Founder Decisions Under Uncertainty

Building a venture involves uncertainty, unexpected challenges and difficult decisions.

This anonymous, 5-minute survey explores how founders respond when their plans are challenged, what actions they take and when they seek outside assistance.

This survey does not ask for your name or contact details. Please share your actual experiences, but avoid including your name, company name or other identifying details in your written answers. Please do not share confidential business information. Tally may process technical information to operate and protect the form.

Responses will be used for exploratory research into founder decision-making. No product is being offered or sold.

Which best describes your venture?

Exploring an idea

Building or preparing to launch

Launched, seeking first customers

Generating revenue and trying to grow

Recently pivoted, paused or closed a venture

During the past six months, which challenge has demanded the most attention?

How has this challenge affected your progress?

Have you encountered evidence that challenged an important assumption about your venture?

Yes, within the past three months

Yes, within the past six months (but not the past three)

Not sure

What actions have you taken in response to your main challenge?

What happened after those actions?

How far have you gone in seeking outside assistance for this challenge?

Never considered outside assistance

Considered it but did not investigate options

Investigated options but did not engage anyone

Received free or informal assistance

Paid for assistance

Received both paid and unpaid assistance

What best explains your decision about outside assistance?

I believed I could handle the problem myself

I wanted independent input

I needed specialist expertise or practical help

Cost was a concern

I did not know where to find suitable help

I was unsure whether help would be useful

Someone recommended seeking help

Other

What were you primarily trying to achieve?

Attract customers or increase revenue

Improve the product or service

Understand why progress was slow

Test an important assumption

Decide what to prioritise

Decide whether to continue, change or stop

Secure funding or other resources

Other

Was there an important decision associated with this challenge?

How did you decide what action to take?

Used predefined criteria or milestones

Compared available evidence and alternatives

Relied primarily on experience or judgement

Followed advice from someone else

Continued with the existing plan

Still deciding

Other

Founder Decisions Under Uncertainty

Which best describes your venture?

During the past six months, which challenge has demanded the most attention?

How has this challenge affected your progress?

Have you encountered evidence that challenged an important assumption about your venture?

What actions have you taken in response to your main challenge?

What happened after those actions?

How far have you gone in seeking outside assistance for this challenge?

What best explains your decision about outside assistance?

What were you primarily trying to achieve?

Was there an important decision associated with this challenge?

How did you decide what action to take?

What would have made outside assistance more useful or accessible at that time?

Can you describe a specific moment when you reconsidered your venture's direction? What happened, and what did you do?