Terms of Service

FDOS™ Platform (fdos.institute):

Terms for Users in the United States

Last updated: 5 November 2026

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY. SECTION 7 EXPLAINS HOW PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS RENEW AUTOMATICALLY AND HOW TO CANCEL. SECTION 16 CONTAINS AN AGREEMENT TO RESOLVE DISPUTES THROUGH INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AND A WAIVER OF CLASS ACTIONS AND JURY TRIALS, UNLESS YOU OPT OUT AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 16.9.

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) form a binding agreement between you and Sovereign Performance Systems B.V., a private limited company registered in the Netherlands under Chamber of Commerce (KvK) number 85292524 (“we,” “us,” or “our”), which operates the FDOS platform at fdos.institute and any related FDOS web or mobile application. These Terms govern your access to and use of the platform, including the Systems, Journey tracking, the AI Guide, coaching tools, the coach directory, and any Library or other content we make available (together, the “Service”). These Terms apply if you live in the United States. By checking the box or clicking the button indicating your agreement when you create an account or purchase a subscription, or by using the Service, you agree to these Terms and acknowledge our Privacy Policy at fdos.institute/privacy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Description of the Service

FDOS is a personal-development platform built around 29 proprietary frameworks (“Systems”), organized into five Pillars, along with tools to track your progress through a personalized “Journey.” We may add supporting “Library” content, such as videos, audio, and worksheets, over time. The Service is educational, and you work through it at your own pace. See Section 9 for important disclaimers.

2.1 AI Guide. Some Journeys include an interactive feature that uses artificial intelligence (the “AI Guide”). The AI Guide does not hold open-ended conversations. If you indicate that a System or step does not fit your situation, the AI Guide may ask you a few short questions, explain the reasoning behind that part of the System, and suggest a different or prerequisite System. If you indicate that you do not understand an assignment, it may answer clarifying questions or rephrase or break down the instruction, without supplying the answer the exercise is meant to help you reach. It may also point out general cause-and-effect considerations. The AI Guide is designed to help you work through the Systems yourself, not to reach conclusions for you. You are interacting with software, not a person. AI Guide responses are generated automatically, are not reviewed by a person before you see them, and may be inaccurate, incomplete, or unsuited to your circumstances. You decide whether and how to act on them.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and the age of legal majority where you live to create an account and use the Service. By using the Service, you represent that you meet this requirement.

4. Account Registration and Security

To access most features, you must create an account and provide accurate, current information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately at contact@fdos.institute if you suspect unauthorized use of your account.

4.1 Account types. You may use the Service with (a) a free account, which gives you access to the Session Zero assessment and System 1, or (b) an individual membership, which is a paid subscription that gives you access to all Systems and features.

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 Ownership. The Service, including the FDOS™ name, the names and abbreviations of all Systems and Pillars (including CVCP™, 8WFM™, RW™, 12SAF™, CM™, ONS™, CAS™, LAB™, SCF™, ATA™, AFP™, CVP™, BPI™, NAP™, ESP™, AIP™, CCP™, FSP™, PRP™, ARM™, DPSE™, FWA™, EMS™, FMP™, RBA™, REA™, FFM™, and RBF™), the underlying methodology and frameworks, and the text, graphics, and other content we provide (but not Your Content), is owned by FDOS Intellectual Holding B.V. or its licensors and is licensed to us. The Service is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Except for the limited license in Section 5.2, these Terms do not give you any rights in the Service.

5.2 Limited license. Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to access and use the Service if you have a free account or membership, for your own personal, non-commercial development purposes.

5.3 Restrictions. You may not, except as expressly permitted by us in writing: (a) copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, or create derivative works based on the Systems, their methodology, or any Service content; (b) reverse-engineer or attempt to extract the underlying framework methodology for commercial use, teaching, or resale; (c) use the FDOS trademarks or the Systems’ names without our permission; (d) remove any proprietary notices; (e) use the Service to build a competing product; or (f) use the Service, its content, or AI Guide responses to train or develop any artificial intelligence or machine-learning model.

