The LAUNCH Framework
The 30-Point Action Readiness Assessment for Business Owners
Here’s what nobody talks about in the consulting world… most business owners don’t have a knowledge problem. They have an action problem.
The books have been read. The conferences have been attended. The consultants have been hired. And nothing changes. The strategy sits in a folder. The execution never happens.
LAUNCH exists because every other business framework is useless without it. What good is knowing where you stand if you won’t act on it? What value is there in understanding what needs to change if you lack the readiness to change it?
The LAUNCH Framework is a 30-point assessment that measures six dimensions of action readiness. It’s designed to be taken before any strategic assessment, consulting engagement, or growth initiative. If you score well, you’re cleared to move. If you don’t… the priority isn’t more strategy. The priority is removing whatever is keeping you stuck.
Part of The Foundry 360™ — a 360-point business assessment system for mid-market companies.
What Does the LAUNCH Framework Measure?
The LAUNCH Framework measures six dimensions of action readiness. Not intelligence. Not business knowledge. Not industry experience. It measures the gap between knowing and doing.
Here’s what each letter stands for:
L — Leverage. What advantages you have right now but aren’t using. Relationships, positioning, content, expertise… sitting there doing nothing.
A — Action Capacity. Whether you have the time, energy, and support to sustain focused execution over months. Not days. Months.
U — Urgency. Whether real pressure to act exists… or whether you’re just “thinking about it.”
N — Now Cost. What inaction is costing you today. Every month you wait has a price tag. Most owners never calculate it.
C — Competitive Window. Whether your advantage is growing or shrinking. Markets don’t wait for you to be ready.
H — Hesitation Pattern. Whether this is a real decision point… or the same delay cycle you’ve been running for the last two years.
Each dimension is scored 0–5. Maximum score is 30.
L — Leverage (0–5 Points)
Leverage measures the advantages you already have but aren’t deploying.
Most business owners sit on untapped leverage without seeing it. Content that could be repurposed. Relationships that could be activated. Market positioning that could be monetized. Expertise that’s locked inside your head instead of built into the business.
A score of 4–5 means you’re already using what you’ve got. A score of 0–1 means there’s significant advantage just sitting there… and a buyer is going to see that unused potential as a gap, not a bonus.
Fair warning… leverage isn’t fixed. Owners who spend 12–24 months activating what they already have walk into deals with a completely different position.
A — Action Capacity (0–5 Points)
Action Capacity measures whether you have the bandwidth to actually do this.
Here’s what happens to most business owners… they decide to pursue a growth initiative or start the exit process. Three weeks in, the business pulls them back. Fires to put out. People to manage. And the initiative dies. Not because it was the wrong strategy. Because the person driving it ran out of gas.
This dimension looks at five things: Do you have 10+ hours a week available? Does your energy level support sustained effort? Do you have support structures in place? Do you have financial runway to invest in change? Are you mentally prepared for the discomfort that comes with transformation?
A low Action Capacity score doesn’t mean you shouldn’t act. It means you need to build capacity first… before you spend money on strategy you can’t execute.
U — Urgency (0–5 Points)
Urgency measures whether real pressure to act exists.
Some urgency is good. It creates momentum. It keeps you from sitting in planning mode for another year. Too much urgency is dangerous… it forces decisions without preparation.
A score of 4–5 means there’s a clear reason to move: a health concern, a partner issue, a market window closing, or a personal timeline that won’t wait. A score of 0–1 means you’re curious but not driven. And curiosity without pressure leads to the same place it always does… nowhere.
The sweet spot is moderate urgency. Enough to drive action. Not so much that you make a deal you regret.
N — Now Cost (0–5 Points)
Now Cost measures what you’re losing by waiting.
Every month of delay has a price. Sometimes it’s financial — enterprise value left on the table. Sometimes it’s strategic — a competitive window closing. Sometimes it’s personal — years of your life spent running something you should have handed off already.
Now Cost forces you to put a number on it. What does another year of waiting actually cost?
Here’s the scenario that keeps me up at night: high Now Cost combined with low Action Capacity. That’s the owner who needs to move but can’t execute. The clock is ticking and they’re stuck. If that’s you… the fix isn’t more thinking. It’s getting help.
C — Competitive Window (0–5 Points)
Competitive Window measures whether your market advantage is growing or shrinking.
Markets don’t care about your timeline. Industry consolidation happens whether you’re ready or not. Buyer appetite shifts. New competitors show up. Regulatory changes hit. What your business is worth today is not what it’ll be worth in 18 months if conditions change.
A score of 4–5 means the window is open and conditions favor action. A score of 0–1 means the window is closing… or already closed for now.
You didn’t build your business to discount it because you ran out of time.
H — Hesitation Pattern (0–5 Points)
Hesitation Pattern is the most confrontational dimension in the assessment. And it’s the one that matters most.
It asks a simple question: Is this a real decision point… or is this the same cycle you’ve been running?
Have you been “about to start” for six months or longer? Do you have a pattern of planning without executing? Do you commit to initiatives and then delay? Are you waiting for conditions that may never arrive?
