Customer needs underlying the investment
Before comparing proposals, investigate the customer outcome each investment aims to create and the underlying needs that support it.
Investment Prioritization
The biggest budget risk may not be spending more than planned. It may be funding what no longer deserves priority.
Resources committed today may constrain tomorrow's priorities. What should continue?
Investment costs do not end with approval. Maintenance, people committed and deferred opportunities also matter. We examine which priorities deserve continued resources, considering relevance and capacity.
For CEOs, CFOs, boards and investors.
Approving a project commits more than the budget.It determines where the company deploys its capacity to create value.
How these teams made their decisions
- 500+Companies served by George Eich
- 650+Startups mentored through Startup SC
- 60+Startups supported through Cubo Itaú
Companies served by George Eich
- Techne
- Climoo
- PSA
- Ambev
- Evous
- Locates
Institutions and startup programs
- Sebrae
- ACATE
- MIDITEC
- Cubo Itaú
- Startup SC
EVOUS
The team used customer evidence to decide when to strengthen its core product and when to expand its offering.
Locates
While switching platforms, the team used customer needs to decide which features to include and which to defer.
“We gained a more strategic view of the product and were able to prioritize the roadmap and the company’s positioning.”Feedback shared with the Institute · English translation
George Eich InstituteDirection for the choice. Evidence for the decision.
500+companies advised by George Eich
10+ yearsof experience in strategy and execution
3 to 6 weeksreference for research and executive analysis, depending on scope
Before approving the 2027 budget
If every project is executed, o capital terá sido bem alocado?
The budget begins with existing commitments, team requests and new projects. The discussion focuses on how much to invest. But where those resources go deserves equal attention.
Compromissos
“Sempre investimos nisso.”
Solicitações
“This team needs the project.”
Execução
“It fits the budget.”
Decision
“Does it still deserve priority?”
Which relevant customer need does this investment address? What value does it create for the customer? How can the company capture part of that value and achieve a return?
Da decisão à geração e captura de valor
What should be funded, preserved or stopped when teams compete for the same budget?
A need may exist without justifying strategic priority. Research tests relevance, while leadership also considers capacity, feasibility and economic returns.
01 / Situação de compra
What is at stake
The budget gets tied to initiatives that keep consuming resources even when the expected value does not materialize.
02 / Strategic Prioritization Study
What to investigate
Teams divide their attention among competing initiatives. The most important work has to compete with everything else.
03 / Need-Based Value Matrix
How to apply
Every new solution adds integrations, routines and commitments the company must maintain.
The Value Matrix guides decisions across three horizons: strengthen Core Business, expand through Expansion and create through Innovation. The Study supplies evidence, while value creation, capture and ROI also depend on economic conditions and execution.
The impact of the choice
The project fits the budget. O custo pode ficar por anos.
Approval can create maintenance costs, team workload and new commitments. Meanwhile, more relevant alternatives may remain unfunded.
Capital comprometido
Resources become tied to initiatives whose priority has never been compared against alternatives.
Capacidade consumida
People and technology sustain narrowly impactful projects while higher-value work waits.
Oportunidades adiadas
The opportunities left unfunded also affect the outcome of the decision.
Read more8 em 10needs were selected by fewer than 30% of customers in their respective bases.
Uma demanda existente is not enough to justify investment.
Em The Need Gap 2026, Eight in ten customer needs identified did not demonstrate enough relevance to become strategic priorities within their respective bases.
Of 1,423 needs, 1,143 were selected by fewer than 30% of customers in their respective bases. Only 280 reached that threshold. Before funding an initiative, verify the relevance of the problem it intends to solve.
Source: The Need Gap 2026, based on 59 companies and 1,423 mapped needs.
Explore The Need Gap 2026 ↗Investment prioritization
Invista no que merece prioridade. With evidence to decide.
An executive interpretation that connects evidence to the decision your leadership needs to make. The deliverables reflect the agreed business context and scope.
Customer segments and revenue
Quantitative validation shows how widely needs are prioritized. Segmentation by ICP and revenue helps interpret their economic significance.
Economic assumptions
Compare relevance and fulfillment with costs, risks and value-capture assumptions. The study informs analysis; it does not alone prove financial returns.
I want to prioritize investments
Bring us the decision your company needs to make.
Priorities with a clear foundation. Evidence to invest.
Executive analysis focused on your company's decision, including priorities and resource-allocation recommendations.
Budget priorities
Direction on where to focus capital, people and technology in the next cycle.
Evidence for approval
Evidence, expected returns, maintenance costs and questions still to be resolved.
Portfolio recommendations
What to fund, preserve, reconsider or defer, including alternatives left behind.
As entregas são definidas conforme a decisão e o escopo contratado.
About investment prioritization.
What is business investment prioritization?
It means deciding where to focus capital, people and technology among competing opportunities. The analysis considers which investments preserve current value, which may expand results and which need more evidence before funding.
Which decisions does the Institute help guide?
The engagement guides resource allocation across products, technology, expansion, innovation and strategic initiatives. Scope starts with a concrete company decision and connects opportunities to business context.
Who is this engagement for?
For CEOs, CFOs, boards and investors choosing between competing investments, reviewing a portfolio or defending a budget decision.
Is this useful if we already have AI pilots?
Executive analysis connecting evidence with investment decisions, tailored to the leadership decision. Direction: where to focus and which opportunities deserve consideration. Rationale: what supports each priority and what remains uncertain. Portfolio recommendations: what to preserve, expand, reconsider or defer. Specific deliverables depend on the agreed scope.
How long does the engagement take?
A typical reference is three to six weeks for structured research and executive analysis, depending on scope. The timeline depends on the decision, access to information and participant availability. The first conversation determines an appropriate format.
Before approving the budget, review where the resources will go.
Bring the investments being discussed for 2027. We will explore how to support your priorities with evidence.
I want to prioritize investmentsRequest a conversation with the George Eich Institute.
NEXT DECISION
Assess investments
Briefly describe the decision, investment or challenge you need to assess. We will follow up to understand your needs and agree on an appropriate scope.
