Terms.

Intellectual property

Content on stantscherenkow.com, including essays, case patterns, frameworks, and all written material, is copyright Stan Tscherenkow. Short quotations with attribution and a link are welcome. Reproducing, modifying, creating derivative works from, sublicensing, or commercially exploiting full pages, case patterns, or frameworks without written permission is prohibited.

Advisory only

Nothing here and nothing communicated during an engagement is a guarantee of revenue, profit, growth, valuation, performance, savings, conversions, hiring success, restructuring success, or any other outcome. Examples, scenarios, frameworks, and projections are illustrative only. The client decides. The client acts. The client bears the risk of the decision. Stan Tscherenkow is not responsible for outcomes, execution, third parties, vendors, platforms, market conditions, or legal compliance.

Content published on this site is for general orientation. A private engagement begins only after a signed engagement letter and first payment.

No reliance

Do not rely on anything on this site or communicated in an engagement as a guarantee of any result. Independent professional review before acting on any recommendation is the client's responsibility.

No professional relationship

Use of this site does not create an attorney-client, accountant-client, fiduciary, investment-advisory, broker-dealer, partnership, employment, or agency relationship. Stan Tscherenkow is not acting as a fiduciary, licensed securities adviser, broker, attorney, accountant, or tax adviser unless separately agreed in a signed written document. Stan Tscherenkow does not have authority to bind any client, investor, partner, vendor, buyer, or counterparty absent a separate signed written authorization.

Engagement terms

• Each engagement is scoped in a written engagement letter signed before any work begins.
• Fees are invoiced at the start of the engagement (Tier 01) or at the start of each billing period (Tier 02 and Tier 03).
• Payment is by bank transfer or secure payment link, due in full before work begins or before the next billing period.
• No fee is charged to apply. Engagement fees are due only after a signed engagement letter is in place.

Fees and refund policy

Engagement fees are non-refundable except in the narrow circumstances stated below. Reserved calendar time, scheduled sessions, work in progress, and prior delivered work are considered value delivered regardless of whether the client uses the time, attends the session, or implements the recommendation.

• Tier 01 (Private Engagement, single decision). Fees are due in full at the start of the engagement. Cancellation by the client more than forty-eight (48) hours before the first scheduled session is refunded in full. Once the first session is reserved within the 48-hour window, or once the first session has occurred, all fees are earned and non-refundable.
• Tier 02 (Principal Circle). Three-month minimum commitment. Fees through the minimum period are non-refundable. After the minimum is satisfied, either party may terminate with thirty (30) days written notice; the notice period is paid in full. Prepaid unused months strictly beyond the notice period are refunded pro-rata.
• Tier 03 (Operating Partner). Scope, term, and refund conditions are set in the signed engagement letter, which controls.
• Outcome-based refunds are not offered. Advisory work is judgement, structural reading, and decision support. The client decides, the client acts, and the client bears the result. Dissatisfaction with the outcome of a decision the client makes, the speed at which the decision is made, or the recommendation given is not a basis for refund.
• Conflict-of-interest exception. If a material conflict of interest emerges mid-engagement and Stan Tscherenkow declines to continue, any prepaid portion covering future unworked periods is refunded in full. Fees for work already performed remain earned and are not refunded.
• Client no-show or non-engagement. If a client fails to attend scheduled sessions, fails to provide information needed to advance the engagement, or otherwise becomes non-responsive, fees remain earned. Reserved time is not refunded.
• Chargebacks. Initiating a payment-card chargeback in lieu of the dispute and termination process described in these terms and in the signed engagement letter constitutes material breach. Any chargeback will be contested with reference to these terms, the signed engagement letter, records of work performed, and records of time reserved. The client agrees to bear all costs of contesting an improper chargeback.
• Engagement letter controls. In the event of any conflict between this refund policy and the signed engagement letter for a specific engagement, the engagement letter controls as to that engagement.

Confidentiality

All client information shared during an engagement is held in strict confidence. Case patterns published on this site never identify clients, companies, metrics, or specifics that would allow identification.

Acceptable use

The site may not be used for unlawful purposes, to interfere with infrastructure, to upload harmful content, to harvest frameworks or content at scale for commercial reuse, or to damage the legal interests or reputation of Stan Tscherenkow.

Third-party sites

Links to third-party sites are provided as a convenience. Stan Tscherenkow is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or conduct of any external site or service.

Warranties

This site and all content are provided as-is and as-available. No warranties of accuracy, completeness, fitness for purpose, availability, or non-infringement are made, express or implied.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, total liability under any engagement is capped at the fees paid for that specific engagement. Stan Tscherenkow is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages. Excluded loss categories include lost revenue, lost profit, lost business opportunity, loss of data, reputational harm, and business interruption.

Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Stan Tscherenkow from any claims, damages, costs, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising from your use of this site, breach of these terms, violation of any law, or misuse of information from an engagement.

Changes to these terms

These terms may be updated at any time. Continued use of this site following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. The "Last updated" date above reflects when changes were last made.

Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States. Any dispute is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in California.

Miscellaneous

If any provision of these terms is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.

Failure to enforce any provision does not constitute a waiver.

These terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Stan Tscherenkow regarding site use.

In the event of a conflict between these website terms and a signed engagement letter, the engagement letter controls only as to the specific engagement it governs.

Contact

Questions: [email protected].