I had mixed feelings when reading the blog post, but after reading Steve's ultimate plan (to consult for corporation), this moves makes sense. If I allow myself to have a long term vision/plan and take a step towards that plan, why shouldn't he?
Fortune 500 companies pay up to a couple of million dollars to the top 3 management consulting firms (granted, you hire a team at that price, not just one man), so Steve's starting fee is far from that price-
One idea for Steve: if your goal is to advise big Americans corporations to maximize your leverage, why don't you actually take a bigger step in that direction and start consulting for small businesses? It will probably have more leverage than individuals and you can charge an even bigger fee (the whole forum is gonna hate me for this
) It will give you a good training ground to apply your pyramid concept to economic questions (because at the end of the day, the CEO you advise will still have in his mind to increase shareholder's value)
Also, this would establish you as a consultant for business, rather than a personal coach... just a thought.