Business Instruments

What instruments keep a business on course?

These aren't documents to file. They're control loops. A cashflow forecast compared to actual is a sensor. A marketing plan with measured results is a feedback loop. Dead documents create false confidence. Living instruments create agency.

The Instrument Loop

Instruments create outcomes. Better instruments create better outcomes.

PROTOCOLS → INSTRUMENTS → OUTCOMES
    ↑                         |
    └─────────────────────────┘
           (learning)

Layer	What	Improvement
Protocols	How we create instruments	Skills, templates, checklists
Instruments	What we produce	Plans, contracts, forecasts
Outcomes	Results we achieve	Revenue, users, partnerships

The leverage: Improving protocols compounds across all instruments. A better one-pager template improves every venture that uses it. The data footprint is the commissioning instrument — it tells you which subsystems are wired, which are installed but unproven, which are still drawings.

Minimum Viable Set

Starting a business? Create these five first:

1. Business Plan One-Pager — Forces clarity on the Tight Five
2. Legal Structure — Company registration, basic agreements
3. Landing Page — Test market interest
4. Financial Model — Prove you can make money
5. Customer Contract — Get paid

Everything else can wait until you have paying customers.

The Triangle

         STRATEGY
        (direction)
           /\
          /  \
         /    \
        /      \
   MODELS ──── INSTRUMENTS
  (how value   (what you
    flows)      produce)

Layer	Purpose	Where
Strategy	Where to compete, what to prioritize	Direction
Business Models	How value flows, how you make money	Structure
Instruments	Control loops that enable execution	Output

Strategy answers "where are we going?" Models answer "how does value flow?" Instruments make both actionable — but only if they're alive. A forecast nobody checks is not an instrument. It's decoration.

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Starting Up

Artifacts needed before you have customers.

Artifact	Purpose	When to Create
Business Plan Template	Align stakeholders, test thinking	Before seeking funding/partners
Mission & Vision Statement	Define why you exist	Day 1
Positioning Strategy	Carve out market space	Before marketing spend
Business Model Canvas	Map value creation	Before building product
Competitive Analysis	Know the battlefield	Before positioning
Financial Projections	Prove viability	Before seeking capital

---

Legal & Structure

Artifacts for compliance and protection.

Artifact	Purpose	When to Create
Company Registration Docs	Legal existence	At incorporation
Shareholder Agreement	Ownership rules	With co-founders/investors
Operating Agreement	Governance structure	At incorporation
NDAs	Protect confidential info	Before sensitive discussions
Contracts	Formalize agreements	Every major relationship
Terms of Service	User agreement	Before launch
Privacy Policy	Data handling	Before collecting data

---

Product & Design

Artifacts for building what customers want.

Artifact	Purpose	When to Create
Product Requirements Doc	Define what to build	Before development
JTBD Interviews	Understand customer needs	Before product decisions
User Personas	Target customer profiles	Before design
Wireframes/Mockups	Visualize solutions	Before development
Component Design System	Consistent UI	During development
CRUD Checklist	UX completeness	During development

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Marketing & Growth

Artifacts for acquiring and retaining customers.

Artifact	Purpose	When to Create
Landing Page	Convert visitors	Before launch
Brand Guidelines	Consistent identity	Before marketing
Brand Archetype	Brand personality	With positioning
Content Calendar	Planned communications	Monthly
Email Sequences	Nurture leads	Before campaigns
Case Studies	Prove value	After wins
Sales Deck	Pitch to prospects	Before sales calls

See: Marketing Artifacts

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Sales & Customer Success

Artifacts for closing and keeping customers.

Artifact	Purpose	When to Create
Sales Playbook	Repeatable sales process	After first sales
Proposal Template	Consistent pitches	Before scaling sales
Pricing Sheet	Clear pricing	Before sales
Objection Handling Guide	Overcome resistance	After pattern recognition
Customer Onboarding Checklist	Smooth handoff	Before first customer
Support Documentation	Self-service answers	Before support load

---

Finance & Accounting

Artifacts for money management.

Artifact	Purpose	When to Create
Chart of Accounts	Organize finances	At incorporation
Accounting Cycle	Track transactions	Ongoing
Bank Reconciliation	Verify accuracy	Monthly
Budget	Plan spending	Annually/quarterly
Cash Flow Forecast	Predict runway	Monthly
Capital Allocation	Investment priorities	Quarterly
Fundraising Materials	Raise capital	When needed

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Operations & HR

Artifacts for running the machine.

Artifact	Purpose	When to Create
Org Chart	Role clarity	When scaling
Job Descriptions	Define roles	Before hiring
Recruitment Process	Consistent hiring	Before first hire
Employee Onboarding	Smooth starts	Before first hire
Payroll Process	Pay people correctly	With first employee
Contractor Agreements	Flexible talent	Before first contractor
Employee Handbook	Rules and culture	When scaling
Process Documentation	Repeatable operations	When patterns emerge

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Data & Technology

Artifacts for the tech backbone.

Artifact	Purpose	When to Create
Tech Stack Documentation	System overview	During development
Data Engineering	Data pipelines	When data matters
Data Integrity	Trust the data	With data collection
API Documentation	Integration guide	Before external use
Security Policy	Protect assets	Before handling sensitive data
Disaster Recovery Plan	Business continuity	Before it's needed

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Instrument Lifecycle

Instruments aren't "done." They evolve:

CREATE → USE → LEARN → UPDATE → REPEAT

Stage	Action
Create	Start with minimum viable version
Use	Actually use it in operations
Learn	Note what's missing or wrong
Update	Improve based on reality
Repeat	Keep the loop running

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Persuasion Loop

Instruments organize into a loop that sells your idea:

BUSINESS IDEA → PITCH DECK → LANDING PAGE → SALES PITCH → PRESENTING → SELLING → FEEDBACK
       ↑                                                                              |
       └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Asset	Key Instruments	Rhetoric Focus
Business Idea	One-page plan, business model canvas	Logos
Pitch Deck	Investor slides, financial model	Ethos + Kairos
Landing Page	Copy, wireframes, email capture	Pathos + Topos
Sales Pitch	Script, objection handling guide	Pathos + Logos
Presenting	Talk versions, delivery notes	All five
Selling	Pricing, contracts, onboarding	Kairos + CTA
Feedback	Metrics dashboard, user interviews	Learning

See it in action: Mycelium Ventures — ventures building through this loop.

Context

• Business Strategy — Where to compete, what to prioritize
• Business Models — How value flows (50+ models with tech potential ratings)
• Data Footprint — The commissioning instrument
• Shared Platform — Infrastructure that carries the weight
• Mycelium Ventures — Ventures building through the instrument loop

Links

• Positioning Strategy — Carve out market space
• Business Structure — Legal and governance options
• Marketing Activities — Work chart for growth
• Customer Journey — Path to purchase
• Marketing Artifacts — Campaign and content templates

Questions

When does an instrument stop being a living control loop and become the dead documentation it was supposed to replace?

• Which of these instruments would reveal the most about your business health if you checked it weekly — and which are you currently ignoring?
• What's the minimum set of instruments that would let you know your business is on course without drowning in administration?
• If protocols compound across all instruments, which single protocol improvement would have the highest multiplier effect on your venture?