Company intelligence for early-stage businesses
See where your company really stands.
Something is not working, but it is not always obvious what. The 5 Signals™ helps separate symptoms from causes across Vision, Value, System, Market, and Momentum.
No live call required. Complete the assessment on your own time.
A clearer vantage point on the company.
Fellstead is built around one idea: better decisions begin with a better view.
Growth has stalled.
Revenue is growing, but profit is not.
Pipeline exists, but deals are not closing.
Customers are coming in, but retention is weak.
The team is busy, but progress is not accelerating.
The 5 Signals™
A compact view of the five diagnostic lenses. Each signal is grouped into a small number of themes for fast scanning; open any section to see the full underlying coverage.
Five lenses create one structured view of the company — what is clear, what is weak, what contradicts, and what needs validation next.
Vision
Direction, intent, choices, assumptions, and end-state logic.
Direction: 6 areas
Strategy: 7 areas
Assumptions: 4 areas
Execution Logic: 5 areas
Value
Direction, intent, choices, assumptions, and end-state logic.
Customer: 8 areas
Proposition: 6 areas
Adoption: 7 areas
Economics: 6 areas
System
Economics, team, operating model, product, execution, governance, and risk.
Economics: 15 areas
Organization: 14 areas
Product & Ops: 15 areas
Execution & Risk: 14 areas
Market
Category, ICP, buying behavior, competition, channels, and timing.
Market Structure: 8 areas
Customer Segment: 7 areas
Competition: 6 areas
Environment: 8 areas
Momentum
Traction, growth, velocity, execution progress, and quality of evidence.
Traction: 15 areas
Demand & Sales: 10 areas
Velocity: 10 areas
Progress & Trends: 15 areas
Direction
Purpose, Founder Intent, Mission, Long-Term Direction, Ambition, Definition of Success
Strategic Thesis
Strategic Thesis, Opportunity Definition, Strategic Objectives, Strategic Priorities, Strategic Choices, Strategic Trade-offs
Positioning & Timing
Positioning Intent, Narrative, Timing Thesis
Assumptions & Constraints
Core Assumptions, Strategic Constraints, Non-Goals, Scope Boundaries
Coherence
Strategic Coherence, Focus, Sequencing
End-State Logic
Time Horizon, End-State Logic
Customer & Job
Customer Problem, Customer Need, Jobs to Be Done, Use Cases, Target User, Economic Buyer, Decision Maker, Beneficiary
Value Proposition
Value Proposition, Customer Outcome, Product Promise, Differentiation, Alternative Solutions, Substitutes
Commercial Logic
Switching Costs, Willingness to Pay, Pricing Logic, Product-Market Fit Hypothesis
Product Relevance
Product Relevance, Product Quality, Usability, Time to Value
Adoption & Trust
Adoption Friction, Proof of Value, Trust, Customer Experience, Perceived Risk
Value Capture
Value Capture, Retention Logic, Expansion Logic
Business Model & Economics
Business Model, Revenue Streams, Cost Structure, Unit Economics, Gross Margin, Contribution Margin, Customer Acquisition Cost, Lifetime Value, Payback Period, Capital Efficiency, Burn Rate, Runway, Cash Management, Financial Planning, Funding Requirements, Scalability of Economics
Leadership & Organization
Founders, Founder-Market Fit, Leadership Team, Skills, Capability Gaps, Roles & Responsibilities, Organizational Structure, Decision Rights, Governance, Accountability, Incentives, Culture, Hiring, Resource Allocation
Product & Technology
Product Development, Technology, Technical Architecture, Infrastructure, Data, Intellectual Property
Operations & Delivery
Operations, Delivery, Supply Chain, Customer Onboarding, Customer Success, Customer Support, Quality Control
Execution
Sales Execution, Marketing Execution, Distribution Execution, Partnership Execution, Processes, Process Repeatability, Process Maturity, Metrics Infrastructure
Risk & Resilience
Security, Compliance, Legal Structure, Risk Management, Dependency Risk, Key-Person Risk, Operational Resilience, Scalability, Adaptability, Execution Capability
Definition & Size
Market Definition, Category, Market Size, TAM, SAM, SOM, Market Growth Rate, Market Structure, Market Maturity
Segmentation & ICP
Segmentation, Ideal Customer Profile, Beachhead Segment, Customer Concentration
Buying Behavior
Buyer Behavior, Buying Process, Budget Ownership, Demand Drivers, Demand Timing, Purchase Frequency, Sales Cycle Context
Competition
Competitive Landscape, Direct Competitors, Indirect Competitors, Substitutes, Competitive Intensity
