IF Instrument II — Pre-Commitment Canvas

01Technology FoundationTRL Assessment

Describe your technology in one sentence (plain language — Grandma Test)

Current Technology Readiness Level (TRL)

TRL 1–3 · Basic research / proof of concept

Scientific principles observed; concept formulated; experimental proof of concept

TRL 4–5 · Validated in lab / relevant environment

Technology validated in controlled conditions; approaching operational readiness

TRL 6–7 · Demonstrated prototype

System demonstrated in relevant environment; prototype complete

TRL 8–9 · Qualified system / proven in operation

System complete, qualified and proven in operational environment

Defensibility of IP

Strong · Patent filed or granted; difficult to reproduce without significant R&D investment

Moderate · Know-how advantage; trade secret; some patent protection

Weak · Primarily first-mover advantage; replicable by well-resourced competitor

02Problem ValidationLayer 1 · CRL 1–2

Number of direct buyer interviews completed (not academic peers — actual buyers)

20 or more · with urgency, budget authority, and decision process confirmed

10–19 · meaningful but not yet systematic validation

1–9 · early signals only

None yet · demand is inferred, not validated

The Grandma Test — Your one-sentence value statement

"We help [specific company type] to [concrete outcome], without [current pain], so that [Layer 3 motivation]."

Urgency signal — what creates the need to act TODAY (not in principle)?

Regulatory change, competitive threat, or incident making inaction costlier than action

Known cost or risk that buyers acknowledge and have budget to address

Aspiration — buyers agree it would be valuable but it is not a current budget priority

Unclear — urgency has not been confirmed in direct buyer conversations

03Innovation Friction ProfileFor your primary target segment

μ_humanHuman Resistance — psychology, career risk, loss aversion

1 · Very Low5 · Very High

3

N_legacyLegacy systems — incumbent vendors, infrastructure, regulatory weight

1 · Startup / Greenfield5 · Government / Highly regulated

3

τ_cycleSales cycle — from first contact to signed contract

1 · Weeks5 · 2+ years

3

C_capitalCapital to cash-flow positive — total required

1 · <€500K5 · >€10M

3

Total IF Score (4–20)

12 / 20

Capital sufficiency ratio

Estimate your runway below

Your current runway (months at current burn rate)

04TRL / CRL Gap AnalysisTechnology vs Commercial Maturity

Current Commercial Readiness Level (CRL)

CRL 1 · Problem identified — no buyer contact yet

CRL 2 · Pain validated — 20+ buyer interviews, urgency confirmed

CRL 3 · Co-design partner — one customer co-designing pilot spec

CRL 4 · Pilot completed — with measurable outcome documented

CRL 5 ★ · First real revenue — an invoice has been issued and paid

CRL 6+ · Repeatable sale or beyond

05The Five Honest QuestionsPre-flight Checklist

Q1

Grandma Test — can a non-technical person repeat your value in 30 seconds without a clarifying question?

If no: μ_human is elevated at every commercial touchpoint. Fix before any customer meeting.

Yes — tested and confirmed Not yet

Q2

Does your Beach Head customer have urgent, funded pain today — with confirmed budget authority?

If no: you are at Layer 1 failure. No sales execution overcomes a problem the market does not urgently fund.

Yes — confirmed in buyer conversations Not confirmed yet

Q3

Does your TAM justify the chosen path? (>€1B reachable in 7 years for venture-backed startup)

If smaller: Path A or C may be structurally more appropriate than a venture-backed startup.

Yes — market size confirmed and justified No or unconfirmed

Q4

Can a single customer derive full standalone value — no ecosystem dependency?

If no: every additional required party multiplies all four denominator components. Requires ecosystem strategy.

Yes — standalone value delivery confirmed No — ecosystem dependency exists

Q5

Does current capital cover the path to CRL 5 (first real revenue) with meaningful buffer?

If no: C_required ÷ C_available approaching 1.0 means the company dies before first revenue regardless of technology quality.

Yes — capital sufficient with buffer No or uncertain

06Beach Head CustomerSignal-Friction Matrix

Name your 3 most specific Beach Head candidate companies (not segments — actual company names)

What is the market signal value of a win at each of these companies?

High — a win here will open doors at the next tier; peers will respect this reference

Medium — credible reference but not a door-opener for Trophy targets

Low — useful for learning but the market signal value is limited