EOS Is a Framework. This Is an Install. Here's the Difference.
EOS gives you a system to self-implement over two years. We build the system inside your business in 90 days. For contractor teams at $1M–$10M, the difference between a framework and an install is the difference between knowing and doing.
30 minutes. We assess your operation and show you what the install looks like.
EOS was built for office-based businesses with leadership teams. Most contractors have neither.
The Entrepreneurial Operating System works when you have a leadership team that can self-implement between quarterly sessions. That's the model: an implementer facilitates, your team executes. The gap between sessions is where the real work happens.
For a $3M contractor with two field leads, an office manager, and an owner who runs everything? The gap between sessions is where EOS dies. Nobody has time to build the scoreboard. Nobody enforces the L10 agenda. The rocks go unreviewed. By the next quarterly session, the team has regressed to default — and the owner is still the bottleneck.
The principles in Traction are sound. Accountability charts, meeting cadence, measurables, quarterly priorities — all useful concepts. The failure point is not the framework. It's the assumption that your team can build and sustain these systems without someone installing them directly.
EOS vs. 90-day operational install — point by point.
EOS / Traction
90-Day COO Install
Approach
Framework you self-implement with quarterly facilitation over 2 years
Hands-on install built inside your business over 90 days
Approach
Framework you self-implement with quarterly facilitation over 2 years
Hands-on install built inside your business over 90 days
Industry fit
Industry-agnostic. Designed for office-based businesses with existing leadership teams
Built specifically for contractor businesses with field operations and owner-operators
Industry fit
Industry-agnostic. Designed for office-based businesses with existing leadership teams
Built specifically for contractor businesses with field operations and owner-operators
Implementation
Your team runs it between sessions. EOS implementer facilitates 8 full-day sessions
We build it alongside your team. Weekly working sessions for the full 90 days
Implementation
Your team runs it between sessions. EOS implementer facilitates 8 full-day sessions
We build it alongside your team. Weekly working sessions for the full 90 days
Timeline
18–24 months to full adoption. Results depend on your team's follow-through
90 days. Most owners see relief within 45–60 days as systems take hold
Timeline
18–24 months to full adoption. Results depend on your team's follow-through
90 days. Most owners see relief within 45–60 days as systems take hold
Team requirement
Assumes an existing leadership team capable of self-implementation
Works with the team you have — even if roles are undefined and authority is unclear
Team requirement
Assumes an existing leadership team capable of self-implementation
Works with the team you have — even if roles are undefined and authority is unclear
Decision structure
High-level accountability chart and rocks (quarterly priorities)
Written decision thresholds with dollar amounts, scope boundaries, and specific examples
Decision structure
High-level accountability chart and rocks (quarterly priorities)
Written decision thresholds with dollar amounts, scope boundaries, and specific examples
Meeting cadence
L10 meeting format (level 10). Team runs it independently after training
Custom 8-point contractor agenda. We run the first sessions and coach until it holds
Meeting cadence
L10 meeting format (level 10). Team runs it independently after training
Custom 8-point contractor agenda. We run the first sessions and coach until it holds
What you get
A framework (Vision/Traction Organizer, accountability chart, rocks, L10 format)
Installed system (ownership matrix, decision standards, KPI scoreboard, follow-through protocol)
What you get
A framework (Vision/Traction Organizer, accountability chart, rocks, L10 format)
Installed system (ownership matrix, decision standards, KPI scoreboard, follow-through protocol)
Cost structure
$40K–$60K over 2 years (8 sessions at $5K–$7.5K each), plus team time
Fixed-scope, 90-day engagement. Typically 1–2 months of operations overhead
Cost structure
$40K–$60K over 2 years (8 sessions at $5K–$7.5K each), plus team time
Fixed-scope, 90-day engagement. Typically 1–2 months of operations overhead
After the engagement
Many businesses continue with an implementer indefinitely to maintain discipline
System is documented, owned by your team, and designed to run without us
After the engagement
Many businesses continue with an implementer indefinitely to maintain discipline
System is documented, owned by your team, and designed to run without us
Honest assessment: when EOS makes sense — and when it doesn't.
