Decide
“We can't agree and it's been two years.”
A current-state read, in writing, name attached.
Scope agreed in writing before I start. Nothing up front, invoiced at midpoint and end.
01
When the decision is stuck
Two teams, two answers, and a platform decision nobody will own
I look at what's actually running, make the call nobody else will, and hand you a written decision the team can move on this week.
Start a conversation See how six decisions got made →
Results are from Bill's prior executive roles, except where labeled NLT Labs.
How I help
-
Decide
“We can't agree and it's been two years.”
Scope agreed in writing before I start. Nothing up front, invoiced at midpoint and end.
See how six decisions got made → -
Lead
“We need somebody they can look to.”
Scope reviewed and reset as the work continues. Nothing up front, progress visible as it happens.
Talk about what you need → -
Diligence
“We're pricing an asset and can't read the code.”
Scope defined in writing before the read starts. Nothing up front, invoiced at midpoint and end.
See what the read covers →
02
Where I usually come in
Two regions, two opinions, eighteen months, no decision.
An AI pilot, six months from production, for six months.
You're pricing an asset, and the code is unreadable.
If one of those sounds familiar, that's the conversation.
03
How I help
Lead
“We need somebody they can look to.”
Fractional CTO or CIO, same person, strategy to on-call.
Scope reviewed and reset as the work continues. Nothing up front, progress visible as it happens.
Diligence
“We're pricing an asset and can't read the code.”
Diligence for sponsors: code, architecture, what happens after close.
Scope defined in writing before the read starts. Nothing up front, invoiced at midpoint and end.
04
Decisions
The calls that didn't have an easy answer
What you're buying is how I decide when it's real.
Compliance
The compliance program built ahead of deals
- Situation
- No audit program existed.
- Call
- Built the SOC program.
- Refused
- One-off answers, deal by deal.
- Returned
- SOC audits passed, with national retail, restaurant, and logistics brands on the customer list.
Evals
The evals that decide if an agent reaches customers
- Situation
- Agents now act on real customers.
- Call
- Every change gets a five-level eval.
- Refused
- Open-ended autonomy. Strict schemas instead.
- Returned
- Agent changes are validated before a customer sees them.
Margin
Ten points of margin while the org tripled
- Situation
- Software shift, headcount growing fast.
- Call
- Ran it as its own margin program.
- Refused
- Headcount growth, not discipline.
- Returned
- Ten points of gross margin added while the organization grew from 28 people to 80.
Scale: two and a half times in ARR.
Except where labeled NLT Labs, results here are from Bill's prior work as a technology executive, not NLT Labs client engagements, shared as experience, not a promise of similar outcomes.
05
Who does the work
You work with me, start to finish
Bill Thornton
Founder
Twenty-five years building and scaling enterprise software. Work with NLT Labs, work with me.
I also run NLT Agent Stack, live at products.nltlabs.ai.
Peer, same team
"I especially valued Bill's steadiness. In moments where the business was moving quickly, priorities were changing, or acquisitions introduced new complexity, Bill brought clarity and calm. He was a trusted partner across product, customer, sales, and executive leadership because he understood the bigger picture and consistently focused on what would create long-term value."
Consultant, senior to Bill
"I have worked with Bill at multiple companies. In each, I found him to be a quiet, creative force of change and improvement. I learned a lot from him on how to save money in key areas, but also to be open to looking at the bigger picture, with respect to software engineering and web services."
Post-acquisition, different teams
"Bill was CTO at the time of my company's acquisition. Over two-plus years of working together post-acquisition, what consistently set Bill apart as CTO wasn't just his technical depth, but how he showed up for people. He made time to understand what our team had built and why we'd made the decisions we had. When we needed, Bill was hands on, and when not, Bill allowed our team the freedom to build and operate as we had pre-acquisition, with improvements based on Bill's expertise."
Facilities specialist, Bill was senior
"What sets Bill apart, however, is his leadership style. He holds teams to high standards and drives meaningful results, while ensuring people have the support, resources, and trust they need to succeed. He genuinely cares about the growth and well-being of those who work with him and consistently creates an environment where people can do their best work."
06
Start
Start with a question.
You don't need a project yet.
No obligation, a straight conversation. If I'm not the right person, I'll say so and point you at who is.