5.4 Feedback. If you provide suggestions or feedback about the Service, we and FDOS Intellectual Holding B.V. may use it for any purpose without obligation to you.

6. Your Content

6.1 Content you submit. You retain ownership of the text, responses, reflections, and other content you submit through the Service, including what you type into the AI Guide (“Your Content”). You grant us a limited, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, transmit, and process Your Content as needed to provide the Service to you, including to generate AI Guide responses. Our service providers, including the provider of the AI Guide, may process Your Content on our behalf. We do not use, and do not permit our service providers to use, Your Content to train artificial intelligence models. Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and share personal information.

6.2 Your responsibility.

You are solely responsible for Your Content and confirm that you have the right to submit it.

6.3 Sensitive information. Please do not enter medical records, diagnoses, treatment details, or other detailed health or mental-health information into free-text fields or the AI Guide. The Service is not designed to receive or respond to that information, and the AI Guide may not respond to it appropriately. If you choose to enter it, we will handle it as described in our Privacy Policy.

7. Subscription and Payment

7.1 Plans and prices. Individual memberships are available for US$29 per month or US$290 per year. Memberships are each a “subscription” under these Terms. Prices are in U.S. dollars and do not include applicable taxes, which we will add where required. The price, billing frequency, and renewal terms that apply to you will be shown at checkout.

7.2 Free trials. We may offer a free trial of paid features, for example through an invite code, usually for 48 hours and occasionally for up to 30 days. Free trials do not require a payment card and do not convert automatically into a paid subscription. When a trial ends, you will not be charged unless you choose to buy a paid subscription.

7.3 Payment. Payments are processed by Stripe, our third-party payment processor. By purchasing a subscription, you authorize us, through Stripe, to charge your selected payment method the price shown at checkout, plus applicable taxes, at the start of your subscription and at each renewal until you cancel. You agree to keep your payment information current. If a payment fails, we may suspend paid features until payment is made.

7.4 AUTOMATIC RENEWAL. YOUR PAID SUBSCRIPTION RENEWS AUTOMATICALLY AT THE END OF EACH BILLING PERIOD FOR THE SAME PERIOD (MONTHLY OR ANNUAL), AND WE WILL CHARGE YOUR PAYMENT METHOD THE THEN-CURRENT PRICE AT EACH RENEWAL UNTIL YOU CANCEL. After you purchase, we will email you a confirmation that includes these renewal terms, our cancellation policy, and how to cancel. For annual subscriptions, we will email you a reminder at least 30 days, and again 7 days, before each renewal date. For monthly subscriptions, we will email you a reminder of the renewal terms at least once a year.

7.5 Price changes. We may change subscription prices. A price change will not affect a billing period you have already paid for. We will email you at least 30 days before a price change applies to your subscription, and the new price will apply from your first renewal after that notice period. If you do not want to pay the new price, you may cancel before it takes effect.

7.6 Cancellation. You may cancel at any time through the Membership page in your account (by turning off auto-renewal) or the Stripe customer portal linked from your account. Cancellation stops future renewals and takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You keep access to paid features until then.

7.7 Refunds. Except as stated in Section 13 or as required by law, fees for a billing period that has started are non-refundable, and we do not give partial refunds for unused time. We may, at our discretion, give a refund in exceptional circumstances; doing so does not oblige us to give refunds in other cases.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree not to: (a) use the Service for any unlawful purpose; (b) impersonate any person or misrepresent your affiliation; (c) interfere with or disrupt the Service or its security features; (d) attempt to gain unauthorized access to other users’ accounts or to our systems; (e) scrape, harvest, or use automated means to access the Service without our permission; (f) share your account credentials with others, or use the Service to provide framework content to third parties on a commercial basis; (g) submit content that is unlawful, harassing, or infringes anyone’s rights; or (h) attempt to manipulate the AI Guide into producing harmful content or bypassing its safeguards.