EOS may work if
- —You have 5+ people in defined leadership roles
- —Your leadership team can self-implement between sessions
- —Your business is mostly office-based or service-based
- —You have 18–24 months to see full results
- —You want a framework, not hands-on installation
The 90-day install fits if
- →You're a contractor at $1M–$10M, still owner-operated
- →Your team has field crews and no formal management layer
- →You need results in 90 days — not 24 months
- →You want someone to build the system, not just explain it
- →You've tried frameworks before and they didn't stick
Not sure which approach fits your business?
30-minute discovery call. We'll assess your current structure and tell you directly whether the install makes sense — or whether a different approach fits better.
The 90-day install: six deliverables, built for contractors.
Every deliverable is installed inside your business — not presented in a slide deck.
Weekly Leadership Cadence
Fixed meeting rhythm. 8-point agenda built for contractor operations. Every item closes with a named owner and deadline.
Ownership Matrix
Every function — estimating, field ops, billing, purchasing, sub management — assigned to a single named owner. Not an accountability chart on a whiteboard. A working document your team references daily.
Decision Thresholds
Written standards: what your field lead handles, what your office resolves, what escalates. Dollar amounts, scope boundaries, specific examples. The owner stops being the default decision-maker.
KPI Scoreboard
Eight contractor-specific metrics reviewed weekly. Billings, margin, labor vs. estimate, AR aging, pipeline, collections. Your team sees performance before the meeting starts.
Follow-Through Protocol
Closed-loop tracking. Every decision maps to a named owner and deadline. Checked before the next session. No recycled discussions.
Leadership Coaching
Weekly working sessions for the full 90 days. We build the system alongside your people, run the first sessions with you in the room, and coach until the cadence holds without you.
Questions about EOS vs. fractional COO for contractors.
Does EOS work for contractors?
It can — if you have an office-based leadership team, existing management structure, and 12–24 months to self-implement. For owner-operated contractors at $1M–$5M with field crews and no management layer, EOS frequently stalls because there's no one to run the framework between sessions.
What's the difference between a fractional COO and an EOS implementer?
An EOS implementer facilitates 8 full-day sessions over 2 years. Between sessions, your team self-implements. A fractional COO installs the operating system directly — building the cadence, ownership matrix, decision standards, and scoreboard inside your business over 90 days. Facilitation vs. installation.
Why doesn't EOS work for most small contractors?
Three reasons: (1) It assumes a leadership team capable of self-implementation — most contractors at this stage don't have one. (2) The 2-year timeline is too slow when margin is eroding now. (3) It's industry-agnostic, so it doesn't address field operations, job costing, or the decision patterns specific to contractor businesses.
How much does an EOS implementer cost?
Certified EOS implementers typically charge $5,000–$7,500 per full-day session. The standard engagement is 8 sessions over 2 years — roughly $40K–$60K total — plus the cost of your team's time to self-implement between sessions.
Can I use both EOS and a fractional COO?
Yes. Some contractors use EOS for high-level vision and annual planning, then bring in a fractional COO for the operational install that makes those plans executable. They're not mutually exclusive — but at the $1M–$5M stage, most contractors need implementation more than planning.
I read Traction. Should I try self-implementing first?
If you have the time and a team that can run it, try it. Many of our clients did exactly that — they read Traction, got value from the concepts, but struggled to sustain the meeting cadence and accountability structure without outside support. The 90-day install closes that gap.
What happens after the 90-day install ends?
The system runs without us. Every deliverable is documented and owned by your team. The cadence holds because it was built into your existing workflow. Most teams operate independently within 30 days of the engagement ending.
What does the 90-day install cost?
Fixed-scope. Typically positioned in the range contractors at the $1M–$10M stage consider one to two months of operations overhead. We scope before we price. Specifics are covered on the discovery call.
The full foundation
Need financial clarity alongside operational structure? Start with Contractor Job Costing. If your fundamentals (entity, accounting, insurance) aren't set, start with Contractor Setup Install.
Skip the 2-year framework. Install the system in 90 days.
30-minute discovery call. We assess your operation, show you what the install covers, and give you a straight answer on whether it fits — or whether EOS makes more sense for your stage.
Honest assessment. If EOS is the better fit, we'll tell you that.