Diagnostic
Company 7
A ten-minute company diagnostic: seven stickies, seven scores out of 10, and a clear answer to "where do we look next?"
This is the company-layer sibling of the Human 9. Use it in coaching check-ins, monthly reviews or quarterly planning — anywhere "how's the company?" would otherwise get a vague answer. It trades depth for honesty: seven numbers you'll actually write down beat forty you won't.
Credit: Outstride original
How to run it
- Score each of the seven areas 0–10: business growth, strategy, fundraising & runway, culture, hiring & org structure, founder / C-level performance, management's performance.
- For each score, answer two questions: why that number, and what would move it one point up?
- Circle the lowest one or two areas and go deep there — with the full scorecard below, or the specific tool the area points to.
- Re-run monthly or quarterly and watch the trend, not the absolute numbers.
Founder and management performance are on the board on purpose. Most founders will happily score everything except themselves — and the score they avoid writing down is usually the one doing the most damage.
Go deeper: the full scorecard
When a quick seven isn't enough — quarterly planning, strategy days, board prep, or whenever everything feels on fire at once — expand to the full scorecard. Same rules: score out of 10, ask why, ask what moves it +1, and mark the trend. The score is a conversation opener, not truth; the point is clarity and priorities, not optics.
| Dimension | Score (0–10) | Trend | Notes / next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | |||
| Strategy | |||
| Product / service quality | |||
| Sales / revenue engine | |||
| Team quality | |||
| Culture | |||
| Operating rhythm | |||
| Ownership / accountability | |||
| Cash / runway | |||
| Founder confidence |
The closing question, quick seven or full scorecard: which number, if it moved, would pull the others up? That's where the quarter's attention goes.
Source / credit
Outstride original
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