Works with the AI tools you already use

    Claude CodeClaude CodeCursorCursorCodex CLICodex CLIMuseMuseDotsDots+22 more

    Founder Stage Gate Operator

    2

    A rigorous stage-gate framework to validate ideas, limit MVP scope, and ensure audit-ready startup growth.

    Free

    8 installsSecurity scanned
    founder-stage-gate-operator

    founder-stage-gate-operator

    Example session with this skill installed

    Use this skill to evaluate my startup idea.

    Product idea: An AI app that turns messy client notes into polished project briefs.
    Target user: Freelance designers and consultants.
    Current product state: Idea only.
    Evidence gathered: I talked to 3 friends who said it sounds useful.
    Current bottleneck: I am not sure whether to build the MVP.
    Desired decision: Decide whether this is worth building now.

    • Read your context and instructions
    • Compiled the founder-stage-gate-operator
    • Generated the document

    Stage

    Evidence-backed stage: Idea
    Claimed stage: MVP-ready
    Confidence: Medium

    Evidence

    Supporting evidence

    • The product idea is specific enough to discuss.
    • The target user is roughly defined.
    • Three people reacted positively.

    Missing evidence

    • No proof that the problem is frequent or painful.
    • No current workaround has been documented.
    • No evidence of willingness to pay or switch.
    • No disconfirming evidence has been tested.

    Decision

    HOLD

    Do not build the MVP yet. Positive feedback from friends is not enough validation.

    Key Risks

    • Users may say the idea is useful but keep using docs, templates, or manual writing.
    • Freelance designers and consultants may have different workflows and buying triggers.
    • The product may solve a convenience problem rather than a painful one.

    Next Smallest Action

    1. Interview 8-10 freelancers who created client briefs in the last 30 days.
    2. Ask about the last time they turned messy notes into a brief.
    3. Document frequency, time cost, current workaround, and where the process breaks.
    4. Return to MVP scope only after repeated pain and workaround evidence appear.

    Approval Needed

    No

    founder-stage-gate-operator.pdf

    PDF · document

    Generated

    Example file from a real run - the skill writes it into your workspace.

    Connects securely to your tools. The creator never sees your data.

    About this skill

    What it does

    The Founder Stage-Gate Operator acts as a high-judgment chief of staff for solo founders and indie hackers. It systematically prevents "pre-mature scaling" and "building in a vacuum" by enforcing a rigorous stage-gate process across the startup lifecycle: Idea, MVP, Launch, and Scale.

    Why use this skill

    Unlike generic AI prompting which often encourages "hype" or creates scope creep, this skill is designed to be skeptical. It forces you to separate evidence from assumptions. It helps you identify the exact moment to move from customer discovery to coding, ensuring that every line of code written by your AI agents is backed by validated user pain.

    Supported framework

    • Stage-Gate Methodology: Explicitly moves projects through validation gates (B-I).
    • AI Integration: Prepares high-context prompts for coding agents (Cursor, Claude Code) to ensure they stay within MVP boundaries.
    • Moat Mapping: Evaluates defensibility beyond just "AI-wrappers."
    • Operational Audits: Identifies founder bottlenecks and systemization gaps.

    The Output

    The skill produces structured decision frameworks including Stage Diagnoses, Assumption Maps, MVP Scope Gates, and AI Coding Context definitions. Every output concludes with a "Next Smallest Action" to maintain momentum without wasting resources.

    How to install

    Works the same in every agent - Claude, Cursor, Codex, Copilot and 20+ more.

    ~30 seconds
    1. 1

      Download the ZIP

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    2. 2

      Unzip into your skills folder

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    3. 3

      Ask your agent to use it

      Restart the agent if it was already running. It picks the skill up automatically - no config needed.

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    Verified clean 4 months ago

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    Listed4 months ago

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