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What it is
Expert startup guidance covering lean startup methodology, MVP definition, product-market fit measurement, funding strategy, key metrics, pivot decisions, and stage-appropriate advice from ideation through scale.
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SKILL.md
545 lines · 2,844 words
Use this skill when:
The user is building a startup and needs guidance on lean methodology, MVP definition, or product-market fit measurement
The user wants help with funding strategy, key metrics, or deciding whether to pivot
The user needs stage-appropriate advice from ideation through scale for a venture-backed business
Expert startup guidance covering lean startup methodology, MVP definition, product-market fit measurement, funding strategy, key metrics, pivot decisions, and stage-appropriate advice from ideation through scale.
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What it covers
When to Use
Process
Questions to Ask the User First
Startup Stage Framework
Key Startup Metrics
Pivot vs. Persevere Decision Framework
Funding Options by Stage
Common Startup Pitfalls
Founder Operating System
Output Checklist
Output Format
Example
Edge Cases
The user wants to understand startup economics, fundraising rounds, or growth metrics
Do NOT use this skill when:
The user is bootstrapping without plans to raise funding (use bootstrapper-playbook instead)
The user wants to write a formal business plan (use business-planner instead)
The user needs to build a specific pitch deck for investors (use pitch-deck-builder instead)
Gather requirements. Ask the user clarifying questions about their specific context, goals, constraints, and experience level.
Analyze the situation. Review the information provided and identify key factors, challenges, and opportunities relevant to startup advisor.
Develop the framework. Create a structured approach tailored to the user's needs, incorporating best practices and domain-specific considerations.
Deliver actionable output. Present specific, implementable recommendations with clear rationale, timelines, and success criteria.
Address edge cases. Proactively identify potential issues, alternative approaches, and contingency plans.
Use this skill when:
User needs guidance on startup advisor
User asks about startup advisor best practices or techniques
User wants a structured approach to startup advisor
Do NOT use this skill when:
A more specialized skill exists for the specific subtopic
The request is outside the scope of startup advisor
A comprehensive startup advisory skill that provides stage-appropriate guidance from ideation through scale. Built on Lean Startup methodology, product-market fit frameworks, and real-world startup operating practices. Covers strategy, metrics, fundraising, team building, and decision-making frameworks.
What is your startup idea? (One sentence)
What stage are you at?
Ideation (just an idea)
Validation (testing assumptions)
MVP (building first version)
Early traction (first customers)
Growth (scaling what works)
Scale (optimizing and expanding)
Are you a solo founder or do you have co-founders?
What is your background/expertise?
Are you working on this full-time?
Do you have any traction? (Users, revenue, LOIs, waitlist)
How are you funded? (Self-funded, friends/family, angel, VC, revenue)
What is your biggest challenge right now?
What is your target customer?
What is your timeline / runway?
Goal: Validate that a real problem exists worth solving.
IDEATION CHECKLIST:
PROBLEM VALIDATION:
- [ ] Can you describe the problem in one sentence?
- [ ] Have you experienced this problem yourself?
- [ ] Have you talked to 10+ people who have this problem?
- [ ] Can you quantify the cost of this problem? (time, money, frustration)
- [ ] Are people actively seeking solutions today?
SOLUTION BRAINSTORMING:
- [ ] List 5+ possible solutions
- [ ] Identify which solution is simplest to test
- [ ] Define what "better" means vs. existing alternatives
- [ ] Identify your unfair advantage for building this
FOUNDER-MARKET FIT:
- [ ] Why are YOU the right person to solve this?
- [ ] What unique insight do you have?
- [ ] What resources/connections do you bring?
- [ ] Are you passionate enough to work on this for 7-10 years?
QUICK TESTS:
- Create a landing page describing the solution
- Run a "fake door" test (CTA that measures interest)
- Post in relevant communities and measure response
- Talk to 20 potential customers (do NOT pitch -- just listen)Goal: Prove that customers will pay for your solution.
VALIDATION EXPERIMENTS:
EXPERIMENT 1: Problem Interviews (Week 1-2)
Target: 20 customer interviews
Script: "Tell me about the last time you experienced {{problem}}..."
Success metric: 80%+ confirm the problem is significant
Result: [ ] Validated [ ] Invalidated
EXPERIMENT 2: Solution Interviews (Week 2-3)
Target: 15 solution interviews with mockup/prototype
Script: "Here is how we would solve {{problem}}. Would you use this?"
