A structured process to shape the foundation of your business — before you have a team,
a website, or a marketing plan. This is the reflection work that makes every future decision easier.
Why bother, when you're just starting out?
Solo founders make hundreds of decisions a month — what to build, who to say yes to,
what to charge, when to hire. Without a clear mission, vision, and values, every one of
those decisions costs mental energy. With them, most of the answers already exist. This workshop
gives you the language you'll use for years.
Your path — 5 phases, about 90 minutes
1. Foundation
Basic context about you and what you're building, plus a founder-focused SWOT.
2. Mission
Why does your business exist? What do you do, for whom, and why?
3. Vision
Where are you going? What does success look like in 10 years?
4. Values
What do you stand for? The rules you'll use to make every hard call.
5. Activation
Put it to work — in your website, your first pitches, and daily decisions.
Coach's tip: Don't try to finish this in one sitting. The best statements
come from letting the questions sit overnight. Answer a phase, then sleep on it.
Phase 1 · Foundation
About you & your business
Some quick context. This isn't a pitch deck — it's the raw material every other
exercise will build on. Keep answers short and honest.
Why we ask first: Great mission and vision statements come from specific,
verified context — not generic templates. Everything you enter here feeds the draft generator
in later phases.
Real or placeholder — you can change it later.
Start with a verb. Avoid buzzwords.
Be specific — one persona is better than "everyone."
The founding reason. Not the marketing version.
Phase 1 · Foundation
Founder + business SWOT
An honest look at where you stand — as a person and as a business. Be specific.
"I'm hard-working" is less useful than "I've closed 4 clients in 3 months with no marketing."
Solo-founder tip: Your SWOT is both personal and business. Your strengths
are what YOU bring. Your weaknesses are the gaps you'll have to hire around or work through.
Opportunities and threats are the market you're operating in.
S Strengths
What you (personally) bring that few others do.
W Weaknesses
Gaps in your skills, resources, or capacity.
O Opportunities
External tailwinds — market shifts, unmet needs.
T Threats
External headwinds — competition, market changes.
Phase 2 · Mission
Mission foundation questions
Your mission is what you're here to do — the what, who, and why.
Don't try to write the statement yet. Explore first.
Coach's tip: Use plain language. The best missions sound like something
you'd actually say out loud, not something you'd put on a wall.
Be specific about the pain point.
This reveals the true value you provide.
Not "make money" — the impact on customers, industry, or the world.
One per line. These become raw material for your statement.
Phase 2 · Mission
Draft your mission statement
A strong mission is 1–2 sentences. It names what you do, who you serve, and what makes you different.
Formula: what · who · impact
Fill each part in your own voice. The generator below will assemble a draft.
🪄 Draft generator
Assembled from what you entered above.
Fill in the three fields above to see a draft.
Your drafts — try a few
Pressure test: Could you use it to make a decision tomorrow?
Does it describe what you do without jargon? Could ANY business claim it — or is it distinctly yours?
Phase 3 · Vision
Future state exploration
Vision is the world you're trying to create — 10 to 20 years out. Think aspirational.
This is a destination, not a plan.
Describe the world, not your business.
This often reveals the deepest reason you exist.
The building blocks of your statement.
Phase 3 · Vision
Draft your vision statement
A great vision is short, vivid, and personal. It describes a destination, not a method.
Vision seed
A short phrase describing the future you're working toward.
🪄 Draft generator
Try one of these openings, then rewrite in your voice.
Add a future phrase above to see draft options.
Your drafts
Pressure test: Is it aspirational but not impossible? Will it still be
relevant in 10 years? Does it describe a destination, not a process?
Phase 4 · Values
Values discovery
Your values are the principles that guide your decisions — who you say yes to, who you say no to,
how you show up. As a solo founder, your personal values become your business values.
Reflection questions
Your "leave behind" list — the anti-values.
Pick the values that resonate
Click to select up to 10. You'll refine to your final 3–6 in the next step.
No values selected yet — click chips above.
Phase 4 · Values
Define your core values
Values only work if they come with behaviour. For each value, describe what it looks like
in practice — in how you decide, who you serve, how you show up.
Aim for 3–6 values. Few enough to remember, specific enough to guide behaviour.
Values without behaviours are decoration.
Pressure test
Phase 5 · Synthesis
Final statements
Review your three foundational statements together. Do they belong to the same business?
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our Core Values
Phase 5 · Synthesis
Founder's activation plan
Writing them down is the easy part. Living them is the work. Here's how to make sure
they show up in what you actually do.
Coach's tip: The most common failure point isn't drafting — it's activation.
Statements that aren't embedded in your daily work within 90 days tend to fade.
