Startup Compass
Startup Compass · for founders and young teams
From an idea to a business that lasts.
The road there runs through several stages, and each one turns on a different question. We walk it with you, ask the questions that matter right now, and stay by your side.
What we support during the founding phase
Turning an idea into something that lasts
In the early days and while you grow, a lot lands on your plate at once. We look with you at the four areas of your business and help you bring order to it and stay focused on what matters most right now.
Scalability & value
Find the one metric that shows your model holds up with every step. And the customers who value your offer the most.
Market & CustomerProcesses that hold
Make your key processes repeatable and clear, so quality stays stable as you grow.
Structure & FutureFocus & delegation
See what keeps you stuck in day-to-day work, and how to hand it off without losing control.
People & TeamBusiness case & funding
Set up revenue, cash flow and funding needs realistically, so they hold and convince investors.
Numbers & SteeringThe check-up follows your phase
Where you stand right now decides what we look at. Early on it is about understanding the problem and the market. Later it is numbers, positioning and funding. As you grow it is about sharing tasks and responsibility cleanly. We start exactly where you are.
The journey at a glance
The topics of founding, stage by stage
A startup rarely moves in a straight line. Each stage brings its own topics and one question that shows whether you move on or need another loop.
Phase 1
Understand
Before you build: is the problem real, and is your solution truly better?
A
Orientation
MotivationUnderstand the problemUnderstand customers
Questions
- Which problem do we solve?
- Who later decides on the purchase?
B
Validation
Use caseMVP / PrototypeBeta testers
Questions
- Is our solution really better?
Phase 2
Make it viable
Does it add up, is the positioning sharp, and does the market hold?
C
Viability
Business modelBusiness casePrice validation
Questions
- Can the business work sustainably?
D
Positioning
ICPCustomer valuePersonasDifferentiation
Questions
- Why should customers choose us?
E
Market validation
First customersSalesReferencesPrepare funding
Questions
- Is the evidence enough for funding?
Along the way
Loops are part of it
No clear demand yet? Back to the customer conversations. Price not convincing yet? Back to the business case. This happens in almost every startup, and that is why it helps to have someone alongside who thinks with you.
Phase 3
Found & start
Found at the right time, start cleanly, and keep your first customers.
F
Founding decision & founding
Founding decisionLegal formContracts
Questions
- Is now the right time?
G
Market launch
First customersDeliver reliably
Questions
- What needs to be stable before growth?
Phase 4
Grow
Turn first wins into repeatable, sustainable growth.
H
Development & review
SalesProcessesTeamLeadershipKPIsMarketingReview
Questions
- Where is the biggest bottleneck?
So how do we tackle this together?
The starting point is our check-up: two days in which we look at your stage together and sort out the next steps. You can see how the two days run on the check-up page.
See how the two days run →Supporting membership
You become part of Kompetenz Kompass e.V. and gain access to the network, to knowledge and to people who have walked these stages before.
Companion
A steady anchor at your side who accompanies you across the stages and helps you keep at the right questions.
What a founder who has been through it says
Conversations at eye level, honest pushback and the follow-up questions we needed helped us see what really matters, so that a vision turns into a business that lasts.
Where are you right now on the journey?
Tell me where you stand. We talk at eye level, founder to founder.
„I look forward to walking part of this road with you. So that your idea becomes a business that lasts."
Christian
Chairman & founder · Verein Kompetenz Kompass