Independent Business–IT Translator · 35+ Years
Your project is “on track.” So why doesn’t it feel that way?
I’m Dave Hafer. For 35+ years I’ve worked both sides of the business–IT divide — as a builder and as an operator. I help project sponsors get an honest answer to the question they can’t ask their own team: is this project actually going to deliver what I promised the business?
One Vision. One Goal. One Direction.
Solve problems. Build solutions. Deliver results.
The Gap
You approved a business outcome. IT is building a deliverable. Those are not the same thing.
Most troubled projects don’t fail from bad engineering. They fail in translation. The business asks for an outcome; analysts turn it into requirements; architects turn requirements into specs; developers turn specs into software. Every hop loses meaning — and by the time you see it, you’re nine months and seven figures in.
Industry research says 78% of project teams admit the business is usually out of sync with project requirements — and 75% of participants privately doubt their own project will succeed. If you have second thoughts, you’re not being paranoid. You’re being observant.
I close that gap. I sit on your side of the table, translate both directions, and re-anchor the project to the result you’re paying for — until it lands.
Sound familiar?
- “Every status report is green — until the go-live date slips a quarter, overnight.”
- “The demo looks nothing like what we asked for — but it’s exactly what we signed off.”
- “The integrator’s steering deck is 40 slides, and we leave each meeting knowing less than before.”
- “Every change order was justified. Together, they quietly killed the business case.”
These aren’t execution failures. They’re translation failures — and that’s exactly what One Mind is built to fix.
The One Mind Methodology
Three phases. Your side of the table, start to finish.
Each phase builds on the last. You control how far you go.
Phase 1 · One Vision
Project Clarity Assessment
An independent, plain-English read on where your project actually stands versus the outcome it was funded to deliver. Starting at $5,000. Fixed price. No surprises.
Phase 2 · One Goal
Realignment Options
Three concrete paths to close the gap between what’s being built and what you funded — Essential, Recommended, and Comprehensive — in business terms, not tech-speak.
$7,500–$15,000 · Fixed price
Phase 3 · One Direction
Sponsor-Side Engagement
Dave stays in the room on your side of the table — reviewing what matters, translating both directions, reporting to you in plain English — through go-live.
Retainer · Scoped after Phase 2
In Dave’s Words
“I’ve spent 35 years in rooms where the business and IT were using the same words to mean different things. I’ve written the code and I’ve owned the P&L — so I can read what your team is actually building and tell you what it means for the outcome you promised. That’s One Mind.”
— Dave Hafer, Founder, One Mind LLC
What Clients Say
Verified recommendations from LinkedIn — from clients, colleagues, and direct reports
“A straight shooter, extremely organized, and will confront even the stickiest of situations in a methodical and logical manner. If ever faced with a high profile initiative that needs extra care and attention… he’s your guy.”
“David has provided one of the highest levels of service that I have ever experienced with a consultancy. I would take every opportunity to work with Dave in the future.”
“Dave was instrumental in developing and implementing key operational processes resulting in 50%+ reductions in implementation time and consistently very high NPS scores.”
Second thoughts are data. Act on them early.
The drift you can feel at month three costs a fraction of what it costs at go-live. A Project Clarity Assessment gives you an independent answer in days — fixed price, from $5,000, no obligation beyond it.