9. Important Disclaimers About the Nature of the Service

9.1 Not professional advice.

THE SERVICE, INCLUDING AI GUIDE RESPONSES, PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT CONTENT ONLY. IT IS NOT, AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, PSYCHIATRIC, THERAPEUTIC, FINANCIAL, OR LEGAL ADVICE. The Systems address topics such as personal values, beliefs, mindset, and relationships for general self-improvement purposes. Neither the Service nor the AI Guide is a diagnostic or treatment tool, and neither is delivered by licensed healthcare or mental health professionals. The Session Zero assessment and any System recommendations identify which Systems may suit the goals you describe; they are not a clinical, psychological, or medical assessment. Although the AI Guide responds to what you write, its responses are general educational guidance generated by software, not an assessment of your circumstances or professional advice. We do not provide Coaches and do not represent that any Coach is a licensed professional.

9.2 Seek professional help when needed.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, thoughts of self-harm, or any medical emergency, stop using the Service and contact emergency services or a qualified professional immediately. In the United States, you can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency. The AI Guide includes a Safety check, which is designed to recognize some signs that you may be in crisis and, if it does, to pause the exercise and refer you to crisis resources, including 988 and our in-app helplines page. Because it is an automated system, it may not recognize every situation. The Service, including the AI Guide, is not a monitoring or emergency service and is not designed to respond to emergencies. Our staff do not read what you enter. Authorized personnel may access your content only where strictly necessary for technical support or security, or to comply with law.

9.3 No guaranteed outcomes.

Personal development results depend on individual effort and circumstances. We make no promise or guarantee of any particular outcome, achievement, or life result from using the Service.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE SERVICE, INCLUDING AI GUIDE RESPONSES, COACHING TOOLS, AND ANY LIBRARY, OTHER CONTENT OR THIRD-PARTY CONTENT, IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE, OR THAT AI GUIDE RESPONSES WILL BE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR SUITABLE FOR YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SERVICES OR CONDUCT OF ANY COACH.

11. Limitation of Liability

11.1 Exclusions and cap. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, NEITHER WE NOR FDOS INTELLECTUAL HOLDING B.V., NOR OUR OR ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS, WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE, INCLUDING AI GUIDE RESPONSES AND ANY COACH’S SERVICES OR CONDUCT. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US FOR THE SERVICE IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) US$100.

11.2 Exceptions. NOTHING IN THESE TERMS LIMITS OR EXCLUDES OUR LIABILITY FOR FRAUD, GROSS NEGLIGENCE, OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR ANY OTHER LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE LIMITED OR EXCLUDED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

11.3 Basis of the bargain. The limitations in this Section 11 apply regardless of the legal theory on which a claim is based and even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose. They reflect an allocation of risk that is part of the basis of our pricing.

11.4 Rights that cannot be limited. Some states do not allow the disclaimer of implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. Sections 10 and 11 apply to you only to the extent permitted by the law of the state where you live, and nothing in these Terms limits any right you have under applicable law that cannot be waived or limited by contract. If you live in New Jersey: Sections 10, 11, and 12 apply to you only to the extent permitted by New Jersey law.

12. Indemnification

12.1 Users. To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to indemnify us against any third-party claim, and the resulting losses and reasonable legal fees, to the extent the claim arises from Your Content, your violation of law, or your intentional misuse of the Service. This obligation does not apply to the extent a claim arises from our own conduct. We will promptly notify you of any claim for which we seek indemnification.

13. Termination

You may stop using the Service and close your account at any time. If you have a paid subscription, please also cancel it as described in Section 7.6. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service if you materially violate these Terms or misuse the Service, with notice where reasonably practicable, or immediately where reasonably necessary to address a serious violation, a security risk, or a legal requirement. We may also end your access for any other reason with 30 days’ notice. If we end your paid access for a reason other than your violation of these Terms, we will refund the fees you paid for the unused portion of your current billing period. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 5, 6.1, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, and 17) will survive.

14. Library and Third-Party Content

We may add Library content over time. The Service may include or link to third-party content and websites. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party content or websites, or for the services or conduct of any Coach.

15. Changes to the Service and These Terms

We may modify or discontinue any part of the Service. We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email and, where appropriate, by a notice in the Service, at least 30 days before the changes take effect, and the updated Terms will show a new “Last updated” date. If you do not agree to the changes, you may stop using the Service and cancel your subscription before they take effect. If you continue to use the Service after the changes take effect, you accept the updated Terms. Changes will not apply to any dispute that arose before they take effect, and changes to Section 16 will not apply to any dispute of which we had notice before the change. Price changes are governed by Section 7.5.

