skip to content

Step 1: The Valven Scorecard

4 min read

Our comprehensive investment criteria scorecard that evaluates opportunities and determines the level of effort required for each partnership.

# onboarding
# scorecard
# evaluation
# valven
# criteria
Partnership Evaluation

Step 1: The Valven Scorecard

After completing our 3-stage diligence process, we use the Valven Scorecard to systematically evaluate every opportunity against consistent criteria. This isn’t a rigid formula that replaces our judgment, but a tool that ensures we evaluate each partnership opportunity against the same key criteria and quantify the level of effort required.

Our Evaluation Philosophy

The Valven Scorecard serves as the final output of our diligence process, helping us make data-driven investment decisions while maintaining consistency across all evaluations. It forces us to be objective about both the opportunity’s potential and the resources required for success.

Scorecard Categories & Criteria

Each category is scored on a 1-5 scale, with specific questions and assessments that guide our evaluation:

Founder & Vision (1-5 Score)

Founder Coachability & Rigor

  • Is the founder receptive to data-driven debate and strategic feedback?
  • Have they done their homework on numbers, competition, and market dynamics?
  • Do they have a clear, compelling vision for their company and industry?
  • Can they separate personal ego from business decisions?

Team Sustainability

  • Is the existing team capable of executing the growth plan?
  • Are we confident they can absorb our knowledge and methodologies?
  • Can the team carry on successfully after our engagement period?
  • Do they have the right balance of skills and experience?

Business Model (1-5 Score)

Business Model Maturity (Crucial)

  • Is this a “Patch” (pricing tweak, new channel) or “Complete Restructure”?
  • How much fundamental change is required to the business model?
  • Are the revenue streams validated and scalable?
  • Does the unit economics make sense for sustainable growth?

A complete restructure is a major red flag that significantly impacts our scoring.

Idea Validation (Crucial)

  • Has the core problem been validated with actual users and customers?
  • Are future product ideas based on market feedback or just brainstorming?
  • Is there evidence of strong product-market fit?
  • How has the idea evolved based on real market feedback?

Go-to-Market (1-5 Score)

Distribution Engine (Crucial)

  • Is there a credible plan for customer acquisition?
  • Does the founder have Founder-Led Growth capability (personal brand/audience)?
  • Do they have access to a Paid Growth budget for customer acquisition?
  • Can they execute on their chosen distribution strategy?

A lack of either founder-led growth capability or paid growth budget is a major red flag.

Technology (1-5 Score)

Technical Maturity (Crucial)

  • Is this a “Build” (new MVP), “Scale” (strengthen infrastructure), or “Rebuild” (pay down tech debt)?
  • What is the current state of the technical architecture?
  • How much technical work is required to achieve scalability?
  • Does the technology stack support the business model?

A complete rebuild from scratch is a significant risk to our timeline and a major concern.

Overall Assessment (1-5 Score)

Valven Impact Score

  • How uniquely positioned are we to solve their specific primary bottleneck?
  • Is our intervention a “nice to have” or a “game-changer” for their success?
  • Does our expertise align with their most critical needs?
  • Can we provide disproportionate value relative to our investment?

Scoring Methodology

Scoring Guidelines

  • 5 - Exceptional: Outstanding strength, minimal risk, high confidence
  • 4 - Strong: Above average, manageable risks, good confidence
  • 3 - Adequate: Meets basic criteria, moderate risks, acceptable confidence
  • 2 - Weak: Below average, significant risks, low confidence
  • 1 - Poor: Major concerns, high risk, very low confidence

Crucial Criteria

Some criteria are marked as “crucial” because they are fundamental to our partnership model:

  • Business Model Maturity
  • Idea Validation
  • Distribution Engine
  • Technical Maturity

Poor scores in crucial areas typically disqualify opportunities regardless of other strengths.

What Constitutes a High Score

An ideal Valven partner typically demonstrates:

Founder Excellence (4-5 Score)

  • Exceptional coachability and intellectual humility
  • Deep market knowledge and competitive awareness
  • Strong track record of execution and learning
  • Clear vision with strategic thinking capability

Business Model Strength (4-5 Score)

  • Mature business model requiring minimal restructuring
  • Strong evidence of market validation and customer demand
  • Healthy unit economics with clear path to profitability
  • Scalable revenue model with multiple growth levers

Distribution Readiness (4-5 Score)

  • Clear, credible distribution strategy with proven components
  • Either strong founder-led growth capability or adequate paid growth budget
  • Understanding of customer acquisition channels and optimization
  • Proven ability to execute customer acquisition strategies

Technical Foundation (4-5 Score)

  • Solid technical foundation requiring scaling rather than rebuilding
  • Clean architecture that supports business model requirements
  • Manageable technical scope that aligns with our capabilities
  • Strong existing team or clear plan for technical team building

Strategic Fit (4-5 Score)

  • Clear alignment between their needs and our unique capabilities
  • Opportunity for Valven to provide game-changing impact
  • Strong potential for mutual value creation
  • Strategic importance to our overall portfolio

Risk Assessment

Red Flag Combinations

Certain score combinations indicate high risk:

  • Business Model Maturity (1-2) + Technical Maturity (1-2) = Very High Risk
  • Distribution Engine (1-2) + Founder Coachability (1-2) = Partnership Risk
  • Multiple crucial criteria scoring below 3 = Likely Disqualification

Investment Thresholds

  • High Conviction: Overall average 4+ with no crucial criteria below 3
  • Medium Conviction: Overall average 3.5+ with all crucial criteria 3+
  • Low Conviction: Overall average 3+ but requires significant discussion
  • No Investment: Any crucial criteria below 3 or overall average below 3

Next Steps

Based on the scorecard results, qualified opportunities advance to Step 2: Playbook Selection, where we determine which of our two operational playbooks best fits the opportunity profile.

This is part 1 of our Partnership Evaluation series. Continue reading about Playbook Selection to understand how we determine the optimal engagement approach.