- For
- Aspiring founders and idea-stage teams
- Problem
- It’s unclear whose problem you solve and how you’ll make money
- Main outputs
- Idea review, list of key assumptions
- Not included
- Commissioned market research reports; guarantees of investment or grant selection
- Helpful to share
- Your idea, materials so far, team
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Startup Advisory
Test the assumptions behind your business—and decide what to build next.
From idea review and customer interviews to MVP scope, business plan, and pitch structure, we work through each stage with you.
Contents
Who It’s For
- Aspiring founders turning an idea into a business
- Early-stage startups refining their first customers and business model
- Startup support organizations that want validation-focused advisory for their companies
When This Helps
- You have an idea, but your customers and business model aren’t clear yet
- You haven’t decided what to test before development starts
- Your business plan, product plan, and execution plan don’t line up
Where to Start
Advisory follows the four stages below; choose only the stages you need.
- For
- Early-stage startups about to start development
- Problem
- You can’t decide what to build first, so scope and budget grow
- Main outputs
- Hypothesis sheet, interview summary, MVP scope and screen flow
- Not included
- Development itself (can be arranged as a separate engagement); legal, tax, or patent advice
- Helpful to share
- Key assumptions, customer contacts, available budget and time
- For
- Startup support organizations with resident or portfolio companies
- Problem
- Companies are at different stages, so one-size-fits-all training has little effect
- How it runs
- Each company works through the stages it needs, using the same four-stage framework
- Main outputs
- Per-company review results, session records, materials for your program report
- Not included
- Finding investors or brokering investment agreements; guaranteed fundraising results; deciding which companies are selected
- Helpful to share
- Number and stage of companies, program period, report format
Timeline, fees, and who is involved are proposed based on scope and schedule.
Four Stages
1Idea Review
Clarify the customer problem, audience, value proposition, and key assumptions.
You bringYour idea, materials so far, team
We work onProblem, audience, and value proposition laid out; assumptions the business depends on listed
OutputsIdea review, list of key assumptions
When this stage endsYou decide which assumptions to test first
2Customer Validation
Design interviews and review the market and alternatives to check your assumptions.
You bringList of key assumptions, customer contacts you can reach
We work onInterview questions, market and competitor review, interview results summarized
OutputsValidation plan, interview summary, revised business model
When this stage endsYou decide whether to continue or change your audience or model
3MVP Scoping
Decide on essential features, user flow, prototype, and development scope.
You bringValidation results, priority customers, available budget and time
We work onEssential features chosen, user flow and screen drafts, prototype scope
OutputsMVP feature list, screen flow, development scope document
When this stage endsYou decide whether to build in-house or with an external team, including TeamWe
4Business Planning & Pitch Preparation
Organize the logic, evidence, execution plan, and pitch structure.
You bringCurrent business plan, validation materials, submission or pitch dates
We work onLogic checked, evidence strengthened, execution plan and pitch structure organized
OutputsRevised business plan structure, pitch flow, likely questions
When this stage endsYou settle what to submit or present and the order of next steps
Choose only the stages you need. If you continue from one stage to the next, the results carry straight into the next stage.
Sample Layout
Idea review, hypothesis sheet, MVP scope
- The problem
- You can’t decide what to build first, so development scope and budget keep growing
- What TeamWe makes
- An idea review, hypothesis sheet, and MVP scope document
- How it’s used
- Test results and the uncertainties that remain set MVP priorities, and the scope document is used to get development quotes
Sample screen · fictional data
| Area | Current state | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Core customer | Two groups mixed together | Clarify |
| Size of the problem | No interview evidence | Test |
| Revenue model | Subscription and per-use mixed | Choose |
| Alternatives | Mapped | OK |
| Hypothesis | How we test it | Pass threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Tutoring-center owners send attendance texts themselves | 8 interviews | 6 or more |
| They will pay $15 a month | Price interviews | 4 or more accept |
| There is a reason to switch from spreadsheets | 2-week trial | Used 3+ times a week |
Must haveStudent sign-upAttendance checkParent alerts
Nice to haveMonthly reportCounseling notes
LaterPaymentsMobile app
Who Brings What
What We’ll Need from You
- Your idea and the materials you have so far
- Introductions to potential customers we can interview
- Who makes decisions, and your timeline
What We Bring
- Review and validation frameworks for each stage
- Interview design and analysis
- Written outputs for each stage
How It Works
- First conversationYour current stage and what you need
- Agree scopeStages, sessions, and outputs
- WorkSessions, assignments, validation
- OutputsResults written up for each stage
- Next stepsThe order of what comes next
What Shapes Scope, Timeline, and Fees
- Number of stages
- Number of teams (for support organizations)
- Number of customer interviews
- Whether MVP development is included
- Submission or pitch dates
Related Experience
Startup lectures and judging by TeamWe and Eunice Kwon.
Scope of Advisory
- IncludedAdvice on business model and customer validation, development scope, business plan structure, and pitch preparation
- Not includedFinding investors, brokering investment agreements, or guaranteeing fundraising results. We also do not promise grant selection or sales results
- Professional adviceWe do not give legal, tax, or patent advice; where needed, we suggest you consult a qualified professional
- Who is involvedAdvisors are agreed per engagement and are named in program materials only once confirmed
Discuss Startup Advisory
Tell us your current stage and the decisions ahead, and we’ll suggest the right program.