Free assessment
How well governed is your company, really?
Most founders know they need outside judgement. Far fewer can say which instrument they need, whether the one they have is working, or what they'd show an investor who asked. The Governance Readiness Diagnostic answers all three in about twenty-five minutes.
Four steps
Learn
Three short lessons: the three ways to bring outside judgement in, the legal baseline a board must meet, and what good looks like in mature markets.
Knowledge check
Eight questions. Score 70% or more to unlock the diagnostic. Retake it as often as you like — the point is shared definitions, not a grade.
Diagnose
Tell us which governance tracks you run today, answer the questions specific to those tracks, then self-rate six dimensions against a visible rubric.
Report
A composite score, a maturity band, a chart of all six dimensions, and next steps ordered by where you are weakest.
Six dimensions
You rate each one from 1 to 5 with the rubric for every level visible as you go — no guessing what a “4” is supposed to mean. Your composite score is the average of the six.
Structure & formality
How formally constituted is the outside judgement you rely on?
Selection rationale & fit
How deliberately were these people chosen?
Engagement cadence
How reliably does the rhythm actually happen?
Accountability & oversight
To what extent can this body actually hold management to account?
Demonstrated value & impact
Has outside judgement changed decisions in the past year?
Documentation & hygiene
Could you evidence how decisions were made if asked tomorrow?
Four maturity bands
- Ad hoc1.00–2.00Outside judgement is incidental. Decisions rest entirely on the founding team.
- Emerging2.00–3.00The instinct is right and something exists — but it is informal, uneven and hard to evidence.
- Structured3.00–4.00A real governance rhythm is in place. The remaining work is depth, independence and follow-through.
- Institutionalized4.00–5.00Governance is designed, documented and consequential. Focus shifts to renewal and evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does the diagnostic take?
- About twenty-five minutes end to end: three short lessons, an eight-question knowledge check, and a survey about your own company. You can leave and come back — progress is saved as you go.
- Why is there a quiz before the survey?
- Because self-assessment is only useful if everyone is scoring against the same definitions. The lessons set out what an adviser, an advisory board and a board of directors each actually are; the quiz confirms the definitions landed before you rate yourself against them.
- Who sees my score?
- You do. If you joined through an accelerator or investor cohort using an invite code, that cohort's admin can also see your company's completion status and score — nothing else, and never your free-text notes on other companies.
- Is a low score a problem?
- No. Most early-stage companies land in Ad hoc or Emerging, and that is entirely appropriate for their stage. The point is to see the gap clearly and to fix the cheapest things first.
- Do I need an invite code?
- Only if you are part of a cohort. Anyone can complete the diagnostic for their own company without one.