Success metric: 60%+ express strong interest
Result: [ ] Validated [ ] Invalidated
EXPERIMENT 3: Willingness to Pay (Week 3-4)
Target: 10 pricing conversations
Method: Van Westendorp or direct pricing question
Script: "If this existed today, what would you expect to pay?"
Success metric: Price supports viable business model
Result: [ ] Validated [ ] Invalidated
EXPERIMENT 4: Pre-Sales (Week 4-6)
Target: 5 pre-orders, LOIs, or deposits
Method: Offer early access at discount for commitment
Success metric: Real money or binding commitment changes hands
Result: [ ] Validated [ ] InvalidatedGoal: Build the smallest thing that delivers the core value.
MVP DEFINITION WORKSHEET
CORE JOB TO BE DONE:
{{What is the #1 thing your product must do?}}
MVP FEATURE SET (be ruthless):
MUST HAVE (launch blockers):
1. {{feature}} -- Why: {{it directly delivers core value}}
2. {{feature}} -- Why: {{without it, product cannot function}}
3. {{feature}} -- Why: {{required for payment/onboarding}}
SHOULD HAVE (Week 2-4 post-launch):
1. {{feature}}
2. {{feature}}
COULD HAVE (Month 2-3):
1. {{feature}}
2. {{feature}}
WILL NOT HAVE (explicitly excluded):
1. {{feature}} -- Why: {{distraction from core value}}
2. {{feature}} -- Why: {{premature optimization}}
MVP TYPE:
[ ] Concierge MVP (manually deliver the value)
[ ] Wizard of Oz (looks automated, human-powered behind scenes)
[ ] Single-feature product (one thing done well)
[ ] Landing page + manual process
[ ] Piecemeal MVP (stitch together existing tools)
TIMELINE: {{weeks}} weeks
BUDGET: ${{budget}}
SUCCESS CRITERIA: {{measurable_outcome}}Goal: Find repeatable customer acquisition and prove product-market fit.
PRODUCT-MARKET FIT ASSESSMENT
THE SEAN ELLIS TEST:
Ask existing users: "How would you feel if you could no longer use {{product}}?"
Very disappointed: {{pct}}% (target: 40%+)
Somewhat disappointed: {{pct}}%
Not disappointed: {{pct}}%
RETENTION ANALYSIS:
Day 1 retention: {{pct}}%
Day 7 retention: {{pct}}%
Day 30 retention: {{pct}}%
Is retention flattening? {{yes/no}} (good = yes, curve flattens)
ORGANIC GROWTH SIGNALS:
- [ ] Users referring other users without being asked
- [ ] Inbound leads increasing
- [ ] Usage frequency increasing over time
- [ ] Users complaining when product is down
- [ ] Users finding creative uses you did not anticipate
NET PROMOTER SCORE:
NPS: {{score}} (-100 to +100, target: 50+)
VERDICT:
[ ] Strong PMF -- Accelerate growth
[ ] Emerging PMF -- Double down on what is working
[ ] Weak PMF -- Iterate on product/positioning
[ ] No PMF -- Consider pivotGoal: Scale acquisition channels and optimize unit economics.
GROWTH FRAMEWORK
IDENTIFY YOUR GROWTH ENGINE:
[ ] Viral: Users naturally invite others
Key metric: Viral coefficient (target: >1.0)
[ ] Sticky: High retention drives growth
Key metric: Churn rate (target: <5% monthly)
[ ] Paid: Profitable customer acquisition
Key metric: LTV:CAC ratio (target: >3:1)
CHANNEL TESTING MATRIX:
| Channel | Cost to Test | Timeline | Expected CAC | Status |
|-------------------|-------------|----------|-------------|-----------|
| Content/SEO | ${{}} | 3-6 mo | ${{}} | {{}} |
| Paid Search | ${{}} | 2-4 wk | ${{}} | {{}} |
| Paid Social | ${{}} | 2-4 wk | ${{}} | {{}} |
| Cold Outreach | ${{}} | 2-4 wk | ${{}} | {{}} |
| Partnerships | ${{}} | 1-3 mo | ${{}} | {{}} |
| Referral Program | ${{}} | 1-2 mo | ${{}} | {{}} |
| Community/Events | ${{}} | 2-3 mo | ${{}} | {{}} |
| PR/Media | ${{}} | 1-3 mo | ${{}} | {{}} |
GROWTH PRIORITIES (ICE Framework):
Impact (1-10) x Confidence (1-10) x Ease (1-10) = ICE Score
| Experiment | Impact | Confidence | Ease | Score |
|--------------------------|--------|------------|------|-------|
| {{experiment_1}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
| {{experiment_2}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
| {{experiment_3}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |Goal: Build organizational capacity and expand markets.
