Short, direct answers about the FOCUS method: what it is, who it is for, how it works and how to start.
What is the FOCUS method?
FOCUS is a five-step diagnostic method for business and career growth, developed by Ilja T. Gull, founder of Leverage by FOCUS. The five steps are Facts, Outcome, Constraints, Upside and System. It helps entrepreneurs, business owners and senior executives diagnose what their results already show, cut the noise, leverage what works and focus on the next outcome that matters.
What does FOCUS stand for?
F is Facts (results diagnostic: what your actual results already show), O is Outcome (target clarification: the one result that matters next), C is Constraints (cutting the noise, drag and competing priorities), U is Upside (the highest-leverage path, built on what already works) and S is System (the lead metric, review rhythm and accountability that keep the right action happening). Each step ends with a tool: the Evidence Check, the Target Choice, the Cut List, the Leverage Path and the Operating Rhythm.
Who is the FOCUS method for?
For entrepreneurs and business owners who already have paying customers and want revenue to become more predictable, and for senior executives with a strong track record who are deciding on their next move. In both cases the person has plenty of drive and options; the problem is where to concentrate it.
How is FOCUS different from productivity methods or classic coaching?
Most productivity methods and coaching add something: new goals, habits or tools. FOCUS starts with evidence of what already works and removes before it adds. It is a diagnostic sequence (results, target, cuts, leverage, rhythm), so the next move is built on existing proof instead of motivation.
Where does the FOCUS method come from?
FOCUS was developed by Ilja T. Gull, a Swiss founder with more than 25 years in sales, business development and leadership in technology and B2B software (SAP, IBM, Microsoft, iLovePDF), who has studied human behaviour and decision-making since 2009. It grew out of one repeated pattern: capable people with real results who lose momentum because their energy is spread across too many good options. Its foundation, Quiet Weight, goes back to 2012: first a beta called the Mindset Index, from 2013 the Mental Weight Index, renamed Quiet Weight in 2025.
Is FOCUS therapy or coaching?
FOCUS is neither therapy nor medical treatment. It is a commercial, strategic sounding board: structured reflection and decision support for business and career growth. Anyone dealing with a mental-health condition should see a qualified professional.
What is the difference between Founder-Led FOCUS and Executive FOCUS?
Both use the same five FOCUS steps. Founder-Led FOCUS applies them to a business: revenue focus, offers, pipeline and follow-through (options IGNITE, MOMENTUM and FUEL THE FIRE). Executive FOCUS applies them to a career: choosing and executing the right next move (options SET THE COORDINATES, HOLD THE TRAJECTORY and ACCELERATE).
What does working with FOCUS cost?
The investment depends on the option and scope and is set out in a short, tailored proposal after a first call. Programs are billed monthly in advance and you can cancel anytime. The Reflection Checks are free.
Can I use the FOCUS method on my own?
Yes, as a set of questions. Work through the five core questions on the FOCUS Method page and take a free Reflection Check to see which step is weakest. Applying the tools with an outside view is what the 1:1 programs add: most people are too close to their own results to see the pattern.
How does FOCUS relate to the Quiet Weight Index?
Quiet Weight is the foundation of FOCUS. FOCUS works above the waterline: the conscious steps from Facts to System that bundle and concentrate your activity on the outcome that matters. Quiet Weight sits below it: the limiting beliefs and negative emotions everyone carries to some degree. If, after a while, you keep getting in your own way although you know what to do (distraction, not acting, the next shiny object, goals that are more extrinsic than intrinsic), that points to more quiet weight than you would like, and the work moves below the surface to identify, qualify and resolve it. The free QWI Light check shows where the weight sits across nine areas of life.
Why is it sometimes written F-O-C-U-S?
FOCUS is an acronym for its five steps: Facts, Outcome, Constraints, Upside and System. F-O-C-U-S is only the stylised spelling used in the logo; both refer to the same method.
What happens after I book a call?
We talk for 20 to 30 minutes about your situation and your Reflection Check result if you have one. If the fit is clear, you receive a short proposal with the recommended option and a payment link, and your first session is scheduled. If it is not a fit, you still leave with one concrete next step.
How do I pay, and can I cancel?
Billing is monthly in advance and you can cancel anytime, effective at the end of the current month. You pay through a secure Stripe link by card, TWINT, SEPA debit or bank transfer; invoices are in EUR. The investment for each option is set out in a short, tailored proposal after your first call. Details in our Terms.
How do I start with FOCUS?
Start with a free Reflection Check at leveragebyfocus.com/check. It takes about five minutes and shows which FOCUS step deserves attention first. If you want to talk it through, book a short call via Discuss Next Move.
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