Pre-Diligence Lab — Judge Tool

Risk Topography

A first glance feedback map through an investor lens

Home Pre-Diligence Memos Risk Topography

Session Details

A Note on This Tool This is not an evaluation. It is a first glance feedback map of what an eye notices through an investor lens — which pieces of the story came through clearly, which were blurry, and which were not yet visible in the deck, pitch, or first conversation.

Incomplete information is expected at pre-seed and seed stage. This reflection focuses on story alignment with storytelling goals, not a verdict on the venture.
Progress 0 of 24 Scored
Legend: Nascent — not yet visible Forming — partially visible Formed — clearly visible

Problem Pillar

6 Pieces

Problem Anatomy

Understanding of pain points, root drivers, and downstream impact

Severity & Frequency

Quantifying pain in units of time, money, or consequence

Pain Portability

How the pain manifests permanently, temporarily, or situationally across contexts

Value Creation vs. Capture

How alleviated pain translates to revenue — and for whom

Competitive Landscape

Existing market products that address the same problem — and how this differs

Founder Ambition & Problem Scope

Alignment between problem size, funding goals, and investor return expectations

Character Pillar

6 Pieces

Who Is This Built For

User definition — behaviors, context, unmet need, and who is not the user

Who Should Care & Why

Other stakeholders — those who help or hinder adoption and implementation

User / Payer / Buyer

Clarity on revenue relationships — who uses, who pays, and who decides

How People Cope Today

Current workarounds and what they reveal about the depth of the problem

Potential Acquirers

Strategic fit for acquisition — precedent, motivation, and logical buyers

Investor Alignment Combination Lock (Optional)

Visible signals that this venture aligns with investor thesis, stage, and sector focus

Setting Pillar

6 Pieces

Last Mile Friction

Whether the solution is accessible when and where the user actually needs it

Infrastructure Fit

Whether the required infrastructure exists — or must be built — for this to work

Rules, Regulations & Processes

Legal, compliance, or process dependencies that could accelerate or block deployment

Cultural & Political Context

Social and political forces that could accelerate adoption or create resistance

Why Now

The timing rationale — what has changed to make this the right moment

Geography & Environment

Solution viability across geographic conditions, climates, and physical contexts

Solution Pillar

6 Pieces

The Moat

Defensibility and competitive barriers — what prevents replication

10x or 10%

Magnitude of improvement and whether switching cost is worth the gain

Repeatability

Scalability and compounding potential — can value compound with each additional user or use?

Go-To-Market

Strategy alignment with current phase, realistic first customers, and how it evolves

Reality vs. Vision

What is proven vs. imagined — and how that ratio reduces or amplifies risk

Is the Product Actually a Solution

Design alignment with real user capabilities, context, and constraints

3 Prioritized Questions for the Founder

Based on this topography, what are the three most important things you'd want the founder to address?

Investor Reflection (Optional)

Based on your overall read of this topography, how would you characterize the signal?

Export This Topography

Use your browser's Save as PDF option to save a clean copy. Nothing on this form is transmitted or stored.

Risk Topography — Pre-Diligence Lab  ·  Not investment advice  ·  No recommendation has been made