We built Compass: a 10-min founder diagnostic + weekly AI coach (free). Here’s why, how, and what’s next.
Hey IH — I’m Jason from Prepare 4 VC. After nine years running founder programs and advisory, we kept seeing the same pattern:
Founders don’t lack advice. They lack a simple operating rhythm.
Tools pile up; momentum doesn’t.
Everyone asks, “Where am I, what should I do next week, and how do I keep that going?”
So we built Compass.
What it is (in plain English)
A 10–12 min diagnostic (“Chart My Course”) that gives you a baseline across five signals:
Progress, Signal, Self-Efficacy, Execution, Market AwarenessA Momentum State: Hesitant Dreamer / Active Seeker / Prime Opportunist
A weekly Reflections loop: quick check-in → AI summary → 2–3 specific next steps + resources
Free to start. Then optional layers if you want more handholding:
Navigator ($49/mo) — monthly review + curated updates
Co-Pilot (advisory) — bi-weekly 1:1 sprints
Mission Control (execution) — fixed-scope deliverables like investor packs or GTM playbooks
Why we built it (the pain we felt)
Running cohorts, we saw high-effort plans die in week 3 because there wasn’t a lightweight weekly cadence that stuck. Founders bounced between docs, CRMs, and pitch feedback… no single place turning that into a tight action loop. We wanted something a solo founder could do in 10 minutes that actually changes their next 7 days.
How it works under the hood (for the curious)
Stack: React front-end (Lovable), Supabase (Auth/Postgres/Storage), Resend (email), OpenAI (Edge Functions).
Scoring: Hybrid rubric → deterministic base score with ±5 AI adjustment (with justification). We did this to keep numbers stable/transparent but still leverage nuance from free-text answers.
Privacy: We don’t sell data or train models on founder inputs. Delete/export anytime.
Early traction (tiny but real)
Soft launch to our network
First few weeks: 25 assessments, 3 weekly reflections
What’s working
Short diagnostic → founders actually finish it
The weekly reflection feels “light enough” to repeat
Mentor/library recommendations after the summary are getting clicked
What’s not (yet)
“Active Seeker” vs “Prime Opportunist” boundary is still too fuzzy
Founders want to see an example report before committing (we’re adding a sample)
Roadmap (next 30–60 days)
Refine scoring thresholds & transparency panel (“why these numbers”)
“See a sample report” + read-only demo account
Partner pilots (2 accelerators / innovation programs) with co-branded portals
Basic API/webhooks so cohorts can pull results into their own dashboards
What I’d love feedback on from IH
Would you actually use a 10-min weekly reflection if the output was actionable? What would make it a no-brainer?
Scoring transparency: prefer all-deterministic, or are you okay with the hybrid (+/-5) if we show our rubric?
Upgrade path: for solo hackers, would $49/mo for Navigator be worth it if it included a monthly 15-min review + curated intros/resources?
Try it (free) & break it
Start here: https://compass.prepare4vc.com
If you want to lurk first, DM me and I’ll share a read-only demo and a sample report.
If you’re running a small community/accelerator and want to test Compass with your founders, I’ll set up a 4-week pilot and share the results back with IH.
Happy to answer anything candidly—product, pricing, stack, or the messy parts of building this.
— Jason (Prepare 4 VC)
