Adam WeisnerAn EOS alternative from someone who ran it.
Why I built my own system. And yes, I sell it.
I built Unbreakable OS, and I sell it. I built it because I ran EOS in two companies and kept hitting the same walls. You can use everything below without my software.
- Keep what EOS gets right: clear goals, one owner per seat, numbers over opinions.
- Run monthly cycles, not 90-day Rocks. Twelve at-bats a year instead of four.
- Swap the weekly 90-minute meeting for short written updates.
- Decide new ideas in a quick pitch meeting: 3 minutes to pitch, 7 to discuss, 1 to decide.
Visionary and integrator.
EOS splits the top job in two. From my seat, that often leaves you with two incomplete CEOs: one who only knows ideas, one who only knows operations.
I was the integrator at an automotive parts manufacturer. I agree with one big piece: the accountability chart. If several people own something, nobody owns it.
Quarterly Rocks are too slow.
In every business I've seen, people work on their Rocks in the last two or three weeks of the quarter. That's two and a half months lost. And you only get four at-bats a year.
Calendar-month cycles. Ideas are pitched in writing, an AI gatekeeper gives each one a first pass, and the team decides in a short pitch meeting.
The weekly L10.
Ninety minutes every week, mostly spent processing issues. It turns into a complaining session, full of things that should have been handled outside the room.
Each owner posts a weekly written update: on course or deviating. At month end, every priority is executed or failed. I got 90 minutes a week back for one-on-ones.
No marketing playbook.
EOS tells you to focus on marketing, but not how. Today, if you can't build an audience online, you're in trouble. Every piece of content is a little version of you that keeps working.
No financial playbook.
Finance is the language of business. I spent most of my career in banking, including as a managing director at MUFG Union Bank. The basics I teach:
- Net 7: close your books within seven days of month end.
- Know your AR and AP days, and manage the gap. Cash flow pays the bills.
- Keep seven months of operating cash in reserve.
EOS vs. my system.
| EOS, as commonly run | Unbreakable OS | |
|---|---|---|
| Rhythm | 90-day Rocks | Monthly priorities |
| Weekly | 90-minute L10 meeting | Written update per priority |
| New ideas | Issues list, talked through | Pitched in writing, AI first pass, decided in about 11 minutes |
| Period end | Done or not done | Executed or failed, tracked as an execution rate |
| Setup | Often a paid implementer | Set it up yourself |
Unbreakable OS details from its own pages. The EOS column is how I've seen it run.
Maybe not.
Going from nothing to EOS is an excellent step for a small business. But if you've run it for a while, you've probably built your own Frankenstein version of it. That's usually the sign you're ready for a faster rhythm.
If you want to try mine, it's $195 a month for up to 10 people, with 45 days free. If it doesn't fit, no hard feelings. Take the ideas and run with them.
What is a good alternative to EOS?
Keep EOS's discipline (clear goals, one owner per seat, numbers over opinions) and change the rhythm: monthly cycles instead of 90-day Rocks, written weekly updates instead of a weekly 90-minute meeting, and a short decision meeting for filtered ideas. Unbreakable OS, the software I built and sell, runs that way, but you can run this rhythm without it.
Is EOS still worth using?
Going from no system to EOS is an excellent step for a small business. The problems show up after you've run it a while: quarters feel slow, the weekly meeting turns into issue processing, and there's little guidance on marketing or finance.
Can I switch from EOS in the middle of a quarter?
Yes. Let the current Rocks finish, have your team pitch ideas for next month, run your first monthly decision meeting at month end, and replace the weekly meeting with written updates for a month.
Do I need an implementer?
No. I built Unbreakable OS so you could set it up and run it yourself. It comes with a 45-day free trial.
How much does Unbreakable OS cost?
$195 a month for up to 10 people, with a 45-day free trial. A card is required at signup, and nothing is charged during the trial.
Is Unbreakable OS affiliated with EOS?
No. Unbreakable OS is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by EOS Worldwide.