Brett Banker and Eric Segal, co-founders of X & O, left behind nearly 50 combined years at agencies like Anomaly and Grey with a shared conviction: the traditional agency model needed to die. Or at least be reincarnated as something far more efficient.
Two and a half years ago, they launched X & O—a hybrid between an agency and consultancy that delivers big ideas at pace through a network of 140+ senior experts who work anonymously, set their own worth, and stay behind the paywall while Brett and Eric deliver the goods.
Current clients include Smashburger, Protein 2.0, and even Coca-Cola, proving that speed, expertise, and decisive thinking can win over companies of any size. “We’re not trying to be all things for big brands,” Brett explains. “We’re here to solve problems that their AOR hasn’t been able to crack.”
From pitching frustration to “big ideas at pace”
The concept for X & O emerged from pure exasperation with agency bloat. “Why are there 20 people in this meeting?” became a recurring question.
Brett recalls the breakthrough moment: “There’s no way you could have solved that in a day, keep going.” That pushback became the foundation for their “3 Ideas. 3 Experts. 3 Weeks” model—a radically streamlined approach that strips away the hierarchy, endless meetings, and process-laden timelines that bog down traditional shops.
They’ve since expanded beyond that initial offering to include retainer-based “answers on repeat” and a Brand Fit Toolkit for startups, but the core principle remains: clear problem definition, very few meetings, and giving experts the space they need to solve problems. No pitches. No free thinking. Just paid expertise delivered with urgency.
Creative and strategic vision setting—minus the agency theater
X & O is known for what Brett and Eric call “creative and strategic vision setting”—essentially being the bat phone that C-suite executives pick up when they’ve got big, gnarly problems or exciting opportunities that need expert answers immediately.
Their three core strengths are clear: speed (as advertised), expertise (super senior talent from brands and agencies), and what they call “taste and instinct”—the ability to bring exceptional answers forward quickly because their network has seen it all before.
They’re not a full-service agency with account management teams and always-on staffing. Instead, they operate like a faucet you turn on and off, with the critical advantage that you don’t have to onboard and get smart every time. The model appeals to clients who value decisiveness over decks.
Independence means getting out of the way
For X & O, independence isn’t about being scrappy underdogs—it’s about eliminating the inefficiencies that make agencies slow and expensive. “We peel all that off and away,” Eric says. “We get out of their way.”
Senior experts in their network don’t have to navigate seven meetings before the meeting with the client actually happens. They don’t negotiate day rates because X & O lets them set their own worth upfront. And they typically get eight days to complete five days of solid work, allowing them to work however they want as long as the thinking is exceptional.
This approach attracts talent who’ve spent 20 years in the industry and are tired of bureaucracy getting between them and the work. Brett puts it simply: “These people have a certain instinct, gut, and taste level that allows us to bring exceptional answers forward quickly.”
Why brands should trust the anonymous SWAT team
Clients choose X & O when they need decisiveness and speed without sacrificing quality. The network includes former CMOs, Emmy-winning technologists, Cannes Grand Prix winners, and Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business”—all working under color-coded aliases inspired by Reservoir Dogs.
This anonymity isn’t a gimmick; it’s strategic. Experts don’t waste time in client meetings or prepping presentations. They stay heads down, thinking and ideating, while Brett and Eric deliver the work.
“We rely on their exceptional instinct and taste to ensure the answers are equally outstanding,” Brett explains. The model works because it shifts the AOR from “Agency of Record” to “Answers on Repeat”—clients pay for best-in-class thinking and decide how to execute it, whether in-house, with outside partners, or through X & O itself.
Why talent chooses the network life
The best part about joining X & O’s network? You’re judged on your worth, not your availability. The model eliminates the dreaded “124% allocated” burnout that plagues agency life.
Experts come in fully focused on a single problem, crush it, get paid what they asked for, and move on—or come back for another round if the work is interesting. Brett describes the pitch to talent: “What are you worth? You tell me what you think you’re bringing to the table, and then hopefully everybody’s happy.”
That philosophy, combined with the ability to skip client meetings and corporate politics, makes X & O a haven for senior talent who left agencies burned out or craving more control over their time. The spider network effect kicked in quickly: talent begets new talent, and the best pros in the business started asking to join.
The land of misfit experts
When asked if they’re weirdos, misfits, or underdogs, Eric and Brett don’t hesitate: all indie agencies are underdogs, and X & O embraces that fire.
But “misfits” hits differently. “Super senior talent who’s been recognized by the industry repeatedly and has accomplished resumes could be misfits,” Eric admits, acknowledging a trend where senior folks either leave on their own volition or get jettisoned by agencies investing more in junior teams.
X & O became the landing spot for those experts—the ones who left traditional shops because they were stuck in managerial roles instead of doing the thing they’re best at. Brett sums it up: “We are the land of misfit experts.” And in that land, every problem is interesting, every expert is focused, and no one has to negotiate their worth before getting to work.
Coca-Cola, come back anytime
If there’s a brand Brett and Eric want to shout out, it’s the clients who’ve embraced their model and trusted the process. Smashburger, Protein 2.0, and Coca-Cola have all taken a chance on a radically different approach—one that requires letting go of the slower pace they’re used to.
“The fact that a company of that size has been willing to look at us as a viable model and work within it,” Eric says of Coca-Cola, reflects what’s possible when speed meets trust.
They’re not trying to replace anyone’s AOR. They’re solving the problems that sit outside an AOR’s competency or bandwidth—and doing it faster, cheaper, and better than the big dogs. As Brett puts it: “We’re lucky. That’s why we’re moving to more of a answers on repeat versus an agency of record. Because clients are enjoying the ride and coming back for a second term.”
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