SCALING READINESS CHECKLIST:
PRODUCT:
- [ ] Core product is stable and reliable
- [ ] Infrastructure can handle 10x current load
- [ ] Customer onboarding is self-serve or semi-automated
- [ ] Support is scalable (help docs, chatbot, tiered support)
TEAM:
- [ ] Key leadership roles are filled
- [ ] Hiring pipeline is established
- [ ] Culture and values are documented
- [ ] Management structure exists for 3x current headcount
OPERATIONS:
- [ ] Key processes are documented
- [ ] Financial controls and reporting are in place
- [ ] Legal and compliance requirements are met
- [ ] Vendor/partner relationships are formalized
GROWTH:
- [ ] At least 2 acquisition channels are working
- [ ] Unit economics are positive and improving
- [ ] Expansion revenue (upsell/cross-sell) strategy exists
- [ ] International/geographic expansion plan (if applicable)CORE METRICS DASHBOARD
ACQUISITION:
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC):
Formula: Total sales & marketing spend / New customers acquired
Benchmark: Varies by industry, but LTV:CAC should be >3:1
Your CAC: ${{cac}}
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR):
Formula: Sum of all monthly subscription revenue
Growth rate: {{mrr_growth}}% MoM (healthy: 10-20% early stage)
Your MRR: ${{mrr}}
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR):
Formula: MRR x 12
Your ARR: ${{arr}}
RETENTION:
Churn Rate (Monthly):
Formula: Customers lost in month / Customers at start of month
Benchmark: <5% monthly for SMB, <1% for enterprise
Your churn: {{churn}}%
Net Revenue Retention (NRR):
Formula: (Starting MRR + Expansion - Contraction - Churn) / Starting MRR
Benchmark: >100% (best-in-class: >120%)
Your NRR: {{nrr}}%
ECONOMICS:
Lifetime Value (LTV):
Formula: ARPU / Monthly churn rate
Your LTV: ${{ltv}}
LTV:CAC Ratio:
Formula: LTV / CAC
Benchmark: 3:1 minimum, 5:1+ for healthy businesses
Your ratio: {{ratio}}:1
Payback Period:
Formula: CAC / Monthly gross profit per customer
Benchmark: <12 months
Your payback: {{months}} months
ENGAGEMENT:
Daily Active Users (DAU): {{dau}}
Monthly Active Users (MAU): {{mau}}
DAU/MAU Ratio: {{ratio}}% (benchmark: 20%+ is good, 50%+ is excellent)
BURN:
Monthly Burn Rate: ${{burn}}
Runway: {{months}} months (cash / monthly burn)
Months to default (if declining runway): {{months}}PIVOT ASSESSMENT
Answer each question honestly:
TRACTION SIGNALS:
1. Are users/customers actively using the product? {{yes/no}}
2. Is there organic growth (word-of-mouth)? {{yes/no}}
3. Are users willing to pay the target price? {{yes/no}}
4. Is usage increasing over time? {{yes/no}}
5. Do users get upset when the product is unavailable? {{yes/no}}
Score: {{count}}/5 -- If < 2, strongly consider a pivot.
PIVOT OPTIONS:
Zoom-in pivot: One feature becomes the whole product
Zoom-out pivot: Whole product becomes one feature of larger product
Customer segment pivot: Same product, different customer
Customer need pivot: Same customer, different problem
Platform pivot: Change from app to platform (or vice versa)
Business model pivot: Change how you monetize
Channel pivot: Change how you reach customers
Technology pivot: Same solution, different technology
Value capture pivot: Change your pricing/revenue model
DECISION MATRIX:
| Factor | Persevere | Pivot |
|-----------------------------|-----------|-------|
| Customer feedback | {{}} | {{}} |
| Metrics trend | {{}} | {{}} |
| Team energy/conviction | {{}} | {{}} |
| Market timing | {{}} | {{}} |
| Competitive landscape | {{}} | {{}} |
| Runway remaining | {{}} | {{}} |
DECISION: [ ] Persevere [ ] Pivot to: {{pivot_type}}
RATIONALE: {{why}}FUNDING ROADMAP
PRE-SEED ($25K - $500K):
Sources:
- Personal savings / Friends & family
- Accelerators (Y Combinator, Techstars, etc.)
