Founder readiness assessment

Welcome to the Founder Readiness Assessment

Description: This assessment takes 20–30 minutes to complete. There are 40 questions across 8 dimensions. Don't overthink your responses. There are no right or wrong answers.

Have you already invested a significant amount of time (months or years) into solving a problem you feel passionate about?

A

No — not yet

B

Yes — for a few months

C

Yes — whatever it takes, for years

Have you publicly associated your reputation with an idea that could fail?

A

Never

B

Informally with people I know

C

Publicly and openly

Have you defined a specific customer problem you are committed to solve?

A

No — not yet

B

I am thinking about it

C

Yes — I am actively pursuing it

Have you ever built a prototype, product or service?

A

Never

B

Yes — a prototype or early version

C

Yes — a market-ready product or service

Have you persisted with something after a lot of people close to you told you to stop?

A

No — I listened to them

B

Yes — once

C

Yes — several times

How familiar are you with basic financial concepts such as cash flow, gross margin, runway or burn rate?

A

Limited — I am not familiar with these

B

Basic — I understand the concepts

C

Strong — I use these regularly

Have you ever been bankrupt or lost a significant amount of money (€10k or more) on a project or investment?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Yes — a few times

Have you ever managed the finances of a project or business where you were personally accountable in case of failure?

A

Never

B

Yes — a small budget under €100k

C

Yes — a large budget over €100k

Have you invested personal money into one or more entrepreneurial ideas or projects?

A

Never

B

Yes — less than €10k

C

Yes — €10k or more

Have you calculated how long you could survive financially without a stable income?

A

Never thought about it

B

I have a rough idea

C

Yes — I have a detailed plan

How often do you test ideas through experimentation rather than analysis and reflection?

A

Never — I prefer to think things through fully first

B

Occasionally — when I feel confident enough

C

Systematically — testing is how I learn

Have you worked in an environment where your specific role and goals were unclear?

A

Never

B

Occasionally

C

Several times — I am comfortable with it

Have you taken important decisions even when not all the information or consequences were clear?

A

Never — I wait until I have enough information

B

Rarely

C

Often — I am comfortable deciding with incomplete information

Have you pursued a project for months without immediate financial reward?

A

Never

B

Briefly — a few weeks

C

Yes — several months or years

Have you ever commercialised or published something knowing it was imperfect?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

Have you abandoned months of work when the outcome became uncertain?

A

Often — I move on when things get unclear

B

Once

C

Never — I push through uncertainty

Have you ever achieved something significant with limited resources?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

Have you iterated an idea, product or service based on customer feedback?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

Have you changed direction when you realised your assumptions were wrong?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

Have you worked long hours, late evenings and weekends for extended periods of time?

A

Never

B

Occasionally

C

Frequently and for sustained periods

Have you ever relocated or significantly changed your lifestyle to pursue a professional opportunity?

A

Never

B

I considered it seriously

C

Yes — one or more times

Have you ever delayed personal plans such as travel or purchases to pursue a professional goal?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

Have people chosen to work with you on an idea or project without knowing if they would be rewarded?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

Have you ever experienced an extended period of unpredictable income?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

How have you reacted to major changes imposed by others in your life in the past?

A

I hated it and resisted

B

I felt uncomfortable but adapted eventually

C

I accepted it and adapted quickly

How important is having a stable income for you and your family right now?

A

Very important — I depend on it

B

Moderately important

C

Not very important — I have flexibility

Have you ever signed a shareholders agreement where you lose your equity if you leave the company?

A

Never

B

I am thinking about it

C

Yes — one or more times

Have you enforced unpopular decisions at work despite significant pushback from your team or peers?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

Have you ever resolved a serious interpersonal conflict in a professional environment?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

How often have you recruited someone for your team on a much lower salary than they requested?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

Have you ever pitched an idea to an investor, accelerator or competition?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Several times

Have you ever guided a team through a particularly difficult period of uncertainty?

A

Never

B

Informally - once or twice

C

Several times

Have you ever refused to change your pricing or terms for a sale even if it meant losing the deal?

A

Never

B

Once

C

Often

How often have you been rejected while trying to sell something?

A

Rarely — I avoid putting myself in that position

B

Occasionally

C

Often — rejection is part of selling

How familiar are you with convertible loans, tag-along clauses, stock options and other investor terminology?

A

Not familiar

B

Basic understanding

C

Good working understanding

How familiar are you with how startups are valued by investors?

A

Low — I have little knowledge of this

B

Basic understanding

C

Good understanding — I have used this in practice

Have you ever asked someone for payment for a product or service you developed and believe in?

A

Never

B

Rarely

C

Often

Have you generated significant revenue from selling a product or service you believed in?

A

Never

B

Yes — €10k or more

C

Yes — €100k or more

Have you already raised money with business angels, funds or professional investors?

A

No — never raised external funding

B

Yes — less than €250k

C

Yes — €250k or more

Have you successfully convinced friends or family to invest money in an idea or project?

A

Never

B

Yes — a small amount under €5k

C

Yes — a significant amount over €5k

Your full name

Your email address

Thank you for completing the Founder Readiness Assessment. We will review your answers and send your personalised Readiness Radar and feedback report to your email in the coming days. If you have any questions in the meantime please contact davidmellett01@gmail.com.