Why I refund Sprints when they don't land.
It's not a marketing tactic. It's the only honest position.
The first refund.
Eighteen months ago a founder paid for Sprint 3. I delivered the brief on Day 10. It landed flat. She read it twice. The recommendation didn't feel defensible to her.
She emailed me on Day 12. I refunded the full amount the same afternoon, kept the brief on her drive in case it became useful later, and sent her one note about what I would have asked differently up front.
That was the first and only refund I've issued. It taught me more about the work than the previous twenty Sprints combined.
Why the refund exists.
The refund is structural, not promotional. Three reasons it exists:
The first is the obvious one. The second is the underrated one. The third is the most valuable.
The teams that won't offer a refund are usually selling time, not a brief.
How to think about strategy refund policies.
If you're hiring a strategy consultant or agency, the refund policy is one of the loudest signals you'll get:
- Named window + named condition + crisp answer: they sell briefs. They have confidence in the deliverable.
- Vague "satisfaction guarantee": they sell decks. Loophole-shaped refund language.
- "We don't offer refunds, the value is in the engagement": they sell time. Run.
Refund policies aren't a courtesy. They're a structural commitment to the deliverable shape.
What I do when a Sprint doesn't land.
Single refund email. Single reason captured for my own learning. Brief stays on the buyer's drive. I follow up 60 days later to see if the brief became useful in retrospect (sometimes evidence ages well). No re-pitching. The refund closes the loop.
Back to the first refund.
Three months after the refund, the founder emailed me back. The recommendation in the brief had played out exactly. She'd been right that it didn't feel defensible to her at the time. She was also right that it ended up being correct. She booked another Sprint, full price.
The refund didn't lose me a client. It built one. That's why the policy stays.
[TODO B · Mechanism/why]
[TODO: Explain WHY the thing in A happens. Cite mechanism, data, evidence.]
[Short italic pull-quote that crystalizes the mechanism]
[TODO C · Application/the move]
[TODO: What to do with the insight. Concrete steps.]
- [Step 1] description
- [Step 2] description
- [Step 3] description
[TODO: When NOT to do this / counter-case]
[TODO: One paragraph showing edge case or when the move is wrong.]
[TODO A' · Callback to scene]
[TODO: Return to the opening scene with new meaning. 2-3 sentences. Don't over-resolve.]
Do you really refund Sprints?
Yes. Full refund within 14 days of delivery if the brief doesn't give you a defensible next move. Named window. Named condition. No questions asked. It's happened once in two years.
Why offer a refund on strategy work?
Three reasons: confidence signal (I sell briefs, not effort), selection signal (hesitant founders self-filter), and feedback loop (refunds teach me where briefs miss). Structural, not promotional.
What happens if I refund?
Single refund email goes out same day. Single reason captured privately for learning. Brief stays on your drive (sometimes ages into usefulness). I follow up 60 days later to see if the brief became useful in retrospect. No re-pitching.
Is a refund a red flag if a consultant doesn't offer one?
Often, yes. Strategy briefs / market intelligence / category work should always come with a refund window. Exception: pure facilitation (workshops, off-sites) where the output is alignment, not a brief.
Has the refund ever been abused?
Not in two years. The named condition ("defensible next move") makes it specific. Founders who want briefs that ship don't refund out of bad faith. Founders who do refund usually have valid feedback that improves the next Sprint.
Last updated May 31, 2026. Field notes by Alex Lamb, LoopWorker.