- Angel investors
- SAFE notes or convertible notes
- Government grants (SBIR/STTR in US)
What investors expect: Team + idea + initial validation
SEED ($500K - $3M):
Sources:
- Angel groups and syndicates
- Seed-stage VC funds
- Revenue-based financing (if revenue exists)
- Crowdfunding (Republic, Wefunder)
What investors expect: MVP + early traction + clear market
SERIES A ($3M - $15M):
Sources:
- Institutional VC funds
- Corporate venture capital
What investors expect: Product-market fit + $1M+ ARR + growth rate
SERIES B+ ($15M+):
Sources:
- Growth-stage VC
- Private equity
- Strategic investors
What investors expect: Proven unit economics + scalable growth engine
ALTERNATIVE FUNDING:
- Bootstrapping: Fund from revenue
- Revenue-based financing: Percentage of revenue until repaid
- Venture debt: Debt alongside equity raise
- Grants: Non-dilutive government/foundation funding
- Strategic partnerships: Advance payments or joint ventures| Rank | Pitfall | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No market need | Validate before building. Talk to 50+ customers. |
| 2 | Ran out of cash | Know your runway. Raise before you need to. |
| 3 | Wrong team | Co-founder alignment on vision, values, and commitment. |
| 4 | Got outcompeted | Focus on speed and customer intimacy, not features. |
| 5 | Pricing/cost issues | Test pricing early. Know your unit economics. |
| 6 | Poor product | Ship fast, get feedback, iterate weekly. |
| 7 | No business model | Know how you make money from Day 1. |
| 8 | Poor marketing | Find one channel that works before diversifying. |
| 9 | Ignored customers | Talk to customers weekly. Build feedback loops. |
| 10 | Bad timing | Study market readiness. Why now matters. |
| 11 | Lost focus | Say no to 90% of ideas. Do one thing well. |
| 12 | Team disharmony | Written co-founder agreement. Regular check-ins. |
| 13 | Pivot gone wrong | Pivot based on data, not desperation. |
| 14 | Lack of passion | Work on problems you genuinely care about. |
| 15 | Bad location | Remote-first or relocate to where your customers are. |
| 16 | No financing | Build relationships with investors before you need money. |
| 17 | Legal challenges | Get legal advice early on IP, contracts, and compliance. |
| 18 | No network | Join communities, attend events, help others first. |
| 19 | Burnout | Pace yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint. |
| 20 | Fail to pivot | Set kill criteria before experiments. Be honest. |
WEEKLY OPERATING RHYTHM
MONDAY:
- Review key metrics dashboard (30 min)
- Set 3 weekly priorities with team (30 min)
- Customer outreach / check-ins (1 hr)
TUESDAY-THURSDAY:
- Heads-down execution on priorities
- Daily standup (15 min max)
- Customer interviews or sales calls (scheduled)
FRIDAY:
- Week in review: What worked? What did not? (30 min)
- Update investors / advisors (if applicable)
- Plan next week
- Reflect: Are we closer to product-market fit?
MONTHLY:
- Full metrics review and trend analysis
- Board update or advisor call
- Financial review (burn rate, runway)
- One strategic deep-dive (pricing, positioning, roadmap)
QUARTERLY:
- OKR review and reset
- Competitive landscape review
- Team retrospective
- Fundraising status assessmentAdvice is appropriate for the user's current stage
Recommendations are specific and actionable (not generic)
Metrics and benchmarks are cited for context
Next steps are clearly defined with timelines
Risks and potential pitfalls are flagged
Founder is encouraged but given honest feedback
Templates provided are ready to use immediately
Deliver the response as a structured document with clear headings and actionable content. Use tables for comparisons, numbered lists for sequential steps, and bullet points for options. Include specific examples where applicable.
[Startup Advisor deliverable]
1. Context and objectives
2. Analysis or framework
3. Specific recommendations with rationale
4. Action items with timelineInput: "Help me with startup advisor for a mid-size project."
Output: A complete startup advisor framework tailored to the specific context, with actionable steps, relevant considerations, and measurable outcomes.
Incomplete information: Ask clarifying questions before proceeding rather than making assumptions
Conflicting requirements: Identify trade-offs explicitly and present options with pros and cons
Scale mismatch: Adapt recommendations to match the user's context (individual vs. team vs. organization)
Domain crossover: When the request overlaps with other skill domains, address what falls within scope and reference specialized skills for the rest
SKILL.md
545 lines · 2,844 words
The text of SKILL.md is shown as it downloads, under the Apache-2.0 license, by Ferrox Labs. The license is the one in the file's own frontmatter.
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