The Founder’s Analytical Playbook
Most startups die not because the founders failed to code, but because they built something nobody was willing to pay for. This playbook defines the 8 ruthless dimensions we evaluate for every venture before capital is deployed.
Market Urgency & Pain Severity
“Is this an existential hair-on-fire problem, or a nice-to-have optimization?”
Moat Viability & Incumbent Threat
“Can an incumbent software giant or platform update replicate this in a 2-week sprint?”
Unit Economics & Pricing Power
“Does the estimated LTV exceed 3x customer acquisition cost (CAC)?”
ICP Definition & Buyer Persona
“Who specifically signs the check, and what is their departmental budget authority?”
Competitive Asymmetry & Substitutes
“Why haven’t customers solved this with Excel, Zapier, or existing SaaS?”
Execution Friction & Technical Hurdles
“What external APIs, hardware dependencies, or legal compliance block day 1 launch?”
Scalability & Non-Linear Growth
“Does the venture benefit from negative churn, expansion revenue, or network effects?”
Founder Bias & Blindspot Exposure
“What are the 3 lethal assumptions that will kill this venture if proven false?”