From paid for time to paid for outcomes

Intelligent Automation That Moves Your Organization Forward

The work has already changed. AI can now do most of what information workers do — and the value is shifting from the hours you put in to the outcomes you create. We help managers, teams, and small businesses turn paralysis into a plan.

Take a moment to process the shift — then let's get you moving.

Where do you fit?

Three audiences. One shift.

The disruption doesn't respect the org chart. Wherever you sit, there's a path through it.

~80%
of information work can now be automated
20%
is where human value lives — judgment, context, strategy
~1B
information workers are living through the shift

Source: The Value Shift by Ryan Schmierer

The NovoCircle Method

Four questions that turn paralysis into a plan.

A stopped car can't be steered — these four questions get you moving.

01

What's the problem you're trying to solve?

Name the specific problem before buying tools or reorganizing. It's the step people skip — and the most expensive mistake they make.

02

What are the pieces of the puzzle?

Lay out the constraints, resources, technology, and skills. Get every piece on the table before you start solving.

03

What does success look like?

Picture the outcome — and anchor it to a real date. That's what turns a dream into a plan.

04

What are the options for getting there?

Options, not a solution. There's always more than one path — see them all before you commit to one.

Then we pressure-test the plan with anticipatory scenario planning — mapping best, worst, and most-likely cases so you're never caught off guard. See how a Paralysis to a Plan engagement works →

Ryan Schmierer, author of The Value Shift and founder of NovoCircle

The author & founder

Ryan Schmierer

Ryan is the author of The Value Shift and the founder of NovoCircle. Across 25 years in enterprise technology — 14 years at Cisco, Enterprise Architect for Corporate IT at Microsoft, and VP of Operations at Sparx Services North America — he has watched each technology shift reshape how work gets done.

He founded NovoCircle in 2024 with a simple mission: to help his friends and colleagues be successful. He holds an MBA and speaks regularly on the future of work and the human side of AI adoption — and is available for keynotes, leadership workshops, and conference talks.

Questions

Frequently asked

What is “the value shift”?
It's the move from being paid for your time to being paid for outcomes. As AI automates most information work, what stays scarce — and valuable — is the judgment, context, and strategy only people bring. The book The Value Shift explains it in full; NovoCircle helps you act on it.
Who does NovoCircle help?
Three audiences navigating the same shift: managers using AI to grow (not just cut), employees building the AI skills to stay valuable, and entrepreneurs & small businesses making the leap to running their own thing.
What is the NovoCircle Method?
Four questions that turn paralysis into a plan: What's the problem? What are the pieces? What does success look like, and by when? What are your options? It's the backbone of every engagement.
Do you advise, build, or train?
All three. We help you Define what's worth doing, Build the right solution, and Train your team to sustain it — each stage scoped independently.
How do I get started?
Book a short discovery call — no pitch, just a conversation about where you are and what you're trying to do.

This chapter may be coming to a close. The next chapter is yours to write.

Whether you're leading a team, building your skills, or running a small business — the move that matters most is starting. Let's talk about where you are.

Book a Discovery Call