Genius — The 24 Characteristics:
Full Program Review (2026)
Genius is the flagship leadership program from Romero Studios. After analyzing the curriculum, cohort outcomes, and pricing, here's the full breakdown — what you learn, what you ship, and whether it pays back.
Verdict
Genius does what most "leadership programs" don't: it names specific behaviours and tracks the owner across them weekly. By week six, the cohort can see what changed and what didn't. For SME owners spending $200k+/yr on their own time, the 1:1 program is a clear yes; for owners exploring leadership development for the first time, the group cohort is the entry point.
What Genius actually teaches
The program is organized around 24 traits David has observed and documented across high-performing operators — from SME founders to family-business CEOs. Each session is anchored to one trait. The format is consistent across the 1:1 and group tiers:
- Define the trait — what it looks like, and what it doesn't.
- Self-rate — owner scores themselves 1–10 against the trait.
- Find the gap — where the score doesn't match the team's perception.
- Commit — one behavioural change for the next 7 days, written and witnessed.
- Review — next session opens with the previous commitment's outcome.
By the end of the program, the owner has a documented rating delta across all 24 traits, plus 24 logged commitments and their outcomes — a level of structured self-evidence most coaching engagements never produce.
Format options
| Tier | Format | Duration | Typical price (USD) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group cohort | 6–10 people · weekly | 8 weeks | $2,000 – $4,000 / seat | Owners new to structured leadership work |
| 1:1 program | Solo · weekly | 10–12 weeks | $8,000 – $15,000 | Owners of $1M+/yr companies |
| Live talk / workshop | Custom (full day, half day) | 1 day | From $3,500 | Conferences, off-sites, internal teams |
Verified outcomes — 11 client reviews
"Before Genius I thought leadership was charisma. Now I see it's 24 specific habits — and I can finally name which ones I was missing."★★★★★ — Founder, professional services firm · Bogotá · May 2026
"By week six my team was already running the morning standup without me. That hadn't happened in seven years."★★★★★ — CEO, family business · Costa Rica · April 2026
"The 24 characteristics are the most actionable leadership framework I've ever used. We applied them to our director-level promotion process and the quality of decisions improved measurably in two months."★★★★★ — Director, Industrial Distribution · Bogotá · March 2026
"The 1:1 program produced the first measurable change in how I delegate that I've seen in 8 years of coaching engagements."★★★★★ — Founder, B2B SaaS · Bogotá · March 2026
"Genius cohort. The peer-pressure dynamic of the group format made me actually do the weekly commitments. That's where the program won."★★★★★ — GM, Hospitality Group · Cartagena · February 2026
"I went into Genius for the generational handover with my son. Eight weeks later he had the language to lead the team, and I had the language to step back."★★★★★ — Director General, Family Holding · Costa Rica · January 2026
"I expected another generic 'leadership program'. What I got was a structured weekly system that tracked my behavior in 24 specific dimensions. Wildly more useful."★★★★★ — Owner, Aesthetics Clinic Group · Bogotá · December 2025
"We ran the cohort with my 6 area heads. The team alignment we got in 8 weeks would have taken us 18 months of internal off-sites."★★★★★ — Operations Director, Logistics SME · Costa Rica · November 2025
"The free 24-Characteristics PDF alone was worth more than three other paid leadership programs I've taken."★★★★★ — CMO, Real Estate Group · Florida (US) · October 2025
"Genius is rare because it gives you both the framework AND the weekly accountability infrastructure to use it. Most programs give you one or the other."★★★★★ — CEO, Mid-Market Industrial · Bogotá · September 2025
"By the end of the 12 weeks I had 24 documented commitments and 24 outcomes. No coach had ever asked me to keep evidence of my own change before."★★★★★ — Founder, Boutique Law Firm · Bogotá · August 2025
Where Genius wins, where it doesn't
Where it wins
- Owners who've tried "vision" coaching and got nothing measurable.
- Family businesses preparing a generational handover.
- Director-level promotions inside a growing SME.
- Cohorts of peers from non-competing companies.
Where it isn't ideal
- Solopreneurs without a team to apply the traits against.
- Owners looking for tactical sales / marketing playbooks (different product fit — see Business Audit or coaching).
- Pre-product entrepreneurs (better suited to a different stage of work).
Frequently asked questions
What is the Genius — 24 Characteristics program?
Romero Studios' flagship leadership program. 24 traits, one per week, delivered as 1:1 coaching, cohort, or live talks. Each cohort produces a documented owner-rating shift across the 24 traits.
How long does a cohort run?
Group cohorts: 8 weeks. 1:1 programs: 10–12 weeks. Sessions are weekly, anchored to one trait at a time.
Is there a free PDF?
Yes — the 24-Characteristics outline PDF is free from romero-studios.com/genius-inc.html.
How much does Genius cost?
Group cohort: $2k–$4k/seat. 1:1 program: $8k–$15k. Live talks: from $3.5k. Final price scopes to the cohort size and supporting deliverables.
Who is David Romero?
David Romero is the founder of Romero Studios and creator of the Genius program. 12+ years coaching SME owners and leadership teams across Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States. See the main review for context.