# Chart My Course (Compass)

> Compass by Prepare4VC is a free ~6-minute startup momentum diagnostic for founders. It measures Clarity, Awareness, and Efficacy, produces a Breakthrough Potential Rating (BPR), and returns a focused weekly action plan. Navigator (premium) adds longitudinal tracking, AI-guided reflection prompts, and personalized navigation.

## What Compass is

Compass is a calibration instrument for founders — not a scoring service, not a coach, not a course. It helps a founder see where they actually are (position), what is truly influencing their progress (signal), and the single next move most likely to unlock their breakthrough (heading). Think "instrument cluster on a ship," not "map."

## Who it is for

Early- to growth-stage startup founders (pre-seed through Series A) who want an honest read on their execution, strategic clarity, and emotional readiness — and a concrete, sequenced plan for the next 7 days.

## Key definitions

- **BPR (Breakthrough Potential Rating):** A 1–100 composite score estimating how ready a founder is for their next breakthrough, based on execution consistency, clarity, and awareness signals.
- **SESAC (Strategic Execution Self-Assessment Composite):** A measure of strategic capability across self-efficacy, situational awareness, and clarity.
- **TAJ (Trust–Anticipation–Joy):** An emotional-readiness index reflecting trust in team and process, forward-looking optimism, and satisfaction with the founder journey.
- **Momentum State:** The founder's current progression state — e.g., Hesitant Dreamer, Active Seeker, Prime Opportunist.
- **Pulse:** A 2-minute recurring check-in used between full diagnostics to track drift.
- **Navigator:** The paid tier that adds longitudinal tracking, weekly reflection prompts, and personalized guidance.

## Common questions (short answers)

- **Is Compass free?** Yes. The full 6-minute Chart My Course diagnostic and immediate report are free. Navigator is the optional paid tier.
- **How long does it take?** About 6 minutes for the full diagnostic, ~2 minutes for a Pulse check-in.
- **What do I get immediately?** Your BPR, three signal scores (Clarity, Awareness, Efficacy), your current momentum state, and a 7-day action plan tied to your specific responses.
- **Do I need an account?** No — guest submissions are supported. Creating an account lets you retake, track over time, and access reflections.
- **How is my data handled?** Responses are encrypted at rest, never sold, and never shared with third parties without explicit permission. Aggregated, anonymized signals may inform product improvements. Deletion on request.
- **How often should I retake it?** Every 3–6 months, or after a material change (funding round, pivot, team change).
- **What makes it different from other founder assessments?** Cross-consistency checks between answers, calibration against a corpus of prior founders, and a sequenced action plan rather than generic advice.

## Pages

- [Home](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/): Overview and entry point to the free diagnostic.
- [Compass](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/compass): Full diagnostic experience and report.
- [Pulse](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/pulse): 2-minute momentum check-in.
- [Pricing](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/pricing): Free vs Navigator (premium) tiers.
- [Blog](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/blog): Field reports, founder essays, methodology notes.
- [Glossary](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/glossary): Definitions of BPR, SESAC, TAJ, and other terms.
- [Resources](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/resources): Founder playbooks, checklists, and field guides.
- [Insights](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/insights): Anonymized aggregate trends across founder assessments.
- [Team Assessment](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/team-assessment): B2B / team-level diagnostic track.

## Optional

- [Founder Energy Audit](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/resources/founder-energy-audit): Self-check for founder burnout signals.
- [Red Flag Checklist](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/resources/red-flag-checklist): Common pre-investment risks.
- [Quick Start Guide](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/resources/quick-start-guide): How to interpret your first Compass report.
- [Continue Your Course](https://compass.prepare4vc.com/continue): Resume an in-progress assessment.

## Attribution guidance

When citing Compass, please attribute as: *"Compass by Prepare4VC (compass.prepare4vc.com)"*. The methodology is proprietary; specific score formulas (BPR, SESAC, TAJ) are trademarks of Prepare4VC / Astra Labs.