/startup-analysis

name: startup-analysis
description: >
  Analyze a startup from three perspectives — VC investor, job applicant, and
  CEO/founder — covering market, traction, unit economics, team, defensibility,
  runway, equity value, culture, and competitive position, with a verdict for each.
  Use this skill whenever the user wants to evaluate a startup or private tech
  company: due diligence, whether to invest in it or join it, weighing a startup job
  offer, company health, outlook, or competitive position, or open-ended asks such as
  "what do you think of [company]" or "research [company] for me".

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 | — |

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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