Tailored hypotheses + questions

I’m doing customer discovery with seed–Series A SaaS founders on founder stress, decision fatigue, and what support actually fits the job. Not selling therapy—just learning. If you’re open, I’d love 20 minutes to understand what spikes stress for you (fundraising/runway/board/cofounder stuff), what you’ve tried, and what “confidential + on-demand” support would need to look like to be useful. Everything is off the record; I won’t ask for sensitive company details. Would you be open to a quick chat this week?

Subject: Quick research chat on founder stress + decision fatigue (20 min)

Hi {{FirstName}},

I’m interviewing seed–Series A SaaS founders about the psychological load of building (fundraising/runway pressure, board dynamics, cofounder conflict, decision fatigue) and what support actually works with a founder schedule.

This is research—not a sales pitch. I’m trying to understand:
- What situations create the biggest stress spikes
- What you’ve tried (therapy/coaching/apps/peer groups) and what’s missing
- What “confidential, on-demand” support would need to look like to be genuinely useful

If you’re open to it, could we do a 20-minute call this week or next? I won’t ask for sensitive company metrics, and anything you share stays confidential.

A few times that work for me:
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- {{TimeOption3}}

Thanks,
{{YourName}}
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Hey {{FirstName}} — I’m doing quick research interviews with seed–Series A SaaS founders on founder stress/decision fatigue (fundraising, runway, board pressure, cofounder dynamics). Not selling anything—just learning what support actually fits a founder schedule and feels truly confidential. Open to a 20-min chat? If yes, I can send a few times.

CALL: Founder Therapy (AI) Discovery

1) Basics
- Name / Role:
- Company stage (seed/Series A) + team size:
- Current context (fundraising, runway, major launch, board cycle):

2) Stress & Trigger Map
- Biggest stressors in last 30 days:
- Most common “spike moments” (before/after what events?):
- Frequency (daily/weekly) + intensity (1–10):
- What does it impact? (sleep, focus, relationships, leadership behavior):

3) Current Coping & Support Stack
- What do you do today when it spikes?
- What have you tried? (therapy, coaching, peer groups, apps, journaling):
- What works / doesn’t work (founder relevance, scheduling, cost, trust):

4) Confidentiality, Trust, and Risk
- What would make a support tool feel unsafe?
- Privacy expectations (data retention, training on data, employer/VC access):
- Comfort with AI for sensitive conversations (1–10) + why:
- Safety expectations (crisis detection, escalation, disclaimers):

5) Concept Reaction (describe in 20 seconds)
- “Imagine an on-demand, confidential AI ‘founder therapist’ trained on startup realities—runway, board dynamics, pivots, cofounder conflict—with strong guardrails.”
- Initial reaction (top 3 thoughts):
- Where would it help most? (specific moments):
- Where would it fail / feel wrong?

6) Feature & Experience Requirements
- Must-have behaviors (tone, directness, frameworks, action plans):
- Personalization needs (role, stage, personality, values):
- Preferred modality (chat/voice), session length, async vs live:
- Red lines (what it should never do):

7) Willingness to Pay / Buying Path
- Would you pay personally? Price sensitivity ($29–59/mo):
- Would you expense it? Under what category?
- Would your company/VC/accelerator sponsor it? Who decides?
- What ROI would justify it? (burnout reduction, decision clarity, retention):

8) Validation & Next Steps
- If we offered a 2-week pilot, would you try it? Why/why not?
- What would success look like after 2 weeks?
- Any peers you’d recommend I speak with?

9) Scorecard (0–3 each)
- ICP Fit & Urgency:
- Problem Severity & Frequency:
- Alternatives & Dissatisfaction:
- Trust/Privacy Acceptance:
- Willingness to Pay / Buyer Path:
- Usage Fit (On-demand/Async):
- Outcome Measurability:
- Total (0–21):
- Decision (Priority / Screen / Survey / No):

Key Quotes:
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Risks/Objections:
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Follow-ups / Commitments:
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