Distributed intelligence
Two-thirds of the neurons sit in the arms.
In business: Autonomous teams decide on the ground, with a mandate — not on orders from above.
For founders & MDs in the Mittelstand · 15–200 employees
From tanker to
octopus
Your company is growing — but somewhere it sticks. We surface what's holding it back, and resolve it.
At the top you carry it alone — against resistance, at full risk. We know that, and we stand shoulder to shoulder.
42
blockages resolved
8
arms, one goal
120+
organizations across our careers
Sound familiar?
Decisions suddenly need three meetings.You work yourself ragged — and don't move forward.I work in the business, not on it.My best people ask where we'll be in three years. I don't have a good answer.I say one thing, something else arrives downstream.I think we're missing the real market — I'm just not sure.If I'm away for a week, everything piles up.One of them won't pull his weight, but I can't let him go — he knows too much.My leaders argue over turf instead of customers.Hire the right person? Takes forever and still doesn't work.We reorganise every two years. It doesn't get better.There's always a good reason why now isn't the right time.I have to approve every exception personally. Daily.There's one person who knows everything. If they leave, we have a problem.We talk a lot — communicate little.The only one who gets in the way is the customer.That doesn't work for us — we're different!Decisions suddenly need three meetings.You work yourself ragged — and don't move forward.I work in the business, not on it.My best people ask where we'll be in three years. I don't have a good answer.I say one thing, something else arrives downstream.I think we're missing the real market — I'm just not sure.If I'm away for a week, everything piles up.One of them won't pull his weight, but I can't let him go — he knows too much.My leaders argue over turf instead of customers.Hire the right person? Takes forever and still doesn't work.We reorganise every two years. It doesn't get better.There's always a good reason why now isn't the right time.I have to approve every exception personally. Daily.There's one person who knows everything. If they leave, we have a problem.We talk a lot — communicate little.The only one who gets in the way is the customer.That doesn't work for us — we're different!
The strategy never lands with the team.Instead of leading, you're the one fixing everything.We're growing, but we're not getting more profitable.The market is shifting. I still don't know how we position ourselves.We have a vision. But day to day, no one sticks to it.I'm the bottleneck — and I know it!My managers don't lead. They manage!I feel like I'm the only one who truly cares.I have to be in every decision. Vacation is an illusion.By the time a decision lands, the problem has changed three times.Everyone has numbers — no one the same ones.We hold meetings about the meetings.We see what's changing. But we don't move fast enough.Everyone's completely swamped, nothing moves forward.Glassdoor shows our true face!Feedback not given is a failure to render aid.The strategy never lands with the team.Instead of leading, you're the one fixing everything.We're growing, but we're not getting more profitable.The market is shifting. I still don't know how we position ourselves.We have a vision. But day to day, no one sticks to it.I'm the bottleneck — and I know it!My managers don't lead. They manage!I feel like I'm the only one who truly cares.I have to be in every decision. Vacation is an illusion.By the time a decision lands, the problem has changed three times.Everyone has numbers — no one the same ones.We hold meetings about the meetings.We see what's changing. But we don't move fast enough.Everyone's completely swamped, nothing moves forward.Glassdoor shows our true face!Feedback not given is a failure to render aid.
That's not a leadership failure — it's a question of structure. That's exactly where we come in.
Why octopus
Eight arms, one direction.
The octopus isn't just a metaphor. It's a biological template for organizations that want to thrive in complexity — four of its traits translate directly into business practice.
Sensors on site
Octopuses touch and taste with their suckers.
In business: Frontline knowledge is used directly — not filtered or softened through reports.
Adaptive response
Shape, color, and texture adapt to the environment.
In business: The organization responds to market shifts — instead of holding on to the original plan.
Creative problem-solving
Octopuses open jars, solve puzzles, build shelters from coconut shells.
In business: Problems get solved where they appear — with the tools that are at hand.
In short
Central clarity, decentralized power — that's how a tanker becomes an octopus.
The framework
Strategy, team and execution —
visibly connected.
That's what POWER does: five principles — Positioning, Ownership, Win, Experiment, Routine — that together surface where your growth is stuck, and make it solvable.
Positioning
Clear position. In the market, in the team, in your own role.
01 / 05→
Ownership
Mandate, not command. Whoever decides, carries.
02 / 05→
Win
Outcome over activity. What works, stays.
03 / 05→
Experiment
Learning fast beats planning slow.
04 / 05→
Routine
What repeats becomes muscle.
05 / 05→
In short
Five principles — and where your growth is stuck becomes solvable.
The 42 blockages
Know what's slowing you — in 15 minutes.
Not after three months of coaching. 42 recurring patterns slow growth down — here's one. Take the free quick test and see yours right away.
In short
42 recurring patterns that show why your company is stuck in place.
Our manifesto
Eight arms. One direction. Zero micromanagement.
