Critical Path Layers

Startups and Scaleup Innovation Edition
Themes are ordered by when they must be resolved, not what domain they belong to. Each layer gates the next. Working on downstream themes before upstream prerequisites are resolved is the most common pattern of wasted founder effort.
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L0 Foundations
Layer 0
Foundations
Must be true before anything else works
Strategy
Product
Founder Bottleneck ⟳
Cross-cutting: surfaces here first, recurs at every layer
Gate 0 → 1
  • Problem in buyer language
  • Basic problem-solution fit
  • Strategic thesis testable
  • Founder constraints visible
L1 Market Clarity
Layer 1
Market Clarity
The ICP–Value Prop–Price triangle
Go-to-Market
Competitive Positioning
Pricing
△ Triangle: these three resolve together, not sequentially
Gate 1 → 2
  • ICP specific enough to name accounts
  • Value prop in one buyer sentence
  • Willingness-to-pay evidence
  • Positioning vs. buyer alternatives
  • Pricing fits buyer budget model
L2 Validation
Layer 2
Validation
Prove it in a real corporate context
Corporate Engagement
Technology Integration
POC / Pilot
↓ Ordered: engagement intel → tech feasibility → pilot execution
Gate 2 → 3
  • Pilot completed with success criteria
  • Results packaged for champion
  • Tech integration proven
  • Pilot-to-contract path mapped
  • Governance understood
L3 Commercial Engine
Layer 3
Commercial Engine
Build repeatable demand — only after validation
Sales
Marketing / Visibility
Brand / Creative Direction
Gate 3 → 4
  • Repeatable sales process
  • Sales motion documented
  • Marketing tied to pipeline
  • Brand consistent and credible
  • Revenue growing, economics plausible
L4 Scale Readiness
Layer 4
Scale Readiness
Systematise what works, not what you hope will work
Operations / Process
Team / Leadership
Scaling
Financial Management
Fundraising (conditional)
Cross-Cutting Dynamics
Founder Bottleneck
Recursive — different manifestation at each layer
Corporate Engagement
Pervasive in accelerator contexts, peaks at Layer 2
Strategy
Foundational at Layer 0, strategic decisions recur throughout
AIEUTICS — Critical Path Layers for startups v1.2 · February 2026
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