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The Proposition Formula, by Felix Velarde and Michael Nutley, is published by Scale at Speed on 4 November 2026, in paperback and Kindle. This page has what an editor, producer or host needs: what the book argues, who wrote it, the questions people ask us, and how to get a copy or an interview.

Three things to write about

Somewhere right now a client is deciding, quietly, that their supplier isn’t working, and that evening they start ruling firms out in seconds. “We’re a full-service agency” describes ten thousand businesses, and that client has just fired one of them. As the cost of making the work falls, what a firm can still charge for is a position its competitors can’t claim, and most firms don’t have one.

One agency in the book was pitching 50 times a year and winning about eight. The year after it wrote down who it would not work with, it pitched 24 times and won 16. Naming the clients you should stop chasing is the stage firms resist hardest, and it is the one that changes the numbers.

The process works the same way for a one-person law firm as for an agency of 100 people, and the book follows both. Felix has run it with agencies, technology companies, consultancies and law firms.

Questions people ask us

Why do intelligent firms end up with propositions that could belong to anyone? What is the difference between a proposition and a strapline? Why start with the team’s personal values rather than the market? What does naming an anti-audience do to the pipeline? Can a firm do this without a facilitator? How do you know when a proposition has stopped working? Does any of this survive AI?

The authors

Felix Velarde started one of the world’s first web design agencies in 1994, and has been a founder and CEO for more than three decades. He has run proposition workshops for agencies for over a decade, and his 2Y3X programme scales professional services businesses across the UK, Europe and the United States. His book Scale at Speed was published by Hachette, and he lectures on entrepreneurship at Hult International Business School.

Michael Nutley has been writing about and shaping digital media and marketing for over thirty years. He edited New Media Age and the European channel of Adobe’s CMO.com. He also lectured in digital advertising and publishing at the London College of Communication. He is principal writer at London Research and writes regularly for The Drum.

Short bios. Felix Velarde has been a founder and CEO for more than three decades, starting with one of the world’s first web design agencies in 1994. He founded 2Y3X, wrote Scale at Speed (Hachette) and lectures at Hult International Business School. Michael Nutley has written about digital media and marketing for over thirty years. He edited New Media Age and the European channel of Adobe’s CMO.com, and is principal writer at London Research.

What clients say about the process

“In a single day, we made more progress on our proposition than we had in two years. We now have a clear and articulate way to express the complexity of our business, with pride.” Jim Meadows, Founder, Commit.

“Our new proposition speaks to what is at the heart of Beyond and people recognise themselves in it. Felix takes you deeper into the values of the organisation and into what drives people to find a proposition with purpose.” Jess Tyrrell, Former Managing Director, Beyond.

“I can honestly say it’s the most enjoyable thing I’ve done, work-wise. Enjoyable and challenging and rewarding as an owner as well to see the impact on your business.” Dave Endersen, Managing Director, White Bear.

“It was a great experience. I’ve banged my head against the wall before; but never with such a sudden breakthrough.” Bill Updegraff, Founder, Grapeseed Media.

“We loved working with you to define our value proposition statement. It was a massively valuable exercise.” Drew Wilkins, Founder, Fish in a Bottle.

Review copies and interviews

Both authors are in London and available for recorded, written or live interviews. For a review copy or an interview, email [email protected] with your name and your outlet. Review copies are PDFs until publication, and printed copies from November.

Images

The cover (JPEG, 2042 × 3154 px). Felix Velarde and Michael Nutley (JPEG, 1988 × 2712 px).