For CEOs:
What is your cash conversion rate – and is that trending well?
Can you show me your system – or do you know a better way of increasing its capacity?
Would a buy pay a premium for your business?
Is there any reason you wouldn’t want to find out?
What is your business philosophy?
Right now it is 11:36 06/25/2026 and I have this letter to fold in thirds, neatly folded in envelop:
I am thinking: Just a quick pop-in. Dress my kids up like professional deliverymen. Have you sign for it. If my introverted self makes it too easy to pass your gatekeepers:
If I have to face the chief executive, I should I hope to ask these questions:
What is your cash conversion rate – and is that trending well? (THE metric)
Can you show me your system – or do you know a better way of increasing its capacity? (KISS: Maps predate written language)
Would a buyer pay a premium for your business? (Let’s find out)
Is there any reason you wouldn’t want to (find out)? (No-oriented question, per Chris Voss)
What is your business philosophy? (Open-ended. Roll with it)
My card clipped to bottom right of document
If you could just answer these few questions real quick I would appreciate it:
Here are A few other questions. Plus a self-diagnostic.
Is your system designed better than our school system: Train and enforce?
Workers-training-workers: Is that similar to or different than: A bunch of kindergarteners playing the telephone game? While companies play Monkey-see, Monkey-do?
What is the capability of the system?
What is the variation of the system?
Is the system stable?
Do you have a logical answer (in thinking about the goal we are setting) to the question: By what method?
Otherwise, could your goals be arbitrary and capricious?