Free tool · Founder Dependency Scorecard · about 15 minutes Where does it all route?

Score ten areas from 0 (only you do it) to 2 (the team does it well without you). The page totals each group and the whole, and tells you where to start.

Ten questions

Totals out of 20

Four groups

No sign-up

1 · Sales: 0 only the founder, 1 team helps but founder is involved, 2 team does it well

First calls: who takes them? (S1)Proposals: who writes and approves them? (S2)Pricing: who sets and defends the price? (S3)

2 · Delivery: 0 only the founder, 1 team helps but founder is involved, 2 team does it well

Lead role: who leads the work clients value most? (D1)Quality: who checks it? (D2)Problem-solving: who resolves a serious client issue? (D3)

3 · Relationships: 0 only the founder, 1 team helps but founder is involved, 2 team does it well

Top clients: who is the main contact? (R1)Referrers and partners: who looks after them? (R2)

4 · Brand and decisions: 0 only the founder, 1 team helps but founder is involved, 2 team does it well

Proof: can others show your results and method without you? (B1)Decisions: can the team make routine decisions without approval? (B2)

5 · First move

Your lowest-scoring area, one action, an owner and a date (First move)

Score honestly, not generously, and ask a colleague to score you too. Nothing you type leaves this page.

Your dependency score

Then test it

Compare views. Ask one trusted colleague to score the same ten questions separately. The gap between your score and theirs is usually the most useful finding.

The method is in The Brand Code: When the Founder Is the Brand, Growth Has a Ceiling, How to Reduce Founder Dependency in a Service Business and Founder Dependency Scorecard.

Questions

What is founder dependency?

The degree to which a company's revenue, reputation and operations rely on its founder personally, usually seen in sales, delivery and decisions.

Does a low score mean my business is weak?

No. It means it is early or founder-led. The score shows where to build.

Where should I start?

Document the sales story and the proof. It is the quickest step with the largest payoff.

How often should I score?

Quarterly.

Is my scorecard saved?

Only in your browser, on this device. Nothing is sent to us.

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Next step

A score shows where. A system fixes it.

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