We Work Where The Playbook Doesn't

Most advisory firms operate from distance, relying on imported frameworks and secondhand data. We've built businesses, sat on boards, and navigated crises in markets where the usual consulting playbook falls apart. This is strategic intelligence and operational support for founders, executives, and investors who need someone who's actually been there.

Your competition is using the same outdated playbook. You don't have to.

Most advisory firms build their models for comfortable, stable Western markets and then export them everywhere else. That approach works fine in London or New York.

It falls apart in Lagos, Lima, or Hyderabad, where informal networks drive decisions, political risk shifts weekly, and the org chart isn't the real power map.

We built Pholus differently because we've operated in those markets, not just studied them. Here's what that difference actually looks like.

Different problems need different advisors.

Here's what we do differently than the firms you've already heard of.

Pholus Advisory:

  • Direct access to the founder and senior team members with on-the-ground operating experience

  • We've built businesses, navigated crises, and speak the language where you're working
  • Days to weeks for actionable insights through embedded networks and direct access
  • Ongoing support model with weekly calls, rapid response, and continuous availability
  • Transparent retainer or project fees with no overhead bloat or hidden costs
  • Built for founders and executives operating where the standard playbook doesn't apply

Major Consulting Firms:

  • Partners sell the work, junior associates and analysts deliver it
  • Fly in for research, conduct interviews, and apply cookie-cutter frameworks
  • Weeks to months for deliverables through formal research phases
  • Project-based engagements with defined scopes and formal presentations
  • High hourly rates with large team costs, travel expenses, and partner premiums
  • Built for enterprises in established markets where their proven playbooks actually work

If you're reading this and thinking "I need someone who's actually been there," that's us.

If you're thinking "I need a 200-slide deck to show my board," that's not.

If you've read this far, you probably already know you're not in McKinsey territory. You're building or operating somewhere complex, moving faster than a six-month engagement allows, or dealing with problems that don't fit in a framework deck. What you need is specific support that matches where you actually are.

Here's what we do.

Market Entry & Intelligence

You can't make good decisions with outdated or imported data. We surface context-specific insights, map informal networks, and decode market behavior in places where the usual reports don't go. This is grounded research, designed for decision-makers, not theorists.

This service is best for organizations preparing to enter a new market, reposition an offer, or clarify their message for skeptical or overwhelmed audiences.

Founder & Team Advisory

Founders in volatile markets face pressure most advisors don't understand. We work alongside leadership teams to navigate uncertainty, stabilize operations under stress, and make strategic decisions when standard playbooks don't apply. We strengthen your team's capability, we don't replace them.

This service is best for founders and leadership teams who need sustained strategic support, external perspective during operational challenges, or advisory through recovery phases without operational takeover.

Operational & Political Risk Forecasting

You can't manage risks you can't see coming. We provide early warning systems for organizations in volatile markets, identifying drift before it becomes crisis, mapping political and operational risks, and building contingency plans while you still have options.

This service is best for organizations operating in fragile environments who need proactive risk assessment, scenario planning, and early detection systems before problems become public crises.

Crisis Advisory & Emergency Response

When contractors go rogue, operations collapse, or you're forced to exit a market under pressure, you need someone who's navigated these situations personally. We provide 24-hour crisis response for emerging market operations, coordinating across jurisdictions, managing vendor relationships, and executing controlled responses when staying calm matters most.

This service is best for organizations facing acute operational crises, contractor or partner fraud, regulatory enforcement, or forced exits requiring rapid coordination across multiple stakeholders.

Board Advisory & Governance

When governance gets complex or crisis hits, boards need members who've operated businesses in these markets, not just advised on them. We join boards to provide strategic oversight, crisis governance, and calm judgment during high-stakes decisions. We speak the language, understand the power structures, and can deploy when situations escalate.

This service is best for organizations operating in fragile environments who need sustained strategic presence, early warning systems, and priority crisis response already positioned when situations escalate.

Ongoing Advisory & Proximity

Not every threat announces itself. We stay close to organizations under pressure, interpreting weak signals, protecting judgment during high-stress periods, and positioning ourselves to act before situations become public crises. This is sustained advisory proximity for teams who can't afford to miss early warnings or face critical decisions without external perspective.

This service is best for organizations operating in fragile environments who need sustained strategic presence, early warning systems, and priority crisis response already positioned when situations escalate.

Strategic Exit & Wind-Down

Sometimes the right move is to leave. We help you extract value, protect reputation, and manage stakeholder relationships during closures, pivots, or strategic withdrawals without burning the ground behind you.

This service is best for organizations that have decided to exit but need expertise executing that decision without destroying relationships, reputation, or future opportunities in the market.

Not sure what service you actually need? Get in touch and let's talk about it.

We're not right for everyone.

How to know if you need Pholus or a traditional consulting firm.

Work with Pholus when:

  • Speed matters more than PowerPoint perfection
  • You need ongoing access, not a one-time report
  • Your budget is under $500K and you want senior attention, not junior execution
  • You're entering or operating in Latin America, Africa, or Asia where imported frameworks fail
  • The problem requires understanding informal networks, political nuance, or cultural context that doesn't fit the standard playbook
  • You're a founder, small executive team, or early-stage investor building where the rules are different

Work with a major firm when:

  • You need the brand name to satisfy your board, investors, or regulators
  • The project requires 20+ people working simultaneously across multiple workstreams
  • You're a Fortune 500 with enterprise-scale complexity and matching budget
  • The deliverable matters more than the relationship (you need the deck, not the advisor)
  • You're in established Western markets where their proven playbooks and frameworks actually apply
  • You have 6-12 months and $2M+ to spend on structured transformation

These aren't the only two options, but they're probably the two you're weighing. If you want help figuring out which makes sense, we're one conversation away.

What We Don't Do (And How It Benefits You)

  • We Don’t Prescribe Cookie-Cutter Plans. Every recommendation is context-specific. We build around your real conditions. There's no generic playbook.

  • We Don’t Replace Your Team. Instead of stepping in to take over, we strengthen your existing leadership and staff. You stay in control while we equip your people to execute more effectively.

  • We Don’t Undermine Internal Capacity. Our goal is to leave your organization stronger. We work quietly, tactically, and always with an eye toward your self-sufficiency.

  • We Don’t Push Long-Term Contracts. You can engage us only when needed. There’s no obligation to lock into extended commitments unless it makes sense for both parties.

  • We Don’t Operate in Active Conflict Zones. While we support organizations near instability, we don’t embed in active combat settings. That ensures clarity, continuity, and reduced risk for your team and ours.

Let’s Talk About the Terrain You’re Really Navigating

We help you see what spreadsheets miss and bring structure to environments that feel unpredictable.

Facing a critical situation?

Get practical insights for complex markets. No jargon. No noise.

Search

Get in Touch

About Pholus Advisory

Pholus Advisory guides founders, investors, and NGOs through crisis, governance challenges, and market complexity where traditional advisors hesitate to operate.

Company
Legal

© 2025, Pholus Advisory. All rights reserved.