AI-Augmented ladder · Practitioner
v2.0

bRRAIn Certified AI-Augmented Strategist

Use AI to speed strategic analysis while you own the decision, the strategy document, the risk plan and the org's AI program.

Level
Practitioner
Learning time
19 hours
Price
$199
Credential
Valid 3 years
Enroll on learn.brrain.io See the syllabus
What's new in v2.0

What changed in this edition.

  • Honest hours: 19 hours of seat time (v1 claimed 45), with every lesson sized at 15 minutes or less and seven AI role-play labs plus a capstone.
  • Strategy documents are now written to bRRAIn's Strategy Document Standard v1.0: the seventeen-section spine, document classes S1 to S4, and the four approval gates.
  • New risk and contingency module built on IRCM and the RCCP v1.0 template: assumptions before risks, validated triggers, lead time against warning time, and a decision support matrix.
  • AI program governance is mapped to real bRRAIn controls: LLM Registry with the Handler as default and commercial models opt-in, Tool Registry, Operator ENV, scoped roles, the hash-chained audit log, LLMOps and Robo Compliance.
  • Strategy work runs in governed memory: Nexus Research briefs for cited evidence, Nexus Reports for leading indicators, and record_decision for every call with a human owner.
  • Labs and the capstone are AI role-plays with a CEO, a sceptical business-unit head, a CFO, General Counsel and a board risk chair; the exam is a per-candidate form with four AI-conducted performance tasks.
Outcomes

What you will be able to do.

  • You will be able to separate AI-accelerated analysis from the decision you own, and leave a cited research brief and a recorded decision for every strategic call.
  • You will be able to run Five Forces, Blue Ocean and value-discipline analysis with AI, grading every claim's evidence and keeping fabricated statistics out.
  • You will be able to build and challenge business-model alternatives and diagnose an organization's largest misalignment with McKinsey 7S.
  • You will be able to write a strategy document to the Strategy Document Standard v1.0, take it through its four gates, and cascade it into outcome OKRs and a Balanced Scorecard.
  • You will be able to run a T1 IRCM risk pass and write the core of an RCCP plan, with validated triggers and a decision support matrix a board can act on.
  • You will be able to author an AI program charter and enforce it through bRRAIn's LLM Registry, Tool Registry, Operator ENV, scoped roles and audit evidence.
  • You will be able to detect strategic drift from leading indicators, reset the strategy on the record, and hold the executive irreversibility gate.

Who it's for

  • Founders and CEOs designing or refactoring a business model
  • Heads of strategy, COOs, GMs and senior operators making multi-year calls
  • Consultants and advisors who own strategy engagements
  • Executives asked to design or own the organization's AI program
  • Board members evaluating strategy and AI governance

Not covered here

  • Personal AI productivity foundations (see AI-Augmented Practitioner, prerequisite)
  • Workflow-level AI execution (see AI-Augmented Professional, prerequisite)
  • Engineering-discipline AI workflow (see the Professional AI Software Engineer stack)
  • Sector compliance program design and regulatory interpretation (see the compliance certifications)
Syllabus

7 modules, 67 lessons.

About 19 hours of learning. Open a module to see every lesson.

  1. Strategy as a discipline, with AI as an instrument 9 lessons · 2 h 15 min

    The strategist's job and the part AI cannot do; the framework map; analysis versus decision; premature convergence; the operator's mindset; and running strategy work in bRRAIn's governed memory with Nexus Research, Reports and record_decision. Lab 1 holds the decision with a CEO who wants to forward an AI answer to the board.

    1. Module 1 pretest Diagnostic pretest · 5 min
    2. The strategist's job, and the part AI can't do Reading · 15 min
    3. A map of the strategy canon: when each tool fits Reading · 15 min
    4. Analysis vs. decision: AI accelerates one and not the other Reading · 15 min
    5. Premature convergence, and how AI makes it worse Reading · 15 min
    6. Mindset: the operator runs the AI, never the reverse Reading · 15 min
    7. Running strategy work in governed memory Worked example · 15 min
    8. Lab 1: Hold the decision AI role-play lab · 30 min
    9. Retrieval: 10 questions across the module Retrieval check · 10 min
  2. Market and competitive analysis 10 lessons · 2 h 45 min

    Porter's Five Forces force by force, Blue Ocean value curves, Treacy and Wiersema value disciplines, generic-strategy slop, evidence chains with Nexus Research and the Research Brief Standard, and the silent pitfalls of AI market analysis. Lab 2 defends a corrected analysis to a sceptical business-unit head.

