The Founders Clinic
Twenty minutes. One UX problem. A straight read.
Every early-stage product has a spot where people stall. The signup that loses them. The flow they abandon. The screen nobody understands. You can see it in the numbers. You can't always see why.
FREE FOR FOUNDERS
November 17th, 18th, and 19th
Virtual. Limited spots. Apply to get in.
Applications now open · Apply by Wed Nov 11th.
The Founders Clinic is a 20-minute call with me, Simon Carney. You bring the problem. I tell you what I think is really going on and where to look first.
I've spent over two decades fixing this kind of thing at Microsoft, Nokia, Capital One, and Climate Corporation. At Capital One, I took an enrollment flow from 26% to 92% completion. Now I do it for founders building in regulated industries, where the stakes are higher and the rules get in the way.
You will not leave with a redesign, and you won't leave with certainty either... 20 minutes isn't enough for that. You will leave with a clearer read on what's likely going on, what evidence is still missing, and two or three concrete directions to look next. Think of it as the front half of a UX Reality Check, my paid diagnostic, without the price tag.
ABOUT SIMON CARNEY
I've been acquired three times, and been the first hire brought in afterward even more often than that.
I've been on both sides of this: inside the big product organizations founders are trying to sell into, as the person brought in to fix what went wrong, and as the leader who had to figure out why smart teams kept stalling.
I started Consortium UX because the founders, corporate stakeholders, and VCs I kept meeting had the same problem: smart teams, real technology, wrong diagnosis, and no one in the room willing to say so without a stake in what they decided next.
Now I help founders figure that out before they burn runway on the wrong fix.
Want a sense of how I think before you put a problem in front of me?
Expensive Assumptions is where I write about product decisions, UX problems, and the reasonable choices that get expensive later.
Connect and learn more:
More about Simon: https://consortiumux.com/aboutme
LinkedIn: kalinsimoncarney
Expensive Assumptions: https://expensiveassumptions.substack.com/
WHO IT IS FOR
A good fit:
You're a founder at pre-seed through Series A
You have a product in build or in market, even if it's early
You can name one UX problem you want a second opinion on
I'm especially interested in regulated spaces like fintech, agtech, and healthtech, but that's not a requirement — the problem matters more than the industry.
Not a fit:
Looking for a design or development team
Looking for a full audit or a finished plan
Looking for investor introductions or fundraising advice
Did someone send you this link? An investor, banker or colleague may have passed it along. That is fine, and it does not change anything about how your session works. They will not be told that you applied, that you were approved, or what we discussed, unless you tell them yourself.
HOW THE CLINIC WORKS
One call, one problem. I'll keep us on time and keep us focused.
I read what you send before we talk, so we spend the 20 minutes on the problem, not the backstory.
I'll give you a working diagnosis and a direction to look, not a redesign, not a full product review, not a code audit.
It's free, with no obligation. If you want the fuller version afterward, the UX Reality Check is the paid next step. I'll tell you what that is if you ask; I won't push it.
CONFIDENTIALITY & TRUST
Your name stays with you. Nothing about your company is shared with anyone who referred you or anyone else. Not your name, not your product, not what we talked about.
A short confidentiality agreement. You'll check a box when you apply, covering how I handle what you share. Nothing to sign or send back separately.
Patterns, not stories. If three or more founders bring me the same kind of problem, I may write a short, anonymized summary of the pattern and share it with people in the startup community, including whoever sent you this page. No names, no companies, and no breakdown by who referred whom. If fewer than three founders share a pattern, I don't write about it.
A case study is optional and always your call. This doesn't come up at registration or right after your session. If I'm pulling together named case studies, I'll reach out separately, likely in December, and you can say no with nothing changing.
Recording. I record each call so I can focus on you instead of my notes, and so your write-up is accurate. The recording is deleted after 90 days.
HOW TO APPLY
Tell me what you're wrestling with. I read every request and choose the ones where I think a twenty-minute conversation can genuinely help. If I accept yours, I'll come prepared so we can spend our time on the problem, not the backstory.
Apply on this page by Nov 11, 2026. Click Request to Join and answer a few short questions.
I review your application. I read every application. You'll hear from me either way. If you're approved, you'll get an email with a link to book a 20-minute time slot on Nov 17, 18, or 19. You choose the day and time that works for you.
Book and show up. Pick a time. I'll ask what you've already tried and why the timing matters before you confirm, then you'll get a calendar invite and a video link.
After the call. I'll send you a short write-up of what we covered and where to look next. Your booking confirmation will tell you exactly when to expect it. I may also follow up once, likely in December, to ask about the optional case study. That's it. No sales sequence.