This Series:
Part 1 (Intro) | Part 2 (Hire Strange Renegades) | Part 3 (Build Craftsmen) | Part 4 (Create Artisan Products) | Part 5 (Earn Raving Fans) | Part 6 (Forge an Inimitable Brand)
In this series my goal is to provide some transparency about how we think about investments here at risk3sixty. Investment in our team, in our products, and in our clients - which we call our "Strategy Flywheel". Specifically, I am speaking to you: future team members who are considering joining risk3sixty or future customers considering hiring risk3sixty to solve an important business problem.
I acknowledge that it can be hard to get the full sense of a company in just a few hours of interviews. And this is my attempt to supplement that and give you an insider’s perspective on risk3sixty. I hope it provides some insight to who we are and inspires trust that we are the kind of company you may want to work with.
Christian White (we call him CW) has been my business partner for over a decade. And one of my favorite things about CW is that he is a ferocious reader of business literature. Probably the most prolific reader I have ever met.
The upside for me, is that CW has become a filter for which books I should read and which books aren't worth my time. So, occasionally CW will drop by my office with a look of inspiration in his eyes, and make a book recommendation.
Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins is one of those books.
Turning the Flywheel is a short but powerful companion to Jim's classic Good to Great. In it, Collins explores how the world’s most successful organizations build unstoppable momentum over time by focusing on reinforcing systems - what he calls a “flywheel.”
That concept stuck with me.
At risk3sixty, we’ve always believed in the power of systems thinking. (Like our Management Operating System.) We try to design repeatable models that compound value over time. We do it for our clients and for ourselves.
And after reading Collins’ book, we set out to build our own version of a flywheel. What started as a simple sketch on a whiteboard has evolved into one of our most important strategic tools. The flywheel is a filter for how we make strategic investments.
Our flywheel helps us explain how we invest resources, why our culture and business model work, and how small, consistent efforts create exponential results over time. It’s a shared language for how we operate and grow and it helps us connect our people, our mission, and our results.
Our flywheel is made up of five reinforcing stages:
We start by hiring exceptional people — individuals who are curious, driven, and wired a little differently. “Strange Renegades” are those who challenge convention, embrace craftsmanship, and care deeply about their work.
Once they join the team, we invest heavily in their development. Through mentoring, certifications, and hands-on experience, we help them master their craft and grow into leaders. For us, that includes training programs like the "Journeyman Program", our badge system for becoming qualified across security frameworks, paid training, and much more.
Great people build great things. Our craftsmen create best-in-class products and services like our GRC platform fullCircle, Agentic AI for GRC teams, our ASM platform Armada, and compliance implementation programs designed to empower our clients and push our industry forward.
When you deliver exceptional work, you earn more than satisfied clients - you earn advocates. Our goal is to create “raving fans” who trust us, refer us, and celebrate our partnership. For example, at risk3sixty we average a NPS score around 90 (when the industry average is in the 40s).
Over time, this momentum builds an inimitable brand - a reputation that can’t be copied because it’s rooted in who we are, how we think, and what we consistently deliver. After a decade of dedication, we think our brand has become one of our most powerful asset. And that in turn helps us recruit more strange renegades (and the flywheel continues).
Each stage fuels the next, creating a virtuous cycle of talent, excellence, and trust. The longer we spin the flywheel, the faster and stronger it becomes.
And that's it. That is our entire strategy in a nutshell. But inside each of these elements are tools and philosophies that you may find interesting. Some of which you may be able to apply at your own company.
So, if you want to join me for a deep dive on each element of the flywheel and how it impacts risk3sixty continue on to part 2 in this series where I'll cover the first stage in our flywheel; Hiring Strange Renegades.
Check out part 2 ---> HIRING STRANGE RENEGADES