Free worksheet · English edition
Startup Strategist: from fog to first move
A decision brief for founders who need clarity before another feature.
For
Early-stage founders and product partners
Language
English
Format
Editable worksheet + notes
Status
Free working edition
Working tool / 01
Choose the next useful move.
A decision brief with a problem, an assumption, and a small test. This worksheet is a companion to the Startup Strategist exploration.
01 / Problem
Name who experiences it, when it happens, and its practical cost. Mark anything you have not verified.
See an illustrative answer
A small service team loses job details between phone calls and site visits. This is an illustrative scenario.
ReviewIs this a repeated problem or a one-off inconvenience?
02 / Evidence
Separate observations, quotes used with permission, and assumptions. Do not let a polished pitch blur the difference.
See an illustrative answer
Observed: details are copied into two places. Assumption: one shared job record would reduce missed information.
ReviewCould another person trace your claim back to an observation?
03 / First offer
Describe one complete job someone can do. Include how you will deliver it and what you are leaving out.
See an illustrative answer
Create a job, assign a person, and confirm completion. Begin with one team; leave invoicing out.
ReviewDoes the small version still solve a complete problem?
04 / Two sides
Choose an observable user signal and a business signal. Add a boundary you will not cross to improve either.
See an illustrative answer
User: fewer missing job details. Business: time spent coordinating each job. Boundary: no hidden staff tracking.
ReviewCould improving one signal make the other side worse?
05 / Next test
Choose one test, a time window, and what would make you continue, change, or stop.
See an illustrative answer
Try a shared job sheet for one week. If staff still need the same follow-up calls, revisit the information captured before building more.
ReviewWill the test reveal something you do not already know?
Why this exists
The first job is not to generate a polished strategy document. It is to make the next decision easier to see. This companion keeps the useful questions from the app close to the work: what is the problem, what do we believe, who is it for, what makes it credible, and what should we test next?
Notes behind the questions
The problem worth carrying
Describe the recurring frustration in plain language. If the problem only exists inside the pitch, the strategy is already drifting.
The belief underneath
What do you believe should be different, and why are you willing to organise the company around it?
The person, not the segment
Describe the person in the moment they need the thing. Context is more useful than a demographic label.
The proof loop
List the behaviours and evidence that would make the promise believable. Then choose the smallest test that can expose a wrong assumption.
The next move
Strategy earns its keep when it changes what gets made next. Write the move, its signal, and what you will refuse to add yet.
This edition is intentionally small. The archive holds the longer thinking behind it.
Read the archive ↗Last updated 2026-09-07