Where the 414 points sit
The questionnaire has 144 questions: 93 reach everyone, and 51 open only after certain answers. 80 choice questions carry the 414 points; the figures and written answers give the report its context.
| Dimension | Points | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Current State | 40 | Where the company actually stands: technology readiness, ambition and cash. |
| Scalability & Fund Raising | 135 | The round you are raising, the team story behind it, the runway and the use of funds. |
| Road to Revenue | 113 | Pricing, channels and unit economics, and whether they repeat. |
| Competitive Landscape | 126 | The market, the competitors and a customer you can describe with evidence. |
The four dimensions do not weigh the same: fundraising readiness carries a third of the points.
From points to a level
Five levels cover fixed ranges of the same 414 points. Levels come from your points, not from the percentage, and a team average is rounded to the nearest point first: 165.5 counts as 166, Validating.
| Level | Points | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Emerging | 0 to 82 | A direction exists, evidence does not yet. |
| Developing | 83 to 165 | Some pieces are in place, but money, revenue and market are still unproven. |
| Validating | 166 to 248 | Real evidence is appearing, and your gaps have become specific. |
| Scaling | 249 to 331 | The model works. Capacity and execution are what limit you now. |
| Market-Ready | 332 to 414 | The file stands on its own in front of an investor or a partner. |
Emerging and Developing are normal for a first assessment. The level is a starting position; the useful number is the change between two rounds.
What the score leaves out
- Written answers, figures and dates are read, never scored.
- Answers are the founders' own and have not been checked against documents.
- The assessment shows where you stand and where the team disagrees. It does not predict funding.
To see the scoring on a whole report, open the sample team report of Northwind Labs, a fictional company.
Where this comes from
- What the 414 points measure, on the platform home
- Questions, on the platform home
- The Brutally Honest Startup Assessment
- Sample team report (PDF)
Read on 30 October 2026.