A low score here is the strongest signal that self-directed change isn’t going to cut it. You may need a coach, a structured program, or someone who will hold you accountable. Not because you’re incapable. Because the pattern is stronger than the intention.
At the end of the day… if you’ve been “about to start” for two years, another assessment isn’t the answer. Breaking the pattern is.
LAUNCH Scoring Tiers
LAUNCH scores range from 0 to 30 across three tiers:
24–30: Ready to Act. Strong action readiness across all six dimensions. You’re cleared to proceed with strategic assessments and growth initiatives. Go.
16–23: Obstacles to Remove. You’ve got some readiness but there are specific things holding you back. Identify the lowest-scoring dimension and fix it. Don’t start a major initiative until you’ve cleared the obstacle.
Below 16: Not Ready. Multiple dimensions need work. This isn’t a judgment… it might be a genuinely tough period. But investing in strategy right now is putting paint on a car that isn’t prepped. The most valuable thing you can do is figure out what’s blocking you and fix that first.
Why Take LAUNCH Before Any Other Assessment?
Every year, thousands of business owners take assessments, hire consultants, attend workshops, and build strategic plans. Most never execute.
LAUNCH exists to catch that before you spend the money. If your score is below 16, the priority is not more strategy. The priority is removing the specific obstacles keeping you stuck. This saves you time, money, and the frustration of another initiative that dies in the planning phase.
In plain English… LAUNCH tells you whether you’re ready to do the work. Not whether you want to. Whether you actually will.
How LAUNCH Connects to The Foundry 360
LAUNCH is the gateway assessment in The Foundry 360 — a 360-point business evaluation system spanning nine frameworks and thirty-six dimensions.
The progression works like this: LAUNCH (30 points) determines action readiness. Then the remaining frameworks evaluate the business itself — SCORE (100 points) for exit readiness, SELL (40 points) for revenue quality, SCALE (50 points) for operational capacity, DRIVER (60 points) for execution capability, EXIT (40 points) for market timing, and BENCH (40 points) for leadership depth. Two standalone tools — the LEAD Model (40-point deal evaluation) and the THREATS Framework (seven-category crisis protection) — operate outside the 360-point total.
Without passing through LAUNCH first, the frameworks that follow give you intellectual satisfaction but not transformation. LAUNCH makes sure everything that follows is pointed toward action… not just understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LAUNCH Framework?
The LAUNCH Framework is a 30-point action readiness assessment created by Scott Sylvan Bell as part of The Foundry 360. It measures six dimensions — Leverage, Action Capacity, Urgency, Now Cost, Competitive Window, and Hesitation Pattern — each scored 0–5. It’s designed to be taken before any strategic assessment, consulting engagement, or growth initiative.
What does each letter in LAUNCH stand for?
L is for Leverage — advantages you have but aren’t using. A is for Action Capacity — whether you have the bandwidth to execute. U is for Urgency — whether real pressure to act exists. N is for Now Cost — what inaction is costing you today. C is for Competitive Window — whether your market advantage is growing or shrinking. H is for Hesitation Pattern — whether this is a real decision point or a repeated delay cycle.
What is a good LAUNCH score?
A score of 24–30 means you’re ready to act. Proceed with strategic assessments and growth initiatives. A score of 16–23 means you have obstacles to remove — identify the weakest dimension and address it before launching a major initiative. Below 16, the priority shifts from strategy to removing whatever is blocking action.
Why should I take LAUNCH before other business assessments?
Because LAUNCH determines whether you’ll actually do anything with what you learn. Most business owners take assessments and never execute on the results. LAUNCH catches that pattern before you invest time and money in strategy that sits in a folder. If you’re not ready to act, more knowledge won’t help.
How does LAUNCH connect to The Foundry 360?
LAUNCH is the first assessment in The Foundry 360 — a 360-point business evaluation system for mid-market companies. It’s the gateway. If you pass LAUNCH, you move into the six remaining scored frameworks: SCORE, SELL, SCALE, DRIVER, EXIT, and BENCH. Two standalone tools — the LEAD Model and THREATS Framework — provide deal evaluation and crisis protection outside the 360-point total.
Who is the LAUNCH Framework designed for?
Owners of mid-market businesses generating $10M to $250M in annual revenue who are considering a growth initiative, consulting engagement, or exit process. LAUNCH determines whether the conditions are right to begin — before time and money are invested.
What does a low LAUNCH score mean?
A low LAUNCH score doesn’t mean your business lacks value. It means you’re not positioned to capture that value right now. The fix isn’t more strategy — it’s addressing the specific dimensions that are holding you back. Sometimes that means building capacity. Sometimes it means getting accountability. Sometimes it means waiting until conditions change.
Can I improve my LAUNCH score?
Yes. Every dimension in LAUNCH is improvable. Leverage can be activated. Action Capacity can be built. Urgency can be clarified. Now Cost can be quantified. Competitive Window can be monitored. Hesitation Pattern can be broken with the right structure and accountability. Most owners can move from the 16–23 range to 24+ within 90 days of focused effort.
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