Our Mission
We help organisations confront foreseeable, systemic risks — and build accountable legacies that expand opportunity for generations to come.
We don’t do platitudes. We do real-world preparedness for real-world problems — from climate-driven disruption to AI-led misinformation, from regulatory overreach to blind spots in governance culture.
The risks are visible. What’s missing is structured response.
Beyond Countdown began with a question: Why are so many of the world’s biggest risks obvious — and yet still ignored?
That question became a book: Countdown to 2100, which mapped out the growing field of “Grey Rhino” threats — clear, probable, and accelerating. But a book wasn’t enough. What emerged next was the Unified Countdown Framework™: a practical toolset to help boards and leadership teams assess readiness, pressure-test their assumptions, and build long-term value that stands up to scrutiny.
The company itself was built from the ground up. No outside investors. No marketing team. Just lived experience, structured thinking, and a refusal to accept short-termism as inevitable.
Today, Beyond Countdown operates as a lightweight but deeply principled advisory and product company — offering both software and high-value insight to organisations ready to act.
Our Story
What Makes Us Different
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We name the obvious
Many firms offer disruption reports. We deal in what’s already in the room — just not yet on the agenda.
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We unify culture, systems, and regulation
Strategy only works when it includes board psychology, digital infrastructure and compliance pressure — not one in isolation.
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We measure legacy
Our Realisation of Legacy (RoL) framework creates a new yardstick for impact that lasts beyond the current CEO.
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We build independent, open tools
Countdown Cloud is designed to outlast individual consultants. Our IP is shared with accredited partners and our learning community.
Why “Beyond Countdown”?
“Countdown” is the signal of compression — when time is short, systems are tight, and external shocks converge.
“Beyond” is the choice.
To act.
To govern wisely.
To leave more than you inherited.
We work in the space between those two states — building tools and insight that move organisations from vulnerable to ready.
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Neil Meyer
Founder & CEO
Meet Our Founder
Neil Meyer is a systems thinker with a background in high-stakes delivery, long-horizon planning, and governance advisory.
Originally from South Africa and now based in the UK, Neil brings over two decades of experience in European technology leadership and organisational change. He is the author of Countdown to 2100 and the creator of the Unified Countdown Framework™.
This company, its frameworks and its community are an extension of his long-held belief: that legacy is not something we leave — it’s something we build, deliberately.
What We Value
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Challenge avoidance – We surface inconvenient truths, respectfully.
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Craft evidence – Insight only matters if it’s traceable and reproducible.
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Steward legacy – We optimise for impact that survives leadership change.
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Act with courage – We publish learnings, including failures.
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Share wisdom – We treat knowledge as a commons, not a commodity.
You’ll find these values in our contracts, our software, and our conversations.