Alignment in all directions.

I’m Dr. Berta Summers. I map the hidden architecture of founder teams and install a few simple rules that cut friction. Faster calls. Cleaner handoffs. Alignment that holds under pressure.

Explore the approach Connect with the team
When teams bring me in: Post-raise role confusion Launch/event decision thrash Cofounder fork & tension Board asks for clarity Reorg after a key exit

You don’t need to be best friends; you need to keep your promises. I care more about your next shipped commit than your best intentions.

Individual → Cofounder pair → Team

What I do

I diagnose how your team actually makes decisions under load — the loops, contracts, and role assumptions you can’t see from inside the sprint. Then we implement small, repeatable moves that change behavior quickly.

What becomes tangible

Examples, not fixed packages. Names may evolve.

  • Pattern Map — a clear story of loops and constraints
  • Decision clarity — roles, rights, and a simple commit ritual
  • Friction signals — likely rupture points before they widen
  • Energy picture — where effort is lost to context switching
  • Boundaries and feedback — cleaner handoffs, faster closure
See example outputs
  • decision principles
  • lightweight scorecards
  • closed-loop feedback notes

Founder-to-investor bridge: I provide a diagnostic of decision rights, repair speed, and role clarity so founder risk doesn’t compound into roadmap risk.

The Cognitive Audit™

This is cognitive architecture, not coaching. I make your leadership operating system visible, then we codify how it runs.

Four steps

  1. Gather signals: short intake + one live session; I capture habits, tone, and contradiction patterns.
  2. Decode the story: one-page Pattern Map of loops, “red tape,” constraints; includes an early-warning Friction Forecast and a Burnout Audit.
  3. Surface levers: one to three moves with outsized impact (decision rights, commit ritual, scope boundaries, repair protocol).
  4. Run field tests: 7/14/30-day experiments; we keep what moves the needle and turn it into operating rules.

First-week cadence

  • Day 0–1: Intake + artifact pull
  • Day 3–5: Live synthesis, 60–75 minutes
  • Day 7: Pattern Map + 1–3 levers; field tests set
  • Day 14: Verify shift; keep or cut experiments

Repair is a skill. We practice it until it’s boring.

Interactive system diagram: products act on boundaries to change flow.

Offerings

Cofounder pair

I map pursue–withdraw and relitigation loops, then install decision rights, a simple commit ritual, and a lightweight repair protocol. Two-of-two leadership without deadlock.

  • Decision Rights map
  • Commit ritual
  • Repair protocol

Founder 1:1

Short, surgical sessions that clear cognitive red tape: perfectionism, over-identification, burnout patterns, role drift. Behavior-first, values-aligned.

  • Burnout Audit + focus windows
  • Language shifts & decision rules
  • 7/14/30-day experiments

All-team cohesion

Codify handoffs and escalation so work moves cleanly under pressure. Scope boundaries, closed-loop feedback, shared cadence.

  • Scope boundary templates
  • Closed-loop feedback
  • Escalation lanes

Outcomes I track

Decision latency ↓ (days)
Repair time ↓ (rupture → closure hrs)
Commit rate ↑ (kept-commitments)
Role clarity ↑ (investor-facing)
Reopen count ↓ (per decision)
After-hours churn ↓ (burnout proxy)

Cohort metrics and anonymized snapshots. No theatrics.

Start with a precision diagnostic

Map the real loops. Pull the right levers. Get back to building.

Book your Cognitive Audit™ Request a short consult

Response within 1 business day.