Startup diagnostic router. Use FIRST when a founder doesn't know where to start, has multiple overlapping problems, or asks a vague question like 'what's wrong with my startup', 'why aren't people buying', 'what should I focus on', 'where do I even begin', 'nothing is working'. Routes to the right f

Note: This skill is independent analysis and commentary, not a reproduction of any original text. It synthesizes frameworks from multiple books with modern startup practice and routes founders to the right tool for their situation. Diagnose "The dangerous moment is when you apply the right framework to the wrong problem." When to Use This Skill This skill exists because frameworks are tools, not answers. A hammer doesn't help when the problem is a screw. The first job is diagnosis — figuring out what's actually broken before reaching for any specific framework. The Five Failure Modes Every startup problem maps to one of five root causes. Most founders misdiagnose which one they have. Failure Mode What It Looks Like Common Misdiagnosis Product People try it and stop using it "We need better marketing" Market Can't find anyone who cares enough to pay "We need to build more features" Messaging Good product, people don't understand what it does "The product must be wrong" Distribution People would buy it but never hear about it "We need a better website" Pricing People want it but won't pay what you charge "We need more features to justify the price" The Misdiagnosis Problem Founders almost always misdiagnose their problem by one layer. The pattern: The Diagnostic Answer these honestly. Not what you hope is true — what the evidence says. Step 1: Do people want this? Step 2: Can people understand what you do? Step 3: Are the right people finding you? Step 4: Are they buying? Step 5: Is the sales process working? The One Skill Rule Every diagnosis should output: one primary skill, one secondary skill (optional), and one concrete next action the founder can do this week. Do not stack 3 4 frameworks. Framework stacking creates the illusion of thoroughness while reducing usability. A founder drowning in problems doesn't need four life preservers thrown at once — they need one rope and clear instructions. If two skills genuinely both apply, sequence them: "Do X first (skill A). Only after you have results, then apply skill B." Never in parallel. The concrete next action must be something a solo founder can actually do — not "100 outreach attempts per day" but "send 10 DMs to people who posted about this problem on Reddit this week." Precision that sounds good but can't be executed is fake precision. When No Framework Fits Sometimes the answer is: none of these frameworks apply to your situation right now. Signs you should stop using frameworks and just go observe reality: You've been through 3+ frameworks and nothing improved. The problem might not be strategic — it might be execution, team, timing, or market conditions no book anticipated. Your situation is genuinely novel. Frameworks are built from patterns of past companies. If you're doing something with no precedent, the frameworks become educated guesses at best. You're using frameworks to avoid the uncomfortable thing. Usually that's talking to customers, firing someone, admitting the idea doesn't work, or making a decision with incomplete information. The frameworks are contradicting each other and neither side is clearly right. Some tensions are real worldview differences (customer centric vs product centric, niche vs broad). You pick one and commit. No rubric resolves that for you. The meta rule: Frameworks help you think more clearly. They don't think for you. If you scored a 9/10 on a rubric but your gut says something is off, trust the gut and investigate. The rubric caught the easy problems. The hard ones are yours. Quick Reference: Which Skill for What Your Situation Start With Then "Nobody's buying" This diagnostic (figure out WHY) Route to the right skill "I have an idea but haven't talked to anyone" mom test four steps "People like it but won't pay" monetizing innovation 100m offers "Our website doesn't convert" storybrand made to stick "We can't find customers" traction 100m leads "Competitors are eating our lunch" obviously awesome blue ocean strategy "Sales calls go nowhere" spin selling influence "We have early users but can't grow past them" crossing the chasm (only if 10+ paying customers) traction "Should we pivot?" lean startup four steps "Everything feels broken" This diagnostic Then one skill at a time "Customers buy once and disappear" money models 100m offers "Ads work but we can't afford to scale them" money models 100m leads Scope and Limitations What This Diagnostic Does Routes you to the right framework faster than guessing Catches the most common misdiagnosis patterns Tells you when to stop using frameworks entirely What It Doesn't Do It doesn't replace judgment. The diagnostic narrows the options. You still decide. It assumes the 15 available skills cover your problem. Some problems (hiring, fundraising, legal, operations) aren't covered here. It can't diagnose problems you're not honest about. If you skip the hard questions or answer with what you wish were true, the routing breaks. It oversimplifies by design. Real startups have 3 problems at once. This makes you pick one to fix first, which is usually correct but sometimes the problems are entangled and need to be solved together. The Honest Warning A diagnostic that always gives an answer is more dangerous than one that sometimes says "I don't know." If your situation doesn't fit any of the decision paths above, that's a signal — not a bug. Go talk to customers, advisors, or anyone who'll give you an honest read on what's happening. Then come back.