--- name: startup-analysis description: > Analyze a startup from three perspectives: VC investor, job applicant, and CEO/founder. Use this skill whenever the user wants to evaluate a startup, assess whether to invest in or join a startup, do due diligence, evaluate a job offer from a startup, understand a startup's competitive position, or assess company health and trajectory. Triggers: "analyze this startup", "should I join [company]", "is [company] a good investment", "evaluate [company]", "due diligence on [company]", "what do you think of [startup]", "should I take this startup job offer", "how healthy is [company]", "startup assessment", "company analysis", "is [company] worth joining", "what's the outlook for [company]", "research [company] for me", any mention of evaluating or assessing a startup or tech company from investment, career, or strategic perspectives — provide all three perspectives by default. --- # Startup Analysis Produces a multi-perspective analysis of a startup, examining it through three lenses that each reveal different aspects of company health and potential: 1. **VC Investor Lens** — Is this a good investment? Market size, unit economics, growth trajectory, team quality, defensibility 2. **Job Applicant Lens** — Should I work here? Equity value, runway risk, culture signals, career growth, compensation fairness 3. **CEO/Founder Lens** — How healthy is this company? Product-market fit, burn efficiency, competitive moat, organizational health Each perspective surfaces insights the others miss. A company can be a great investment but a terrible place to work (or vice versa). The goal is to give the user a 360-degree view so they can make informed decisions. --- ## Step 1: Gather Information Before analyzing, collect as much public information as possible about the startup. Use web search, the company's website, Crunchbase data, press coverage, and any other available sources. **Key data to gather:** | Category | What to find | |----------|-------------| | **Basics** | Founded year, HQ location, employee count, what the product does | | **Funding** | Total raised, last round (size, date, valuation if known), key investors | | **Product** | What they sell, who buys it, pricing model, key competitors | | **Traction** | Users, revenue (if public), growth signals, notable customers | | **Team** | Founders' backgrounds, key hires, LinkedIn headcount trends | | **Market** | Industry, market size estimates, tailwinds/headwinds | | **News** | Recent press, product launches, partnerships, layoffs, pivots | If certain data isn't publicly available (e.g., revenue for private companies), note the gap and infer what you can from indirect signals (hiring pace, customer logos, web traffic proxies, job postings). ### When information is insufficient Many startups — especially early-stage or niche ones — have limited public presence. If web search does not return enough information to produce a meaningful analysis (e.g., you can't determine what the company does, who founded it, or how it's funded), **ask the user to provide the company's website URL** before proceeding. The company website is often the single most information-dense source, and reading it directly (about page, pricing page, team page, blog) can fill most gaps. You can also ask the user for: - The company's website or landing page URL - A Crunchbase, LinkedIn, or PitchBook link - Any pitch deck, job listing, or press article they have - Specific context they already know (e.g., "they just raised a Series A from Sequoia") It is better to ask for a URL and produce an accurate analysis than to guess and produce a misleading one. --- ## Step 2: Determine Which Perspectives to Cover By default, produce all three perspectives. If the user specifies a particular angle (e.g., "I'm considering joining them" or "should I invest"), emphasize that perspective but still include the others as context — they often reveal relevant information. | User's situation | Primary perspective | Still include | |-----------------|-------------------|---------------| | Considering investing | VC Investor | Job Applicant (talent signal), CEO (operational health) | | Considering a job offer | Job Applicant | VC Investor (funding runway), CEO (strategic direction) | | Running the company / advisory | CEO/Founder | VC Investor (how investors see you), Job Applicant (talent attractiveness) | | General curiosity / research | All equally | — | --- ## Step 3: Analyze from Each Perspective Read the relevant reference files for the detailed framework for each perspective. These contain