Gate Validating

Validate Canvas phase transitions and assess readiness.

Phase Definitions

Phase	Focus	Canvas Sections	Gate Out
0. Mode	Business model choice	00	G0
1. Discovery	Market understanding	01-06	G1
2. Definition	Value & business model	07-09, 12-14	G2
3. Validation	Assumption testing	10	G3
4. Launch	Market entry	11, 15	G4
5. Execution	Live operations	-	-

---

Process

Step 1: Identify Current Phase

Read existing Canvas files in

strategy/canvas/

. Determine current phase based on which sections exist and are populated.

Step 2: Identify Target Gate

From request, determine which gate to validate:

• "Ready for definition?" → Check G1
• "Ready for validation?" → Check G2
• "Ready for launch?" → Check G3
• "Ready for execution?" → Check G4

Step 3: Check Gate Requirements

Load gate requirements (below). For each criterion:

1. Read specified Canvas section
2. Apply check logic
3. Record PASS or FAIL

Step 4: Report Results

Generate gate check report with status, blockers, and recommendations.

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Gate Requirements

G0: Mode Selection → Discovery

Requirement	Section	Check
Required
Mode declared	00.mode	Contains VENTURE, BOOTSTRAP, or HYBRID

G1: Discovery → Definition

Requirement	Section	Check
Required
Segment defined	04.segments	At least 1 segment with 2+ filterable criteria
Problems ranked	05.problem	Top 3 problems with severity scores
Competition mapped	06.competitive	Direct + indirect competitors listed
Soft Required
Context captured	01.context	File exists with content
Market sized	03.opportunity	TAM/SAM/SOM estimated

G2: Definition → Validation

Requirement	Section	Check
Required
UVP articulated	07.uvp	Single sentence value prop exists
Solution defined	09.solution	Feature list tied to problems + growth model
Pricing set	12.revenue	At least 1 pricing tier defined
Unit economics	13.metrics	CAC, LTV, LTV:CAC present
Soft Required
Defensibility	08.unfair	Moat identified
Cost structure	14.costs	Costs outlined

G3: Validation → Launch

Requirement	Section	Check
Required
Assumptions documented	10.assumptions	Prioritized list exists
Critical identified	10.assumptions	P0 assumptions marked
Soft Required
High-risk validated	10.assumptions	>50% P1 validated

G4: Launch → Execution

Requirement	Section	Check
Required
Channels selected	11.channels	Primary channel with CAC estimate
Motion defined	15.gtm	Motion type declared with rationale
Launch sequence	15.gtm	At least 2 phases defined
Soft Required
First customers	-	Identified or acquired

---

Output Format

## Gate Check: [G0/G1/G2/G3/G4]

**Transition:** [Phase] → [Phase]
**Status:** [PASS | FAIL]

### Required Criteria

| Section | Criteria | Status |
|---------|----------|--------|
| [section] | [criteria] | ✅/❌ |

### Soft Required

| Section | Criteria | Status |
|---------|----------|--------|
| [section] | [criteria] | ✅/⚠️ |

### Blockers (if FAIL)

- [Specific missing element]
- [What needs to be done]

### Recommendations

- [Suggested next steps]

---

Bypass Rules

Gates can be bypassed with explicit acknowledgment:

## Gate Bypass

**Gate:** [G#]
**Missing:** [criteria]
**Reason:** [justification]
**Risk accepted:** [what could go wrong]
**Mitigation:** [how to handle if it fails]

⚠️ Proceeding with incomplete prerequisites

Document bypass in

strategy/canvas/00.mode.md

under a Bypasses section.

---

Quick Reference

Want To	Must Pass	Key Requirements
Define value prop	G1	Segments + Problems
Set pricing	G2	UVP + Solution + Growth model
Plan channels	G2	Pricing + Unit economics
Plan GTM	G3	Assumptions + Channels
Launch	G4	Channels + GTM motion

---

Canvas Completion Status

For overall status check:

## Canvas Status

### Phase Completion

| Phase | Status | Sections |
|-------|--------|----------|
| Mode | ✅/❌ | 00 |
| Discovery | ✅/❌ | 01-06 |
| Definition | ✅/❌ | 07-09, 12-14 |
| Validation | ✅/❌ | 10 |
| Launch | ✅/❌ | 11, 15 |

### Section Detail

| Section | Exists | Complete |
|---------|--------|----------|
| 00.mode | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ |
| 01.context | ✅/❌ | ✅/⚠️/❌ |
| ... | | |

### Next Gate: [G#]
**Status:** [X/Y required passing]
**Blockers:** [List]

Boundaries

• Does NOT fix issues (reports only)
• Does NOT assess business viability or strategy quality
• Does NOT bypass gates without explicit user acknowledgment
• Validates structural completeness, not content quality
• Gate pass does not guarantee business success
• Bypass documentation required for any gate skip
• Does NOT validate external market conditions