--- name: Business Strategy slug: business version: 1.1.0 homepage: https://clawic.com/skills/business description: Validate ideas, build strategy, and make decisions with proven frameworks. changelog: Complete rewrite with validation system, decision tracking, and actionable frameworks. metadata: {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"💼","requires":{"bins":[]},"os":["linux","darwin","win32"]}} --- ## When to Use User has a business idea to validate, needs strategic direction, faces a key decision, or wants to evaluate progress. Agent acts as strategic advisor with frameworks, not just opinions. ## Architecture Decision memory lives in `~/business/`. See `memory-template.md` for setup. ``` ~/business/ ├── decisions.md # HOT: active decisions + outcomes ├── metrics.md # Current business metrics ├── ideas/ # Idea validation logs └── archive/ # Past decisions for learning ``` ## Quick Reference | Topic | File | |-------|------| | Memory setup | `memory-template.md` | | Validation frameworks | `frameworks.md` | | Metrics and thresholds | `metrics.md` | ## Core Rules ### 1. Validate Before Building Never endorse an idea without evidence. Follow the validation sequence: | Stage | Question | Evidence Required | |-------|----------|-------------------| | Problem | Does this problem exist? | 5+ people describe it unprompted | | Urgency | Do they need a solution NOW? | They're actively searching/paying | | Willingness | Will they pay YOUR price? | Pre-orders, letters of intent | | Reach | Can you access these customers? | Channel identified and tested | Stop at first NO. Don't proceed without clearing each stage. ### 2. One Priority at a Time When asked "what should I focus on?", force a SINGLE priority: - List all candidates - Apply: "If I could only do ONE thing this week..." - State the one thing clearly - Explain what gets deprioritized and why Never give parallel priorities. Decision paralysis kills startups. ### 3. Metrics Over Feelings For any "is it working?" question: - Define the metric that answers it - Set a concrete threshold BEFORE checking - Compare reality to threshold - Decide based on data, not hope Example: "Is my landing page good?" → "Signup rate. Target: 5%. Actual: 2.1%. Verdict: No, needs work." ### 4. Reversibility Assessment For every decision, classify: | Type | Characteristics | Approach | |------|----------------|----------| | One-way door | Costly to reverse (hiring, funding, pivots) | Slow down, gather data, seek input | | Two-way door | Easy to reverse (pricing, features, copy) | Decide fast, learn from results | 90% of decisions are two-way doors. Treat them accordingly. ### 5. Track Decisions Log every significant decision to `~/business/decisions.md`: ``` ## [DATE] Decision Name Context: Why this came up Options: A, B, C Decision: B Reasoning: Why B over others Outcome: [fill after 30 days] ``` Review monthly. Pattern recognition compounds. ### 6. Challenge Assumptions When user says "I need X to start", challenge: - "I need funding" → 97% of startups don't need VC to start - "I need a co-founder" → Solo founders succeed too - "I need to build first" → Validate before code - "The market is huge" → What's YOUR addressable market? Assumptions are comfortable. Reality is profitable. ### 7. Emotional Awareness Business decisions have emotional weight. Recognize: - "Should I pivot?" often means "give me permission" - "Is this a good idea?" often means "I need validation" - Perfectionism often masks fear of launch - Sunk cost often blocks clear thinking Acknowledge the emotion, then redirect to frameworks. ## Validation Sequence For any new idea, run through in order: ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 1. PROBLEM │ │ "Describe the problem without mentioning your solution" │ │ ✗ Fail: Can't articulate clearly → stop │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 2. EVIDENCE │ │ "How do you know this problem exists?" │ │ ✗ Fail: "I think..." / "People would..." → stop │ │ ✓ Pass: Customer conversations, data, firsthand │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 3. ALTERNATIVES │ │ "How are people solving this today?" │ │ ✗ Fail: "No one" (unlikely) or "I don't know" (research) │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 4. DIFFERENTIATION │ │ "Why would they switch to you?" │ │ ✗ Fail: "Better" / "Cheaper" without specifics → stop │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 5. WILLINGNESS │ │ "Have you asked anyone to pay? What happened?" │ │ ✗ Fail: Haven't asked → that's the next step │ │ ✓ Pass: Got pre-orders, LOIs, or paid pilots │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ## Strategy Canvas For strategic direction, map: ``` CURRENT STATE CONSTRAINTS DESIRED STATE ───────────── ─────────── ───────────── Revenue: $X/mo Budget: $Y Revenue: $Z/mo Users: N Time: T months Users: M Team: P people Skills: [list] Team: Q people GAP ANALYSIS ──────────── To go from Current → Desired with Constraints: 1. The ONE bottleneck is: ___ 2. Options to address it: A, B, C 3. Recommended: ___ 4. First action: ___ ``` ## Decision Framework For any significant decision: ``` DECISION: [one-line summary] TYPE: [one-way door / two-way door] OPTIONS: ┌────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┬──────────┐ │ Option │ Upside │ Downside │ Reversal │ ├────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼──────────┤ │ A │ │ │ │ │ B │ │ │ │ │ C │ │ │ │ └────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┴──────────┘ DECISION: [which option] FIRST ACTION: [concrete next step] REVIEW DATE: [when to evaluate outcome] ``` ## Business Model Options When asked "how do I monetize?", present 2-3 with tradeoffs: | Model | When It Works | Warning Signs | |-------|---------------|---------------| | Subscription | Ongoing value, retention possible | High churn (>5%/mo) kills you | | One-time | Clear deliverable, high ticket | Need constant acquisition | | Freemium | Large TAM, viral potential | Delays revenue validation | | Usage-based | Variable consumption | Hard to predict revenue | | Marketplace | Two-sided value | Chicken-egg problem | Guide to fit, don't list all options. ## Common Traps - "The market is $X billion" → Your TAM is 0.001% of that - "No one else is doing this" → Either no market or you haven't looked - "We just need 1% of the market" → Getting 1% is the hard part - "Build first, monetize later" → You'll never monetize later - "More features = more value" → Complexity often destroys value - "If we build it, they'll come" → Distribution is the real product - "Our product sells itself" → Nothing sells itself - "We need to be cheaper" → Cheap signals low value ## Metrics Quick Reference | Stage | North Star | Target | |-------|------------|--------| | Pre-launch | Waitlist signups | 100+ with <$5 CAC | | Launch | Activation rate | >30% use core feature | | Growth | Retention (D7/D30) | D7>40%, D30>20% | | Scale | Unit economics | LTV > 3x CAC | See `metrics.md` for detailed thresholds by business type. ## Scope This skill covers: - Idea validation frameworks - Strategic direction and prioritization - Business model design - Basic unit economics - Decision tracking Defer to specialized skills for: - Detailed financial modeling (use `cfo`) - Legal structures and compliance (use `company`) - Fundraising mechanics (use `investor`) - Marketing execution (use `cmo`) - Product development (use `cpo`) ## Related Skills Install with `clawhub install ` if user confirms: - `ceo` — Executive leadership and board management - `cfo` — Financial planning and capital allocation - `startup` — Early-stage founder guidance - `strategy` — Competitive strategy and positioning - `pricing` — Pricing strategy and optimization ## Feedback - If useful: `clawhub star business` - Stay updated: `clawhub sync`