    1. Module 2 pretest Diagnostic pretest · 5 min
    2. Porter's Five Forces: the workflow with AI in the loop Reading · 15 min
    3. Force-by-force prompts and the calls only humans make Worked example · 15 min
    4. Blue Ocean and the value curve: eliminate, reduce, raise, create Worked example · 15 min
    5. Treacy and Wiersema: picking a value discipline and designing the trade-off Reading · 15 min
    6. Generic-strategy slop: the AI failure mode at the senior tier Reading · 15 min
    7. Evidence chains and Nexus Research briefs Reading · 15 min
    8. Pitfalls: when AI market analysis quietly miscounts the field Scenario · 15 min
    9. Lab 2: Defend a market analysis to a sceptical business-unit head AI role-play lab · 45 min
    10. Retrieval: 10 questions across the module Retrieval check · 10 min
  3. Business model and organization design 10 lessons · 2 h 45 min

    The Business Model Canvas block by block, generating distinct alternatives, product-market-fit signals, McKinsey 7S, ranking misalignment, deciding what to leave alone, and the generic-SaaS pull of AI drafts. Lab 3 works a Canvas and 7S with a founder-COO.

    1. Module 3 pretest Diagnostic pretest · 5 min
    2. Business Model Canvas: block by block with AI as draft partner Worked example · 15 min
    3. Generating three model alternatives Worked example · 15 min
    4. Product-market-fit signals in the Canvas Reading · 15 min
    5. McKinsey 7S: the seven elements and the alignment question Reading · 15 min
    6. Detecting misalignment: where Style and Strategy disagree Worked example · 15 min
    7. What to change and what to leave alone Scenario · 15 min
    8. Pitfalls: when AI-drafted Canvases drift toward generic shapes Reading · 15 min
    9. Lab 3: Canvas and 7S with a founder-COO AI role-play lab · 45 min
    10. Retrieval: 10 questions across the module Retrieval check · 10 min
  4. Strategy documents and execution 10 lessons · 2 h 45 min

    Outcome OKRs and cascades, the Balanced Scorecard, the Strategy Document Standard v1.0 spine and document classes, the four approval gates, kill and termination criteria, and the execution pitfalls that stop artifacts forcing decisions. Lab 4 takes an S1 Strategy Note through the CFO.

    1. Module 4 pretest Diagnostic pretest · 5 min
    2. OKRs that survive review: outcome-anchored, not activity Worked example · 15 min
    3. Cascading without losing meaning Worked example · 15 min
    4. Balanced Scorecard: four perspectives, leading and lagging Reading · 15 min
    5. The strategy document: the Strategy Document Standard spine Reading · 15 min
    6. Passing the four gates Worked example · 15 min
    7. Kill criteria: the section most strategy documents skip Reading · 15 min
    8. Pitfalls: OKRs that re-derive every quarter; documents that age badly Reading · 15 min
    9. Lab 4: Take a strategy note through the CFO AI role-play lab · 45 min
    10. Retrieval: 10 questions across the module Retrieval check · 10 min
  5. AI program governance 10 lessons · 2 h 45 min

    The AI program charter and its mapping to bRRAIn controls; sanctioned tools, data and use cases through the LLM Registry (Handler default, commercial opt-in), Tool Registry and Operator ENV; redaction without residency promises; model selection by property; escalation with recorded decisions; non-AI fallbacks; and audit evidence from the audit log, LLMOps and Robo Compliance. Lab 5 drafts the charter with General Counsel.

    1. Module 5 pretest Diagnostic pretest · 5 min
    2. The AI program charter, mapped to bRRAIn controls Reading · 15 min
    3. Sanctioned tools, data and use cases Reading · 15 min
    4. Organization-wide redaction discipline Worked example · 15 min
    5. Model selection by use-case shape, not vendor trend Reading · 15 min
    6. Escalation paths: when AI output crosses a human-only threshold Worked example · 15 min
    7. The non-AI fallback Reading · 15 min
    8. Audit cadence and evidence Reading · 15 min
    9. Lab 5: Draft the AI program charter with General Counsel AI role-play lab · 45 min
    10. Retrieval: 10 questions across the module Retrieval check · 10 min
  6. Scenarios, risk and contingency 8 lessons · 2 h 15 min

    Scenario planning with AI, second-order consequences, the Integrated Risk and Contingency Method (IRCM), the RCCP v1.0 document, and a worked T1 risk run on a strategic commitment. Lab 6 briefs the board's risk committee chair.

    1. Module 6 pretest Diagnostic pretest · 5 min
    2. Scenario planning with AI: generate, stress-test, decide Worked example · 15 min
    3. Second-order consequences Reading · 15 min
    4. Risk and contingency as one method: IRCM Reading · 15 min
    5. The RCCP document Reading · 15 min
    6. Worked example: a T1 risk run on a strategic decision Worked example · 15 min
    7. Lab 6: Brief the board's risk committee chair AI role-play lab · 45 min
    8. Retrieval: 8 questions across the module Retrieval check · 10 min
  7. Drift, change and the executive gate 10 lessons · 3 h 15 min

    Strategic drift from leading indicators, recommit or re-decide, sponsoring change with non-AI fallbacks, the executive irreversibility gate, fiduciary judgment, and calibrating one strategy to board, investor and front line. Lab 7 calls drift on a business unit that says it is winning; the capstone is a board session.

