Monday Morning Germination Audit
A scoring diagnostic for quickly assessing germination readiness.
A scoring diagnostic for quickly assessing germination readiness. Score 15 factors across three categories to determine whether to germinate, fix weak gates, stay dormant, or rework the idea.
When to Use Monday Morning Germination Audit
Weekly or monthly check-in when considering launching a startup, product, or initiative. Quick diagnostic for germination readiness.
How to Apply
Score Environmental Signals (1-5 each)
Rate: Specific environmental shift identified, Shift is recent and accelerating, Evidence of shift exists, Timing is early-to-middle of wave, Shift appears durable.
Questions to Ask
- Specific environmental shift identified?
- Shift is recent (12-24 months) and accelerating?
- Evidence of shift (competitors, behavior change)?
- Timing is early-to-middle of wave?
- Shift appears durable (not a fad)?
Outputs
- Environmental signals score (5-25)
Score Reserve Assessment (1-5 each)
Rate: 18-24 months runway, Staged realistic milestones, Reserves focused on validation, Backup plan exists, Comfortable with burn rate.
Questions to Ask
- 18-24 months runway to meaningful milestone?
- Milestones are staged and realistic?
- Reserves focused on validation, not infrastructure?
- Backup plan exists if validation fails?
- Comfortable burning reserves at this rate?
Outputs
- Reserve assessment score (5-25)
Score Dormancy Exit Readiness (1-5 each)
Rate: Deep domain understanding, Know why previous attempts failed, Have critical skills, Core insight is clear, Unfair advantage identified.
Questions to Ask
- Deep domain understanding from experience?
- Know why previous attempts failed?
- Have critical skills to build V1?
- Core insight is clear and defensible?
- Unfair advantage identified?
Outputs
- Readiness score (5-25)
Calculate Total and Interpret
Sum all scores. 13-15 per section (39-45 total): Germinate now. 10-12 per section (30-38 total): One gate weak, fix before germinating. 7-9 per section (21-29 total): Multiple gates weak, stay dormant. <7 per section (<21 total): Seed not viable, rework needed.
Outputs
- Total score
- Germination recommendation