Our Guiding Principles reflect our values and shape our partnership philosophy.

fôrˈtisəmō/. (especially as a direction) very loudly. Origin: Latin – Fortissimus. Very strong.

Guiding Principles

In music, fortissimo is the annotation instructing the musician(s) to play loudly. In other words, “go big.”  More than any annotation, it’s a mindset anchored in boldness, strength, passion, and provocation. It’s the opposite of playing it safe or believing that good is good enough. When the music is live, it’s less about what you hear and more about what you feel in your bones.

Core Beliefs and Principles

Guiding Principles

  • Curiosity is our DNA. We never stop asking “Why?” We are never satisfied with the first answer. We dig deeper, look beyond the obvious, and find the nuance that underpins the more elegant solution. 

  • We embrace the idea that “intelligence is randomly distributed in large groups.” Which means the best solutions are not the property of the biggest titles or the most years of experience. We believe great ideas and provocations can and do come from anywhere.  

  • Prescriptive, one-size-fits-all solutions have given our industry a bad name. Benchmarks are seductive but then usually dismissed for not being perfectly relevant. At Fortissimo, we believe context is everything and bring keenly tailored insights drawn from decades of working in, studying, and advising organizations of all types and sizes.

  • We choose “Yes-And” instead of “No-But.” Because we know the best insights and solutions rarely come from taking an “either/or” approach. We challenge each other to explore how two different ideas can both open unforeseen doors.

  • Roger Federer won only 54% of all points played during his career. But that translated into winning 80% of his matches. This just-above-average metric is the legacy of one of the greatest and most respected athletes in the world. Our takeaway: we remind each other that winning the match is more important than perfection on every point. And that we should always have some fun along the way.