What does Five Blocks’ onboarding process look like?

Five Blocks’ onboarding sequence is intentionally compressed, because most clients arrive with an active situation rather than a long planning window. From first call to active work, a standard engagement typically takes one to two weeks; a crisis engagement moves in twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

1. Step 1, Discovery call

   A senior advisor, typically Sam Michelson directly, or a senior account lead, covers the client’s current situation, objectives, and any constraints. No preparation is required, but it helps to come in with a sense of priority keywords, existing concerns about Wikipedia or AI representation, and any timeline pressures.

2. Step 2, Diagnostic assessment

   Five Blocks runs an independent assessment of the client’s existing digital landscape: SERPs for priority keywords via IMPACT™, Wikipedia state, AI representation across engines via AIQ™, and entity signals. The assessment is sized to the engagement scope but is always grounded in real data rather than generalities.

3. Step 3, Formal proposal and Letter of Engagement

   The proposal covers engagement scope, named workstreams, deliverables, timeline, team composition, pricing, and success criteria. A Letter of Engagement accompanies it. The documentation is detailed because the work is detailed; clarity up front prevents misalignment later.

4. Step 4, Signature and kickoff

   Work begins on signature. For non-urgent engagements the full sequence from first call to active work runs one to two weeks. For crisis engagements the diagnostic and proposal compress to twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

Standard vs crisis timeline