Business Templates
What artifacts keep a business on course — and in what order do you build them?
Control loops, not documents. A cashflow forecast compared to actual is a sensor. A marketing plan with measured results is a feedback loop.
Build Order
Work through these in sequence. Each template feeds the next. Skip nothing — gaps compound downstream.
| # | Phase | Template | Question It Answers | What It Produces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SCAN | Opportunity Scanner | Where are the gaps? | Gap matrix, top 3 opportunities |
| 2 | DISCOVER | Idea Capture | What must be true for this to work? | JTBD statement, first principles, 7-day test |
| 3 | DISCOVER | Ideal Customer Profile | Who specifically has this problem? | Named segment, pain map, buying triggers |
| 4 | VALIDATE | Business Idea Checklist | Should I keep going or kill it? | 7-stage validation, kill signals |
| 5 | MODEL | Model Selection | How does value flow? | Selected model, XV evaluation, feedback loops |
| 6 | FINANCE | Unit Economics | Does one unit profit? | Price, COGS, margin, LTV:CAC, payback |
| 7 | FINANCE | Cash Flow Projection | When does the money run out? | 12-month forecast, break-even month, scenarios |
| 8 | FINANCE | ROI Analysis | Is the bet worth taking? | Total investment, 3-year ROI, kill criteria |
| 9 | POSITION | Positioning Statement | How are you different? | Position, competitive map, proof points |
| 10 | POSITION | Brand Guide | What do you stand for visually? | Voice, palette, type, visual identity |
| 11 | STRATEGY | Go-To-Market Strategy | How do you reach customers? | Channels, pricing, acquisition funnel, launch plan |
| 12 | STRATEGY | Lead Magnet Strategy | What pulls them in for free? | Free value offer, conversion path, demand signal |
| 13 | PITCH | Pitch Compression | Can you say it in five sentences? | Tight Five answers, pep talk, pitch versions |
| 14 | PITCH | Visual Art Direction | What does it look like? | Hero triptych, phase presets, image prompts |
| 15 | SELL | One-Page Plan | Does it fit in an email? | Single-page business summary |
| 16 | SELL | Venture Presentation | Full persuasion package? | 3-layer venture site (matter, deck, plan) |
| 17 | MEASURE | Scorecard | Is it working? | 10-dimension score, quadrant, kill criteria |
Templates 1-4 find the right problem. Templates 5-8 prove the math. Templates 9-12 reach the market. Templates 13-17 sell and measure.
Sentence Test
Each template ends with a compression gate. If you can't state the output in one sentence, the thinking isn't clear enough. Go back.
Output
The build order produces a venture. Each template contributes structured data that renders as professional venture pages — overview, prompt deck, business plan, cash flow, pitch, landing page, and scorecard. The Venture Presentation template defines the page structure.
Country Links
Templates that touch legal, compliance, or regulatory decisions link to the relevant country page. The country page is the reference layer for jurisdiction-specific context.
Available: New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, USA, UK, Denmark, Japan, India, Portugal, South Korea, Kazakhstan.
Template to Instrument
A template is a blank form. An instrument is a control loop. The difference is the decisions made while filling it in.
TEMPLATE --> DECISIONS --> INSTRUMENT --> OUTCOMES
(blank) (protocol) (alive) (measured)
| |
+<--------------------------------------+
(legacy rule: improve the template)
| Layer | What | Where the value lives |
|---|---|---|
| Template | Blank structure | Saves time. No intelligence. |
| Protocol | Decision procedure | The judgment calls that fill the blanks. |
| Instrument | Living artifact | Drives action. Measured against reality. |
| Decision trace | Record of why | The most valuable asset. Compounds. |
The template is not the asset. The protocol is not the asset. The decision trace — the record of which judgment calls were made, why, and what changed — is what compounds across ventures. A better decision process improves every instrument that uses it.
Compound returns: 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.
The Golden 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.
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.
Workflows
A workflow consumes one or more templates to produce a result artifact. More complex work uses more templates.
| Workflow | Question | Templates Used | Proven |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create PRD | Problem, for whom, measured how? | 5 maps + PRD (index, prompt-deck, spec) | 6+ PRDs |
| Industry Analysis | 5P scan of an industry? | 5P structure, Business Model Canvas | 8+ industries |
| Business Venture | Full persuasion loop? | Business Model Canvas, ICP, Work Chart | 3+ ventures |
| Compare Countries | Scored assessment on 25 dimensions? | ICP | 4+ countries |
| Meta Article | Idea to published piece? | Page Flow | 10+ articles |
| DePIN Analysis | Token evaluation against thesis? | Business Model Canvas, Capability Map | 3+ tokens |
How Templates Improve
Standardized patterns improve through use. Each completed venture leaves the template stronger for the next one. That is the legacy rule applied to business development.
| Venture | Template Improved | What Changed |
|---|---|---|
| Berley Trails | Business plan | Added principle relevance traces -- every strategy claim now links to the principle it serves |
| Berley Trails | Pricing algorithm | Added worked example with math -- moved from theory to executable |
The pattern: run the idea discovery procedure, follow the venture presentation standard, improve what didn't work. The template/procedure/artifact theory lives at Standard Templates -- readiness gates, layer model, and locations index.