    1. Module 7 pretest Diagnostic pretest · 5 min
    2. Strategic drift: the leading-indicator pattern Reading · 15 min
    3. Reset moves: when to re-decide vs. recommit Reading · 15 min
    4. Sponsoring change where AI is a component, not the whole Reading · 15 min
    5. The executive irreversibility gate Scenario · 15 min
    6. Fiduciary judgment: the part you never delegate Reading · 15 min
    7. Calibrating to board, investor and front-line audiences Reading · 15 min
    8. Lab 7: Call drift on a business unit that says it is winning AI role-play lab · 45 min
    9. Retrieval: 8 questions across the module Retrieval check · 10 min
    10. Capstone: Bring a strategic decision to the board AI role-play lab · 45 min
Labs and capstone

Practice against someone who pushes back.

Labs run in your browser as AI role-plays. An AI plays the person on the other side of the scenario — with their own goals and objections — and your work is scored against the published rubric. There is nothing to install.

  • Lab 1 · Strategy as a discipline, with AI as an instrument

    AI role-play with Tallyfield's CEO, who wants to forward an AI-drafted payroll recommendation to the board

  • Lab 2 · Market and competitive analysis

    AI role-play with a sceptical business-unit head: correct and defend an AI-drafted Five Forces and value curve

  • Lab 3 · Business model and organization design

    AI role-play with Brightwater's founder-COO: rewrite a generic Canvas, generate alternatives and run a 7S diagnostic

  • Lab 4 · Strategy documents and execution

    AI role-play with Harbor & Lane's CFO: present an S1 Strategy Note and an OKR cascade

  • Lab 5 · AI program governance

    AI role-play with Meridian Mutual's General Counsel: draft the AI program charter and map it to bRRAIn controls

  • Lab 6 · Scenarios, risk and contingency

    AI role-play with the board's risk committee chair: scenarios, validated triggers, contingency and the decision support matrix

  • Lab 7 · Drift, change and the executive gate

    AI role-play with a sceptical GM: diagnose drift from leading indicators, reset on the record and gate an autonomous discount agent

  • Lab 8 · Drift, change and the executive gate

    AI role-play board session with Fernhill Outdoor's chair, CFO and sceptical head of wholesale: bring and defend a strategic decision package

Capstone

Bring a strategic decision to the board

AI role-play scored against the published rubric

Pass mark: 72%

Scored on

  • Diagnosis and evidence15%
  • Choice and rejected options20%
  • Strategy document and measurement15%
  • Risk and contingency15%
  • AI program governance15%
  • Executive judgment and board handling20%
Exam and credential

One exam. A credential anyone can verify.

The exam

Items per form
59
Time allowed
120 min
Pass mark
72%
Performance tasks
4
Attempts included
2
Wait between attempts
7 days
  • Online and timed, taken on learn.brrain.io.
  • Your form is assembled for you from the course's item bank, so no two candidates sit the same paper.
  • Performance tasks are conducted by an AI examiner: you work through a realistic scenario and are scored against a published rubric.

The credential

  • A verifiable digital badge in your name.
  • A public verification page at learn.brrain.io/verify, so an employer or client can confirm it.
  • Valid for 3 years.
  • Renewal: At 3 years, by passing the then-current exam; CE modules completed during the cycle keep the credential current
Before and after

Where this course sits.

Prerequisites

Questions

Frequently asked.

Do I need to install anything for the labs?

No. Labs and the capstone run in your browser on learn.brrain.io as AI role-plays: an AI plays the person on the other side of the scenario, and your work is scored against the rubric published with the course.

How is the exam delivered?

Online and timed: 59 items in 120 minutes, on a form assembled for you from the course's item bank. 4 of the items are performance tasks conducted by an AI examiner: you do the work rather than pick an answer. The pass mark is 72%.

What if I don't pass first time?

You have 2 attempts, with a 7-day wait after an unsuccessful attempt. Further exam attempts can be bought for $199 each.

How long is the credential valid?

3 years. You receive a verifiable digital badge with a public verification page at learn.brrain.io/verify, so anyone can confirm it is genuine.

I hold the v1 credential. Is it still valid?

Yes. Credentials earned on v1 remain valid and verifiable at learn.brrain.io/verify. When you renew, you sit the then-current version of the exam.

Can my company enroll a team?

Yes. Firms can buy a certification bundle for $2,999 per firm per year — see the pricing page — or contact us to arrange enrollment for a larger group.

Enroll

bRRAIn Certified AI-Augmented Strategist

Use AI to speed strategic analysis while you own the decision, the strategy document, the risk plan and the org's AI program.

Enroll on learn.brrain.io Back to all courses