What Useful Fiction does

Useful Fiction LLC is a Washington, DC-based professional services consultancy founded in 2021 by NYTimes bestselling authors August Cole and Peter W. Singer. The firm operates a proprietary methodology called FICINT (Fictional Intelligence), or Useful Fiction, which transforms nonfiction research, strategy papers, and reports into narrative scenarios and visual art designed to communicate complex strategic concepts more effectively than traditional white papers or reports. The methodology was originally demonstrated through the novels Ghost Fleet (2015) and Burn-In (2020), the former of which entered official reading lists across every US military service, the CIA, NSA, Coast Guard, Royal Air Force, and Royal Australian Navy.

The company delivers its work through a modular service suite: visualization of strategies, research, and reports; conference, wargame, and event visualizations; half-day to two-day leadership and training events; mentoring and writer-in-residence programs; and subject matter research and consulting engagements. These are sold via direct enterprise engagement to defense and national security agencies, government policy bodies (including NATO), and Fortune 100 corporations, with projects delivered in-person or online by the founding partners and a network of senior contributors that includes former White House officials, retired military officers, bestselling authors, and visual artists.

Useful Fiction earns revenue through bespoke professional services engagements with custom, undisclosed pricing scoped per project. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public revenue figure. It has served more than 50 public and private sector organizations across the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Canada, Australia, and Japan, and maintains a recurring thought leadership presence via a 'Fictional Intelligence' column in Defense One and extensive media coverage in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Wired, and Bloomberg.

Name

Useful Fiction

Legal name

Useful Fiction LLC

Website

https://useful-fiction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Useful Fiction is a Washington, DC consultancy that uses its proprietary FICINT methodology to transform research and strategy documents into narrative scenarios and visual art for defense agencies, government bodies, and Fortune 100 corporations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Narrative & Foresight Consulting

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Biography, Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creative Nonfiction & Memoir Workshops (EDAMAMAC), Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA), Educational & Instructional Nonfiction (MPADADAL)

Keywords

• Strategic narrative consulting
• Fictional intelligence methodology
• Futures forecasting workshops
• Defense strategy communication
• Scenario visualization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Workshops & Training: Structured leadership and training workshops delivered as half-day, 1-day, or 2-day events, either in-person or online, featuring world-class experts sharing key concepts and lessons through lectures and guided conversations. Workshops provide hands-on experience creating useful fiction.
2. Strategic Visualization Services: Transformation of organizations' strategy papers, reports, and research into narrative scenarios, visual art, and fictional 'pre-reads' for conferences, events, and wargames. Includes report/white paper visualizations, conference scene-setters, and after-action report narratives.
3. Research & Consulting: Subject matter expertise and consulting engagements to help organizations develop fresh perspectives on emergent trends for investment, policy, and growth guidance. Includes keynote lectures and briefings.
4. Mentoring Programs: Writer-in-residence and on-call writing/editorial support services for organizations' reports and publications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Useful Fiction helps organizations use research-driven narrative and visual storytelling for strategy, foresight, and communication. Through its proprietary FICINT (Fictional Intelligence) methodology, the firm transforms clients' strategy papers, research, and reports into narrative scenarios and visual art designed to make complex strategic content more engaging, memorable, and actionable.

Product overview

Useful Fiction is a consulting services company offering strategic narrative and foresight services through its proprietary Useful Fiction™ / FICINT™ (Fictional Intelligence) methodology. The core offering transforms nonfiction research into narrative scenarios and visual art. Services include: Visualizing Strategies/Research/Reports, Conference/Wargame/Event Visualizations, Leadership and Training Events, Mentoring Programs, and Research/Consulting. The company has published two notable books (Ghost Fleet and Burn-In) and maintains a portfolio of visualizations, reports, and original artwork created for government and corporate clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FICINT™ (Fictional Intelligence): A proprietary methodology pioneered by Useful Fiction that melds nonfiction research with the power of narrative to reach target audiences with greater effect.

Products and services

• Visualizing Strategies, Research, and Reports
• Conference, Wargame, and Event Visualizations
• Leadership and Training Events
• Mentoring and Writer-in-Residence Programs
• Research, Consulting, and Subject Matter Expertise
• Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War
• Burn-In: A Novel of the REAL Robotic Revolution

Quantifiable outcome

• Work read by over 100x more readers than original white papers (Australian Defense Force case study)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Defense OnecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDefense One hosts Useful Fiction's regular 'Fictional Intelligence' column exploring the intersection of fiction and national security strategy. This ongoing content partnership provides thought leadership visibility and reaches defense policy audiences.
• Houghton Mifflin HarcourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher of Useful Fiction co-founders' books 'Ghost Fleet' and 'Burn-In', which pioneered the FICINT methodology and serve as flagship demonstrations of the approach.
• Inter Astra ConferencenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration for space economy conference including creation of pre-read materials, artwork, and conference apps for 2022 and 2023 events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Established defense and policy research organization producing influential reports, scenario exercises, and strategic analyses for military and government clients. Overlaps with Useful Fiction on national-security foresight and strategy communication but operates a much broader research portfolio.
• SAIC: Major defense technology and consulting contractor serving US military and intelligence agencies with strategy, analytics, and training services. Comparable customer base and adjacent strategic-communications work, though delivered through a large-scale integrator model.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Large federal consulting firm with a substantial defense and national-security practice covering strategy, wargaming, and emerging-tech analysis. Adjacent to Useful Fiction's strategic-foresight and visualization services but offers them as part of a much broader consulting stack.
• Leidos: Large defense and intelligence solutions provider with strategic-analysis and mission-planning capabilities serving US and allied government clients. Overlaps on defense analytical services and large-scale strategic communication engagements.

Others

• New America: Public-policy think tank where co-founder Peter Singer serves as Strategist, with overlapping national-security and technology foresight work. Related ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, sharing people, themes, and policy audiences with Useful Fiction.

Regional players

• Atlantic Council: Transatlantic policy think tank with foresight-oriented programs (e.g., Foresight, Strategy & Foresight Initiative) producing reports and scenarios on defense, technology, and geopolitics. Adjacent in operating at the defense-strategy narrative interface rather than directly competing for commissioned work.

Direct peers

• Cognitive Edge: Methods-driven consulting firm offering sense-making, scenario work, and strategic-foresight training to organizations. Comparable as a niche consultancy operating between research and applied foresight practice for enterprise and government buyers.
• Institute for the Future: Long-running nonprofit research and consulting organization specializing in 10-year forecasting and scenario planning for enterprises and governments. Comparable in applying forward-looking research to influence executive decision-making through structured foresight products.
• The Clearing: Boutique foresight and strategy consultancy helping organizations prepare for future disruption through research-backed advisory work. Comparable in using applied futures research to drive strategic conversations inside governments and enterprises.
• Toffler Associates: Futurist-led strategy consultancy advising government and defense clients on future-of-conflict and organizational foresight. Directly comparable in combining authored futures thinking with bespoke defense and corporate strategic advisory engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FictionUseful
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=tELmQkIqqrc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/useful-fiction-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Useful Fiction