the specific criteria, metrics, and red/green flags to evaluate. ### VC Investor Analysis Read `references/vc-framework.md` for the full evaluation framework. Core areas to assess: - **Market opportunity** — TAM/SAM/SOM, market timing, secular trends - **Product & traction** — Product-market fit signals, growth metrics, retention - **Unit economics** — CAC, LTV, margins, burn multiple, path to profitability - **Team** — Founder-market fit, technical depth, hiring ability - **Defensibility** — Moats (network effects, switching costs, data, brand, regulatory) - **Deal terms context** — Stage-appropriate valuation, comparable exits Produce a clear **Investment Thesis** (bull case) and **Key Risks** (bear case). End with a verdict: Strong Pass / Lean Pass / Lean Invest / Strong Invest, with reasoning. ### Job Applicant Analysis Read `references/job-applicant-framework.md` for the full evaluation framework. Core areas to assess: - **Financial stability** — Runway, burn rate, funding trajectory, revenue health - **Equity value** — Option/equity package analysis, dilution risk, liquidation preferences, realistic exit scenarios - **Career growth** — Role scope, learning opportunity, resume value, mentorship - **Culture & work-life** — Glassdoor signals, employee tenure data, leadership style - **Product & market risk** — Is PMF real? What happens if the startup fails? - **Red flags** — High turnover, constant pivots, vague metrics, founders cashing out Produce a clear **Why Join** (pros) and **Watch Out For** (risks). End with a verdict: Strong Pass / Lean Pass / Lean Join / Strong Join, with reasoning. ### CEO/Founder Analysis Read `references/ceo-framework.md` for the full evaluation framework. Core areas to assess: - **Product-market fit** — Retention curves, organic growth, Sean Ellis test proxy - **Growth efficiency** — Burn multiple, CAC payback, magic number - **Competitive position** — Moat strength, competitive dynamics, market share trajectory - **Organizational health** — Hiring pipeline, attrition, team capability gaps - **Fundraising readiness** — Metrics vs. benchmarks for next round, investor narrative - **Strategic risks** — Platform dependency, customer concentration, regulatory exposure Produce a clear **Strengths to Double Down On** and **Urgent Areas to Address**. End with a health grade: Critical / Struggling / Stable / Strong / Exceptional, with reasoning. --- ## Step 4: Synthesize Cross-Perspective Insights After the three analyses, add a synthesis section that highlights: 1. **Where perspectives agree** — If all three lenses flag the same strength or weakness, it's probably real 2. **Where perspectives diverge** — A company can be VC-attractive (huge market) but employee-risky (high burn, low runway). Call these out. 3. **The bottom line** — One paragraph summary: what kind of company is this, what's its most likely trajectory, and what should the user do based on their stated (or implied) situation --- ## Step 5: Present the Report Structure the output as a clean, scannable report: ``` # [Company Name] — Startup Analysis ## Summary [2-3 sentence overview with key verdict] ## VC Investor Perspective ### Market Opportunity ### Product & Traction ### Unit Economics (if available) ### Team ### Defensibility ### Investment Verdict: [Strong Pass / Lean Pass / Lean Invest / Strong Invest] [Reasoning] ## Job Applicant Perspective ### Financial Stability ### Equity Value Assessment ### Career Growth Potential ### Culture & Work-Life Signals ### Risk Factors ### Employment Verdict: [Strong Pass / Lean Pass / Lean Join / Strong Join] [Reasoning] ## CEO/Founder Perspective ### Product-Market Fit Assessment ### Growth Efficiency ### Competitive Position ### Organizational Health ### Strategic Risks ### Health Grade: [Critical / Struggling / Stable / Strong / Exceptional] [Reasoning] ## Cross-Perspective Synthesis ### Points of Agreement ### Points of Divergence ### Bottom Line ``` Adapt section depth to available data — if financials are completely opaque, say so and focus on what's observable. Don't fabricate metrics, but do make informed inferences and state your confidence level. --- ## Reference Files - `references/vc-framework.md` — VC due diligence checklist with metrics, benchmarks, and red/green flags - `references/job-applicant-framework.md` — Job seeker evaluation framework with equity analysis and culture assessment - `references/ceo-framework.md` — CEO self-assessment framework with operational metrics and strategic analysis Read these when you need the detailed criteria and benchmarks for each perspective.