Idea stage to pre-seed

1–2 Weeks, Fixed Scope

Product Teardown

One to two weeks, fixed scope, no retainer. We pressure-test the idea, find the assumption the whole thing rests on, cut the build back to the smallest test that produces a real signal, and tell you honestly whether to proceed. Designed for founders who need a senior second opinion before the expensive part starts.

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The Problem

“I'm about to spend real money building this, and I'm not certain I'm building the right thing.”

Is this you?

This engagement fits if

You have a quote from a dev shop and no confident way to judge whether the scope is right

You can describe the features precisely and the buyer only in general terms

You have never taken a product from zero to one and are about to

Your co-founders disagree on direction and the disagreement keeps getting deferred

You are pre-launch and want one senior read before committing the budget

What You Get

Deliverables

Problem & Buyer Statement

Your idea restated as a specific claim about a specific buyer with a specific problem, in the only form an idea can actually be tested in.

Assumption Map

Everything the idea quietly depends on, sorted by how much damage it does if it turns out to be false. Most founders have never seen their own list written down.

Riskiest-Assumption Test Plan

The one or two things to check first, how to check them cheaply, and what result would count as a genuine answer rather than encouragement.

Scope Cut

A concrete reduction of the planned build to what is needed to answer the question in front of you, with the deferred work listed so nothing gets lost.

Build, Wait, or Rethink Recommendation

A direct recommendation with the reasoning behind it. Sometimes the recommendation is not to build yet, and that is a real result.

After We're Done

Expected Outcomes

A clear view of what your idea depends on being true
A first build scoped to a question rather than to a feature list
Weeks to months of build time saved, and usually most of the budget
Co-founder disagreements surfaced and settled with evidence instead of seniority
An honest answer on whether to proceed, including when that answer is no

How It Runs

The process

01
Intake
You send whatever exists: the deck, the prototype, notes from customer conversations, the agency quote. A 60-minute call covers the origin of the idea and what you believe is true.
02
Teardown
The assumptions get mapped and ranked, the buyer claim gets sharpened, and the planned scope gets tested against the question it is meant to answer.
03
Readout
A working session walking the findings, the test plan, and the recommendation. You leave with the written summary the same week.

Where You Are

Commonly a fit at these stages

Each stage page covers the situation in more detail, including what changes and which engagements tend to fit.

Idea stage Pre-seed

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Product Strategy

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Discover the five warning signs your startup needs fractional product management, plus exact next steps to get measurable ROI fast.

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Product Strategy

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August 1, 2026

FAQ

Common questions

What is a product teardown?

A short, fixed-scope review of an early idea or product that answers one question: is this the right thing to build next, and is the plan the right size? It covers the assumption set, the buyer claim, the proposed scope, and ends in a direct recommendation. It is intentionally small, because at this stage a long engagement is the wrong instrument.

I do not have a product yet. Is that a problem?

No. The teardown was built for exactly that case. An idea, a deck, some customer conversations, or a prototype is enough to work with, and the absence of a product is why this is worth doing now: changing the plan is cheap and changing the build is not.

How is this different from the Product Strategy Sprint?

Scale and question. The teardown is one to two weeks and answers whether to build and what first. The sprint is eight weeks and produces a twelve-month roadmap, measurement model, and execution plan for a product that already exists and has users. Idea stage does not need a twelve-month roadmap.

What if you tell me not to build it?

Then the engagement paid for itself several times over. A clear no in week two is worth far more than a soft maybe that costs a year and a first round. That outcome is a legitimate result of the work.

Can this turn into ongoing help?

Often, usually as the monthly advisor retainer. There is no obligation and no bundling. The teardown is built to stand alone.

More on how engagements are scoped, priced, and run on the full FAQ.

Also Consider

Related engagements

Monthly, A Few Hours

Product Advisor Retainer

A few hours a month of senior product input on a standing cadence, without a hire or a long contract.

Learn more

8-Week Engagement

Product Strategy Sprint

A focused eight weeks that ends in a prioritized twelve-month roadmap your team can execute.