16. Governing Law and Disputes

16.1 Governing law. These Terms and any dispute between you and us are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules, except that the Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Section 16. This choice of law does not deprive you of the protection of any law of the state where you live that cannot be waived by agreement.

16.2 Informal resolution first. Before starting arbitration or a court action, you and we agree to try to resolve any dispute informally. The party raising the dispute must send a written notice describing the claim and the relief sought, with the sender’s name and email address, to contact@fdos.institute (if to us) or to the email address on your account (if to you). If the dispute is not resolved within 60 days after the notice is received, either party may begin arbitration or, where permitted, a court action. Any applicable limitations period is paused during that 60-day period.

16.3 Agreement to arbitrate. Except as provided in Section 16.4, you and we agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved by binding individual arbitration rather than in court. The arbitrator will decide all questions about the scope, validity, and enforceability of this Section 16, except that a court will decide any question about the enforceability of Sections 16.6 and 16.7. YOU AND WE WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL.

16.4 Exceptions. Either party may (a) bring an individual claim in small claims court in the county where you live or in New York County, New York, if the claim qualifies and remains on an individual basis, or (b) seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court for infringement or misuse of intellectual property.

16.5 Rules and procedure. The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules in effect when the arbitration is filed, as modified by this Section 16. A single arbitrator will decide the dispute. Unless you and we agree otherwise, the arbitration will take place by videoconference or in the county where you live, and a claim of US$10,000 or less will be decided on written submissions unless the arbitrator requires a hearing. Filing, administration, and arbitrator fees will be paid as provided in the AAA rules. The arbitrator may award any individual relief that a court could award, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court with jurisdiction.

16.6 Class action waiver. YOU AND WE MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST EACH OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. The arbitrator may award relief only in favor of the individual party seeking it and only to the extent needed to resolve that party’s individual claim. If a claim seeks public injunctive relief and a court finds this waiver unenforceable as to that relief, that claim will be decided by a court after the individual claims are arbitrated, and the court proceeding will be stayed until then.

16.7 Mass arbitration. If 25 or more similar demands for arbitration are filed against us, or by us, by or with the help of the same or coordinated counsel, the demands will be administered under the AAA Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules, and the limitations period for any demand not yet filed will be paused while those proceedings are pending.

16.8 Courts. If a claim proceeds in court rather than arbitration, including because you opt out under Section 16.9 or a court finds Section 16.6 unenforceable as to that claim, it will be brought only in the state or federal courts located in New York County, New York, and you and we consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts, subject to any right you have under applicable law to bring the claim in the state where you live. If a court finds Section 16.6 unenforceable as to a claim, only that claim will be severed and decided in court, and the rest of this Section 16 will continue to apply.

16.9 Opt-out. You may opt out of this agreement to arbitrate by emailing contact@fdos.institute, with the subject line “Arbitration Opt-Out” and your name and account email address, within 30 days after you first accept these Terms. Opting out will not affect any other part of these Terms.

17. Miscellaneous

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full effect, except as stated in Section 16. Our failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of that right. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign these Terms to an affiliate, including FDOS Intellectual Holding B.V., or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. FDOS Intellectual Holding B.V. is a third-party beneficiary of Sections 5, 11, and 12 and may enforce them; no one else has rights under these Terms. We are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any terms shown to you at checkout, are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Service.

Electronic communications. You agree that we may provide notices, disclosures, and other communications to you electronically, by email to the address on your account or through the Service, and that electronic communications satisfy any legal requirement that they be in writing.

18. Contact Information

Sovereign Performance Systems B.V., Fluweelboomlaan 243, 1185 PS Amstelveen, The Netherlands. Email: contact@fdos.institute

California residents. Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, California users are entitled to the following notice: you may contact the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs in writing at 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N 112, Sacramento, California 95834, or by telephone at (800) 952-5210.