— The Octopus Principle
What sets us apart
Six places
that pay off for you.
No long lock-ins, no hidden catches. Six things you know from the start — and can hold us to.
Contract length
3 months. No long-term lock-in.
You commit for a quarter. After that, 30 days notice to quarter-end.
Pricing
€2,900 a month. Transparent.
Exactly what you book. Full cost transparency, no hidden line items.
Diagnosis
42 blockages. Structured.
You know what's stuck before the first workshop — through a systematic self-diagnosis across all 42 blockages.
Coaching setup
Coach plus subject expert.
When your topic gets specific — finance, sales, IT — the right expert joins. No extra cost.
Between workshops
Coaching that doesn't sleep.
Your team coaches itself around the clock — through the app, with full knowledge of all 42 blockages. The coach jumps in when needed.
Modular growth
Grow without disruption.
Two modules at €99–199/month: KPI Dashboard and Psychological Safety. Bookable any time — more modules in the works.
In short
We work differently in six places — you'll feel the difference day to day.
Book an intro call→
A full breakdown of all twelve differentiators is available in the discovery call.
Testimonials
What entrepreneurs say about us.
Real voices from real mandates — with names and, where possible, a LinkedIn profile. No fakes.
I wanted a plan that puts my team at the center — not me. That's exactly what I got at The Octopus Principle. Every stretch of the program is built so my COO leads operationally and middle management takes ownership. The program doesn't coach me — it enables my team. And that's the real lever.
CEO · EverLeaf GmbH
Who's behind it
Entrepreneurs coaching entrepreneurs.
At the top, you often decide alone — with incomplete information, against resistance, at high personal risk. Our coaches have stood there themselves — and stand shoulder to shoulder with you.
Experience areas
Finance & CFOInternational salesProgram managementApp developmentINSEADCommunicationsTrain-the-TrainerLeadership practiceStrategyLeadershipPersonal developmentEntrepreneurshipConflict management
Insights
How we think about growth.
Diagnosis
Know What's Slowing You Down in 15 Minutes: The Idea Behind the 42 Blockages
Most growth problems aren't new — they repeat. We named 42 of them. Why an honest quick test moves more than three months of diagnosis.
9 June 20263 min read
Framework
POWER: How Strategy, Team, and Execution Visibly Connect
Strategy rarely fails on the idea — it fails because it never reaches the team. POWER makes the chain from positioning to routine visible.
26 May 20265 min read
Strategy
From Tanker to Octopus: Why Growth in Mid-Sized Companies Stalls
Many companies grow — and get sluggish doing it. Why that's not a leadership failure but a question of structure. And what an octopus has to do with it.
12 May 20264 min read
The book
The Octopus Organization.
By Phil Le-Brun · Jana Werner
Currently available in English only
The book "The Octopus Organization" confirms our experience: decentralized structures and distributed intelligence transform sluggish "tankers" into agile "octopuses." Building on the antipattern laid out by Le-Brun and Werner, we developed five Octopus principles that systematically resolve these and other blockages we identified. We use proven tools and interventions that demonstrably work. The book scientifically underpins our path to a radically effective octopus organization.
Pricing
Fair math. Clean cuts.
Three building blocks you mix freely — coaching at the core, the app as the tool between workshops, modules where you need them.
App base
from €99
/month
From OCTO Free (no charge) to OCTO Unlimited · five versions
- 42 blockages with presentations, hacks, tools
- 24/7 AI coach that supports your team
- Coach notes + meeting recordings
- Individual and team analysis
Our recommendation
Coaching
€2,900
/month
Full programme · 3-month term · CEO mentoring from €850
- Two on-site workshop days per quarter
- Coach + subject expert at no extra cost
- Structured diagnosis across 42 blockages
- The mandate sits with the organisation, not a single coach
- Bookable add-on: rollout into the 2nd and 3rd leadership level
Modules
€99–199
/month per module
Add any time
- KPI Dashboard
- Psychological Safety
- More modules in the works
Bundle benefit: With active coaching you get 20% off the app base. Both run on the same invoice.
See full pricing details→
All prices excl. VAT.
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Risk-free start
Try The Octopus Principle® in under 15 minutes.
Free discovery — you test the method hands-on before you invest.
10
Blockages
Structured quick check with automatic analysis — you see what's stuck right away.
15 min
Of your time
That's all you need for a first picture of your organization.
€0
No risk
No signup, no contract, no commitment.
Or talk to us directly
Discovery call
30 minutes on the phone.
We listen, understand your situation, and suggest a fitting starting point — or honestly say when another provider would be a better fit.
Pick a slot→
Intro workshop
Two days on site.
First workshop block with your coach. You experience the method in action — and decide afterward how to continue.
Pick a slot→
Bundle entry
App + coaching combined.
App base plus coaching program at the bundle price (−20% off the app base). Three months term, 30 days notice to quarter-end.
Pick a slot→