Reference Library
For quick lookup when you need a specific artifact outside the build sequence.
Starting Up
| Artifact | Purpose | Driving Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Business Plan Template | Align stakeholders, test thinking | Which problem is worth your years? |
| Mission and Vision Statement | Define why you exist | What would you do even if it fails? |
| Positioning Strategy | Carve out market space | Who are you compared to, and why are you different? |
| Business Model Canvas | Map value creation | How does value flow from customer to you? |
| Competitive Analysis | Know the battlefield | Where are the gaps no one is filling? |
| Financial Projections | Prove viability | At what point does this stop being viable? |
Legal and Structure
| Artifact | Purpose | Driving Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Company Registration Docs | Legal existence | Which jurisdiction, which structure? |
| Shareholder Agreement | Ownership rules | Who owns what, what happens on exit? |
| Operating Agreement | Governance structure | Who decides what, how are disputes resolved? |
| NDAs | Protect confidential info | What's actually confidential vs what's marketing? |
| Contracts | Formalize agreements | What's the worst case if this relationship sours? |
| Terms of Service | User agreement | What liability are you accepting? |
| Privacy Policy | Data handling | What data do you actually need vs want? |
Product and Design
| Artifact | Purpose | Driving Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Product Requirements Doc | Define what to build | What's the smallest thing that proves demand? |
| JTBD Interviews | Understand customer needs | What struggling moment triggers the search? |
| User Personas | Target customer profiles | Who specifically, not "everyone"? |
| Wireframes/Mockups | Visualize solutions | What's the one action per screen? |
| Component Design System | Consistent UI | Which constraints prevent drift? |
| CRUD Checklist | UX completeness | What happens on error, empty state, edge case? |
Marketing and Growth
| Artifact | Purpose | Driving Decision | Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing Page | Convert visitors | What single action per viewport? | Site Playbook |
| Brand Guidelines | Consistent identity | What do you stand for that competitors don't? | Brand Strategy |
| Brand Archetype | Brand personality | Which archetype earns trust with your ICP? | Brand Strategy |
| Content Calendar | Planned communications | Which pain points get published when? | Content Pipeline |
| Email Sequences | Nurture leads | What objection does each email dissolve? | Email Marketing (gap) |
| Case Studies | Prove value | Which result makes skeptics act? | Article Copywriting |
| Sales Deck | Pitch to prospects | What's the one thing they leave remembering? | Go-to-Market Strategy |
Sales and Customer Success
| Artifact | Purpose | Driving Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Playbook | Repeatable sales process | Which objections repeat, and what dissolves them? |
| Proposal Template | Consistent pitches | What proof makes the price feel inevitable? |
| Pricing Sheet | Clear pricing | What anchor makes the real price look fair? |
| Objection Handling Guide | Overcome resistance | What's the hidden fear behind the stated objection? |
| Customer Onboarding Checklist | Smooth handoff | What's the fastest path to first value? |
| Support Documentation | Self-service answers | Which questions, if answered, prevent 80% of tickets? |
Finance and Accounting
| Artifact | Purpose | Driving Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Chart of Accounts | Organize finances | Which categories reveal where money actually goes? |
| Accounting Cycle | Track transactions | What's the reconciliation rhythm that catches errors early? |
| Bank Reconciliation | Verify accuracy | Where does forecast diverge from actual, and why? |
| Budget | Plan spending | What gets funded, what gets cut? |
| Cash Flow Forecast | Predict runway | When does the money run out if nothing changes? |
| Capital Allocation | Investment priorities | Which bet has the highest expected value per dollar? |
| Fundraising Materials | Raise capital | What proof makes the risk worth taking for this investor? |
Operations and HR
| Artifact | Purpose | Driving Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Org Chart | Role clarity | Which capabilities matter more than titles? |
| Job Descriptions | Define roles | What outcomes define success, not activities? |
| Recruitment Process | Consistent hiring | What signal predicts performance better than credentials? |
| Employee Onboarding | Smooth starts | What's the fastest path to first contribution? |
| Payroll Process | Pay people correctly | Which compliance requirements apply in your jurisdiction? |
| Contractor Agreements | Flexible talent | What IP boundaries protect both sides? |
| Employee Handbook | Rules and culture | What norms, if unstated, would cause conflict? |
| Process Documentation | Repeatable operations | Which process, if the person left, would break? |
Data and Technology
| Artifact | Purpose | Driving Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Tech Stack Documentation | System overview | Which tools earn their complexity cost? |
| Data Engineering | Data pipelines | What data, if missing, blinds the business? |
| Data Integrity | Trust the data | How do you know the numbers are real? |
| API Documentation | Integration guide | What contract do external consumers depend on? |
| Security Policy | Protect assets | What's the cost of a breach vs the cost of prevention? |
| Disaster Recovery Plan | Business continuity | What's the maximum downtime the business survives? |
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
If the decision trace is more valuable than the artifact, why do businesses file the output and discard the reasoning?
- Which template in the build order are you most tempted to skip — and what downstream instrument breaks if you do?
- 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?