Main idea

A consultant is preparing an engagement for a news channel. He doesn't reopen the regional daily's case: he looks up the firm's notes on paywalls and finds the recommendation that had worked, but above all the conditions that made it hold — loyal readership, news hard to find elsewhere, marginal advertising. He checks them at his new client. None of them is met.

The recommendation tips over, and he sees it on day one, before writing a single line. The option ruled out for the daily — a few free articles before a subscription — may turn out to be the right one. The decision will belong to the new engagement, but it will start from the right place; and in turn, it will add a nuance to the note on paywalls.

Why it matters

Conditions turn a past conclusion into a test you can apply: instead of asking whether the question is the same, you check whether the situation is. The gain comes at the start of the engagement, where a wrong direction costs the most.

Nuances and limits

Conditions that are all met don't guarantee the recommendation will hold: other factors, not identified during the first engagement, may matter.

Open questions

• What do you do when only some of the conditions are met at the new client?