# Operating System Setup Guide

A lightweight guide for installing an operating cadence in a small company or team.

## Principle

A company operating system is not software. It is the repeatable cadence of metrics, decisions, priorities, risks, and follow-through.

## Step 1 — Define the Scoreboard

Choose 5–8 metrics only.

| Metric | Owner | Source | Review cadence | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | Weekly / Monthly | |

## Step 2 — Set the Weekly Review

Default agenda:
1. Metrics off-track
2. Commitments from last week
3. Blockers
4. Decisions needed
5. Commitments for next week

Rules:
- 45 minutes maximum
- Exceptions only
- End with owners and dates

## Step 3 — Create Decision Discipline

Any decision with meaningful tradeoffs gets a decision memo.

Minimum memo:
- Decision needed
- Context
- Options
- Recommendation
- Risks
- Owner and deadline

## Step 4 — Create a Risk Register

Review monthly.

Track:
- Risk
- Probability
- Impact
- Owner
- Mitigation
- Review date

## Step 5 — Install Monthly Review

Monthly review sections:
- Executive summary
- KPI dashboard
- Priority review
- Customer/revenue review
- Product/delivery review
- Team/operations review
- Risks
- Decisions
- Next-month priorities

## Step 6 — Quarterly Planning

Quarterly planning answers:
- What changed?
- What matters now?
- What are the top 1–3 goals?
- What will we not do?
- Who owns what?

## Step 7 — Keep It Small

Do not create process theater.

If a document is not used to make decisions, reduce or delete it.

## 30-Day Rollout

| Week | Focus | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scoreboard + weekly review | Metrics and agenda live |
| 2 | Decision memos | First 2 memos written |
| 3 | Risk register | Top risks assigned |
| 4 | Monthly review | First monthly review completed |

## AI Prompt

```text
Help me install this operating system for a small team. Ask for missing context, then propose a 30-day rollout with minimal meetings and documents.
```