Channels & Ecosystem
Channel Environment, Channel Power, Distribution Access, Ecosystem, Platform Dependencies, Partner Landscape, Procurement Patterns
Environment & Timing
Regulatory Context, Geographic Constraints, Localization Requirements, Macro Trends, Technology Trends, Behavioral Trends, Timing Window
Traction & Retention
Traction, Revenue, Recurring Revenue, Revenue Growth, Customer Growth, Customer Acquisition, Activation, Usage, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, Churn, Expansion, Net Revenue Retention, Repeat Purchase, Customer Lifetime Development
Pipeline & Demand
Pipeline, Pipeline Growth, Conversion, Win Rate, Sales Velocity, Deal Size Development, Organic Demand, Inbound Demand, Referrals, Customer References, Brand Pull, Market Pull
Product & Learning Velocity
Product Velocity, Release Cadence, Experiment Velocity, Learning Velocity, Iteration Speed, Delivery Velocity
Execution Progress
Milestone Progress, Partnership Progress, Hiring Progress, Fundraising Progress, Investor Interest, Capital Raised
Trend Quality
Efficiency Trend, Unit Economics Trend, Margin Trend, Retention Trend, Growth Quality, Growth Consistency, Acceleration, Deceleration
Evidence & Forecast
Evidence Strength, Assumption Validation, Execution Progress, Forecast vs. Actual
Concept: overview first, detail on demand.
Fellstead · The 5 Signals™
Growth slows, conversion drops, margins compress, execution gets noisy, or fundraising feels harder than expected.
The real issue may lie elsewhere entirely — in value, market, economics, team, strategy, or evidence.
The diagnostic creates one structured view of what is known, what is assumed, what contradicts, and what needs validation next.
No mandatory call.
Start Diagnostic → Checkout → Questionnaire → Review → Written Diagnostic
You provide structured answers and any useful materials you already have. We review the company through the five signals and return a written diagnostic.
Step 01
Answer structured questions about the company, customers, market, business model, team, economics, and progress.
Step 02
Optionally upload documents that already exist — such as a deck, KPI snapshot, financial summary, product materials, or customer research.
Step 03
We review the evidence, identify contradictions and gaps across the five signals, and send the completed report by email.
Typical questionnaire time
Upload only what already exists
No live call required
A few clarifying questions by email
Use information you already have. If a question does not apply, say so. If you do not know the answer, “Unknown” is a valid answer. Supporting files are optional unless a specific point materially depends on them.
The output is not a generic startup score or a checklist. It is a structured review that distinguishes founder statements, documented evidence, observable metrics, assumptions, and unknowns.
Illustrative overview
Example presentation only.
Vision
Value
System
Market
Momentum
A concise read on where the company stands today.
A structured assessment across Vision, Value, Market, System, and Momentum.
What appears coherent, supported, or working.
Where assumptions, evidence, or execution do not line up.
Where one part of the company undermines another.
What deserves attention before lower-value work.
What still needs to be tested or clarified.
Where confidence is strong, weak, contradictory, or missing.
The diagnostic is designed for early-stage founders who need a structured baseline before making the next important decision.
Pressure-test the company before entering investor conversations.
Separate symptoms from the underlying problem.
Check whether the operating foundation supports more growth.
Create a clean baseline before changing direction.
Founding diagnostic
A structured assessment of your company across Vision, Value, System, Market, and Momentum — including a review of your responses and supporting materials, cross-signal analysis, and a written diagnostic report with key findings, contradictions, risks, and priorities.
No live call is required.
Founding price for early clients. Pricing may change as the offering evolves.
A clearer view changes the next decision.
Complete the assessment, add any useful materials you already have, and receive a structured diagnostic across the five signals.
© 2026 Fellstead
The 5 Signals™ is a proprietary framework developed by Vitaly Solten