Compasses
Compass, not map.
A map assumes you know the terrain. A compass works when you don't. Founders don't have maps. These are the compasses — one per stage of the seven, each one pointing true on a single founder decision.
Not sure which stage you're on? Find your stage in two minutes.
The seven compasses
Free forever. No sign-in needed.
- 01
Purpose Statement Builder
Purpose stage · Why you're building
Find the reason you start — and the reason you survive.
- 02
Co-Founder Fit & Hiring
People stage · Co-founders & hiring
Two compasses — choosing a co-founder, and hiring employees on evidence.
- 03
Pain Discovery Worksheet
Pain stage · Problem & customer discovery
Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
- 04
RICE Scoring
Product stage · What to build first
Rank what to build first by reach × impact × confidence ÷ effort.
- 05
Pivot or Persist
Prove stage · Validation & PMF
Read the three fits — and decide: pivot or persist.
- 06
Revenue Logic Sketch
Profits stage · Revenue & unit economics
From Purpose to Profits — the unit logic, not the projection deck.
- 07
Restoration Plan
Persistence stage · Founder endurance
You will fall; the question is how fast you get up. Build the recovery system — safe container, restoration practice — before the wall.
Companion compasses · The Founder's Persistence
Three identity-instruction compasses from the persistence chapter, in temporal order — one for each kind of founder week. Pair them with the Persistence-stage compass above.
- 01
Do your worrying before you place your bet.
Before you commit
Four fits, a worst case, a binary verdict. Bet, or back.
- 02
Notice what you are postponing.
While you are building
Drift is invisible from inside. Name the postponement, read the six signs.
- 03
Act as if your success is inevitable.
When you feel stuck
Maltz's three-stage cycle — relax, reconnect, rehearse. For the wall week.
New compasses, deeper versions, and additional decision tools are on the way. For the underlying framework that ties them together, start with the free e-book at founderssequence.com.