Axis catalog
The 7 assessment axes.
The free 7-axis protocol covers the seven dimensions that most commonly distinguish ideas that succeed from ideas that fail at the first customer call. Each axis requires a minimum signal set before it can be scored. Click any axis to see the full signal spec.
Problem hypothesis
Confirm the pain is real and held by specific people.
Required signals
user_quote ×3 (verbatim, URL, date, speaker role) · counterfactual_quote ×1 (someone for whom the pain is NOT acute, with explanation)
Beachhead market
Identify the smallest market you can win completely.
Required signals
icp_definition ×1 (named segment) · named_prospect ×3 (org + URL) · acv_estimate ×1 (with comparable-pricing citation)
Existing solutions
Map the competitive landscape with real pricing and real dissatisfaction.
Required signals
named_competitor ×5 (URL required) · dissatisfaction_quote ×3 (per-competitor) · pricing_row ×3 (comparable pricing table)
Wedge
Define the single entry vector that incumbents cannot quickly copy.
Required signals
wedge_statement ×1 (3-sentence max) · anti_wedge ×1 (why incumbents haven't done this — specific reason required) · replication_estimate ×1 (time-to-copy estimate)
Distribution
Name one channel and prove the unit economics of acquiring through it.
Required signals
channel_choice ×1 (specific, not "content marketing") · cac_benchmark ×1 (comparable cost data, cited) · founder_channel_fit ×1 (why this founder in this channel)
Unit economics
Confirm the business has a path to positive margin before the runway ends.
Required signals
cac ×1 (with sourcing) · ltv ×1 (with churn assumption) · gross_margin ×1 · breakeven_customers ×1
Founder fit
Confirm the founder has earned the right to win this specific market.
Required signals
domain_years ×1 (specifics, not "I've always been interested in X") · unfair_advantage ×1 (structural, not motivational) · shipped_artifact ×1 (public link to prior work)
Why disconfirming signals are required
Every axis demands a counter-signal before it parameterizes the corpus query.
You cannot score problem hypothesis without one counterfactual quote from someone for whom the pain is not acute.
You cannot score existing solutions without naming five competitors — most founders name zero or one.
You cannot score wedge without explaining why incumbents haven't done this — and the answer must be a specific reason, not "because they're slow."
This is the structural rebuke to sycophancy. The protocol forces the agent to find evidence against the idea before scoring it.