Creative consulting and brainstorming sessions designed to unlock new and brilliantly weird ideas

Think of me as a friendly saboteur for your ideas. I use absurd logic and deep listening to stress-test your work, exposing the elegant excuses and hidden friction—showing you exactly where your own logic is quietly working against you. Polite advice gets polite results. I offer something else: structured weirdness. For authors, founders, and leaders whose work has gone a bit too safe, I act as an irreality catalyst.

Let's talk before your idea gets boring.

Focus

When we engage, the focus is on your project. Sure, the sessions do have a structure, but you can skip parts you don't like and alter the session at any time, if you feel it's not going in the right direction.

Empathy

Sessions are a no-judgement zone (within reason). That means I won't laugh at your idea, I won't scold you if you're not making any progress and of course I will support you as best as I can.
I want to see your brilliant idea succeed, after all.

Confidentiality

Although you're free to record a session and talk about the method, the structure and of course what has been said, I won't. Unless you give me permission to include your thing as a case study maybe. From my point of view. the sessions are confidential unless you tell me otherwise.

Session types

Pre-mortem

Let's crush your hopes and dreams!

Well, of course - no, let's not. Quite the contrary. A pre-mortem usually is done as a team exercise, but what I am offering is a 1:1. You and me will virtually go to a point in the future, maybe 3 months or 6, where unfortunately your project has utterly failed. With the power of hindsight, we will have a look at various aspects that might have lead to an internal collapse. We'll also have a look at external factors. During this question-guided exercise, we find out what fears lie hidden. This may help you to decide which of these anxieties are unfounded, have been addressed thoroughly, or need some more attention.

The result of this exercise is that you've hopefully gained more resilience and clarity, because we had a good look at aspects you might have pushed to the back of your mind or ignored.

This session runs for 45 minutes, and afterwards you'll get an artefact with our major talking points.

Quietness, Reflection and Clarity

This is a 45 minute call that is designed for a specific purpose - in this case to help draw out a few things that might be hidden from your very eyes or difficult to spot if you're on your own. There is some pre-work that can be done - but that part will be individually different and delivered via email.

Since we might do a short quiet relaxation/meditation and since this call potentially can get very deep in its explorative themes, I'd advise taking it in a safe space where you don't need to hide emotions or feelings and can close your eyes for a bit.

Accountability Call

Let me be your accountability buddy! Once or twice a month or another rhythm of your choosing we meet for 15 minutes to talk about what went well, what didn't and how you plan to make yourself happy when we speak next.

It's an informal call that gives you the chance to set goals and have somebody else watch your progress and make your project feel seen.

Also available as a pack of 6 or 12 sessions.

a viking ship

Valhalla for ideas

Despite best intentions, it didn't work out. You had put much love and time into your project, but maybe despite even a pre-mortem, in the end it failed. The reason doesn't matter anymore, the ship has sailed. It's over. It hurts, but that's how it is. Let's have a celebration, toasting the departure of that particular idea, giving it a proper send-off - and examine what it left behind. What's maybe next.

This is a group workshop, meaning that there will be other paricipants than you and not that you need to bring the group. Maybe there's strength in numbers, and maybe there's a kind of synergy in talking about projects that didn't quite work out.

If you're curious, I have written more in this newsletter on Patreon.

The next workshop is on November 6th 2026, in the season of the Seal.

two shifty strangers

The Million Dollar Question

This 1:1 workshop idea assumes you have started a business, have a new idea or project. If you are in that situation, chances are that you are wondering about how to sell more services or stuff or to make more money. What you could do to actually see the numbers in your bank account rise. I'm guessing you might be thinking a lot about that, if this business or project is your only means of income and how your basic (and exotic) needs are fulfilled depends a lot on how many services or goods you've sold the last month.

You'll find a gazillion of workshops that will help and support you in answering this question.

I thought I'd like to offer a different perspective and talk with you about this:

The Million Dollar Question

What would you do when a stranger came along and handed you 1.000.000 US$ (or Euros. Or GBP. Or 180 million Yen even!) and told you to spend it on your business? While that might include quitting your actual job and paying you a salary, it doesn't mean luxury items or a company car for that money. No, it's about real investments benefitting your idea or business.

Let's talk if you want to grow. If you need people working for you, which tasks you can reasonably outsource. About habits, investments and things for your biz; and above all, let's then have a chat which of these are also options even if no stranger hands you insane amounts of money.

Pick my Brain

Let's chat. Whether we're talking about getting over writers's block, how penguins procreate, a back story for a side character in your movie, or which kind of trousers are the best to wear when stalking ducks in the desert - everything goes. There's no set structure or agenda, so please bring a topic or question.

This session is available in different lengths, depending on how much time you want or need.

Any questions?

Please feel free to reach out if you have questions! Also, please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to schedule a session, but money is tight. We'll find a way, and I regularly do pro-bono work.

Dave Gray - ★★★★★

Stefan is a funhouse mirror for your ideas. When you hold up an idea, he reflects it back with a little weirdness that allows you to finally see it, stranger, more astonishing, and somehow more itself.

Elizabeth H. - ★★★★★

I think of Stefan’s accountability calls along similar lines as quantum mechanics – matter doesn’t take form until it is observed, and Stefan’s observations of the matter of my ideas grant them presence and legitimacy. He is helping me work in my own (semi-organized) way toward something important, and I can only blame his kindness, encouragement and insights for that.

Honoria - ★★★★★

When writing an art-tech grant proposal about my experiments with AI and creativity, my Zoom chat with Stefan helped me to clarify the message. Later Stefan read the completed proposal and gave targeted feedback before I submitted it. Overall Stefan’s questions and support helped me see my proposal from a critical outsider perspective and refine it.

Mia Palmer - ★★★★★

My experience with our accountability calls has been 100% positive, supportive and practical. I always walk away with renewed belief in the worth of my project and my ability to make a worthwhile contribution. So grateful for a well-organized, big-hearted, reliable advocate who thinks outside, straight through or far away from the box with you, and (bonus!) feels like your dearest old friend from day 1.

Elke O. - ★★★★★

I highly recommend Stefan and Weirdness as a service. Stefan pours his heart and soul into working with his clients. Not only do we benefit from his caring competence, we also get infusions of out-of-the-box ideas and perspectives that help move projects forward. Weirdly amazing!

Brian Dusablon - ★★★★★

Stefan made me feel at ease and also asked some tough questions. I felt safe to explore the best and worst of what could be with my new business. Stefan synthesizes the discussion into actionable steps and useful resources. Most importantly, though, he's just a lovely human to connect with and think through your concept, project, or business. I highly recommend scheduling a call!

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