/startup-design

Phase Output Specifications

File-by-file requirements for the Strategy, Brand, Product, and Validation phases. Read the section for the phase you're executing — these specs define what each deliverable must contain.

Contents: Phase 4 — Strategy · Phase 5 — Brand · Phase 6 — Product · Phase 8 — Validation

Phase 4 — Strategy (02-strategy/)

lean-canvas.md

Build a complete Lean Canvas (1-page business model):

• Problem (top 3)
• Customer Segments
• Unique Value Proposition
• Solution
• Channels
• Revenue Streams
• Cost Structure
• Key Metrics
• Unfair Advantage

value-proposition.md

• The value proposition canvas (jobs-to-be-done, pains, gains)
• How the product addresses each pain and creates each gain
• The one-sentence value prop
• Proof points and credibility signals

business-model.md

• Revenue model (how money comes in, pricing tiers)
• Unit economics (CAC, LTV, margins — even rough estimates)
• Scalability considerations
• Dependencies and key partnerships

positioning.md

Using April Dunford's positioning framework:

• Competitive alternatives (what happens if you don't exist)
• Unique attributes (what you have that alternatives don't)
• Value (what those attributes enable for customers)
• Target market (who cares the most)
• Market category (the context that makes the value obvious)

go-to-market.md

• Launch strategy (where, how, to whom first)
• First 100 customers plan
• Growth channels ranked by expected impact and cost
• Partnerships and ecosystem plays
• Timeline with milestones

Phase 5 — Brand (03-brand/)

mission-vision-values.md

• Mission — Why the company exists (present-tense, action-oriented)
• Vision — The world you're building toward (aspirational but credible)
• Values — 3-5 core values with brief explanations of what they mean in practice (not generic platitudes — values should help make decisions)

Generate 2-3 options for mission and vision for the user to choose from or remix.

tone-of-voice.md

• Brand personality traits (3-4 adjectives with definitions)
• Voice principles with "we are / we are not" examples
• Writing samples: how the brand sounds in different contexts (homepage headline, error message, social media post, customer email)
• Vocabulary guide: preferred terms vs. avoided terms

brand-personality.md

• Brand archetype analysis (which archetype fits and why)
• Emotional attributes
• Visual direction suggestions (not full design, but adjectives and references)
• How the brand should feel compared to competitors

Phase 6 — Product (04-product/)

mvp-definition.md

• Core hypothesis the MVP tests
• Must-have features (the minimum set to test the hypothesis)
• Nice-to-have features (for v1.1, not v1.0)
• Explicitly out of scope (prevent scope creep)
• Success criteria: what results would validate the MVP

feature-prioritization.md

• Feature list with RICE or MoSCoW prioritization
• Dependencies between features
• Effort estimates (T-shirt sizing: S/M/L/XL)
• Recommended build order

user-journey.md

• End-to-end user journey map (from discovery to regular usage)
• Key touchpoints and emotions at each stage
• Drop-off risks and mitigation ideas
• The "aha moment" — when does the user first experience value?

Phase 8 — Validation (06-validation/)

validation-playbook.md

• Ordered list of experiments to run, from cheapest/fastest to most expensive
• For each experiment:
  • What assumption it tests
  • How to run it (step-by-step)
  • What to measure
  • What result would validate vs. invalidate the assumption
  • Estimated time and cost
• Examples: landing page test, fake door test, concierge MVP, customer interviews, ad campaign test, wizard of oz, pre-sales
• If customer interviews were deferred in Phase 3.7, they are experiment #1 — no exceptions

Tailor experiments to the specific idea — a B2B SaaS needs different validation than a consumer marketplace.

risk-analysis.md

• Risk matrix (likelihood × impact) for:
  • Market risks (no demand, timing, regulatory)
  • Product risks (can't build it, won't work)
  • Business risks (can't monetize, can't scale)
  • Team risks (missing skills, founder conflicts)
  • Financial risks (runway, CAC too high)
• For each high-priority risk: mitigation strategy and early warning signals

assumptions-tracker.md

• Every critical assumption the business plan rests on
• Current confidence level (high/medium/low)
• How to test each assumption
• Status: untested / testing / validated / invalidated

Format as a table for easy scanning and updating.

experiment-design.md

• Detailed design for the top 3 recommended experiments
• Hypothesis, method, metrics, success criteria, timeline
• Templates the founder can use immediately (interview scripts, survey questions, landing page copy outline)

kill-criteria.md

Define 5-7 specific, measurable conditions under which the founder should stop or pivot. Tie each to a validation experiment. Be specific: "If fewer than 3/10 interview subjects say they'd pay $X" not "if there's no demand." This protects the founder from sunk-cost thinking.

scorecard.md

Produce a summary scorecard:

Be honest. If the idea has weaknesses, say so clearly. The goal is to help the founder make a good decision, not to validate their ego. Include a clear Verdict paragraph after the table with an unambiguous recommendation (see the scoring guide in the Radical Honesty Protocol).