost
• Payroll Allocation Maps – Which deliverables consume the most resources

Key Metrics

Identify top 20% of deliverables consuming 80% of payroll. Document current cost: e.g., $10,000 per RFP proposal, $4,000 per monthly close.

Pass Criteria

Complete Harada matrices for at least 10 roles. Calculate total annual cost of all deliverables. Identify $10M+ in addressable payroll.

Mission

Apply AI productivity multipliers to every deliverable. Understand that 10× is baseline, 50-100× is common, 1000×+ is possible.

What You Build

• AI Transformation Matrix – Apply multipliers to each deliverable
• Time Compression Analysis – Blog post: 10hrs→1hr (10×), Financial analysis: 5 days→1 day (5×)
• Productivity Repository – Document real cases from thousands of implementations
• Department Transformation Models – Show 80,000 of 100,000 hours freed

Key Metrics

Marketing content: 10× gain. Data cleaning: 60× gain. RFP responses: 15× gain. Multi-department processes: 100-1,800× gains.

Pass Criteria

Calculate weighted average productivity gain across all deliverables (must be ≥10×). Document $9M in freed payroll capacity.

Mission

Transform productivity gains into financial impact. Model cost reduction, margin expansion, and growth acceleration.

What You Build

• Freed Payroll Reallocation Models – $50M payroll → $25M freed for redeployment
• Margin Expansion Scenarios – 10% → 40% margins (113% increase documented)
• Revenue Growth Projections – 10× more leads, 2× content, faster iterations
• Return on Intelligence (RoI²) Metrics – Output per payroll dollar increases 10×

Key Metrics

Cost reduction: 50% of payroll freed. Margins: 2-4× expansion. Growth: 3.9× revenue documented. RoI²: 10× baseline.

Pass Criteria

Complete financial model showing path from $10M to $40M profit on same revenue. Calculate enterprise value increase of $100-150M.

Mission

Create an interactive valuation tool that systematically evaluates businesses with and without AI augmentation.

What You Build

• Industry & Company Input Module – Size, revenue, costs, current metrics
• Role & Deliverable Database – Templates for common roles and industries
• AI Impact Calculator – Apply 10×, 50×, 100× multipliers appropriately
• Scenario Planning Interface – Conservative, likely, aggressive cases
• Boardroom-Ready Reports – Professional outputs for investors

Key Metrics

Tool shows: Status Quo Valuation vs. AI-Enabled Valuation. Typical delta: 3× enterprise value. Granular breakdown by department.

Pass Criteria

Functional tool validated against 10 real companies. Outputs match manual analysis within 10%. Used in actual investment decision.

Mission

Apply AI valuation methodology across entire investment portfolios. Identify winners, losers, and transformation opportunities.

What You Build

• Portfolio AI Readiness Assessment – Score each company 0-100% on AI adoption
• Competitive Advantage Matrix – Who wins when AI is fully deployed
• Investment Thesis Updates – Revised valuations accounting for AI impact
• Risk/Opportunity Heat Maps – Visual representation of portfolio exposure

Key Metrics

Portfolio value uplift potential: 2-5×. Companies at obsolescence risk: 30-50%. Time to transformation: 6-18 months.

Pass Criteria

Complete assessment of 20+ portfolio companies. Identify $500M+ in value creation opportunities. Present to investment committee.

Mission

Lead the transformation of valuation practices industry-wide. Establish new standards for AI-era business evaluation.

What You Build

• Industry Valuation Standards – New frameworks adopted by banks and VCs
• AI Premium Methodology – Standardized approach to calculating AI uplift
• Market Education Programs – Training for analysts and investors
• Published Research – White papers on AI valuation methodology

Key Metrics

Standards adopted by 10+ major firms. $10B+ in deals using methodology. Industry recognition as thought leader.

Pass Criteria

Published methodology cited in 50+ valuations. Speaking at major conferences. Advisory role in $1B+ transactions.

Mission

Shape the future of business valuation in the AI economy. Drive systematic transformation across markets.

What You Build

• Global Valuation Framework – Accepted standard for AI-era evaluation
• RoI² Index – New market metric tracking Return on Intelligence
• AI Transformation Fund – Deploy capital based on AI valuation thesis
• Regulatory Guidance – Work with SEC/regulators on disclosure standards
• Certification Program – Train next generation of AI valuators

Key Metrics

Framework used in $100B+ valuations. RoI² becomes standard metric. Fund returns: 10× baseline. 1,000+ certified practitioners.

Pass Criteria

Recognized as definitive authority on AI valuation. Framework integrated into CFA curriculum. Lasting impact on capital markets.