Stage 01
Discover
Purpose
Identify markets, workflows, audiences, and unsolved friction.
Signals
Pain points, inefficient workflows, emerging behavior, underserved niches.
Output
Opportunity brief
The Venture Engine
From signal to successful exit.
A repeatable path from signal to software, and from proven software to an acquisition-ready venture. The stages are repeatable. The decisions are not.
Process
01 · Discover02 · Validate03 · Prototype04 · Build05 · Launch06 · Scale07 · Exit
Stage 02
Validate
Purpose
Test demand, feasibility, user pain, and willingness to pay.
Signals
User interviews, landing page tests, waitlists, demos, partner interest.
Output
Validation scorecard
Stage 03
Prototype
Purpose
Build fast functional demos and product experiences.
Signals
Usability feedback, workflow clarity, technical feasibility.
Output
Clickable prototype or working MVP
Stage 04
Build
Purpose
Develop the product, brand, system architecture, and operating foundation.
Signals
Product stability, user value, repeatability.
Output
Launch-ready venture
Stage 05
Launch
Purpose
Take the venture to market with positioning, GTM, content, and early acquisition.
Signals
Adoption, conversion, feedback, retention.
Output
Market test and traction signals
Stage 06
Scale
Purpose
Improve distribution, automation, retention, and operating leverage.
Signals
Repeatable acquisition, stronger retention, clearer economics.
Output
Growth system
Stage 07
Exit
Purpose
Prepare a successful venture for sale to an interested buyer.
Signals
Validated market, product direction, operating value, buyer fit.
Output
Acquisition-ready venture
◆ Kill Criteria
When we walk away.
Discipline is part of the engine. A venture is killed — and its lessons reused — when any of these are true.
- No clear, painful problem we can validate.
- No realistic path to a defensible product.
- No durable market signal or willingness to pay.
- A great idea, but not a great fit for 5DV.
- Better executed by someone else, somewhere else.
◆ Pipeline
See what's moving through the engine.
The current venture pipeline — what's discovering, validating, building, and launching inside 5DV.