The Foundry 360™
The 360-Point Business Assessment System for Mid-Market Companies
The Foundry 360™ is a 360-point business assessment system that scores mid-market companies across seven frameworks — measuring every dimension buyers evaluate before making an acquisition offer. Created by Scott Sylvan Bell, the system produces a single, scored picture of exit readiness so business owners see what a buyer sees before they do.
Seven scored frameworks. 360 total points. One complete picture of your business.
Most Owners Don’t Know What Buyers Actually Evaluate
Business owners generating $10M to $250M in annual revenue spend years building something valuable. Then they go to market and discover that what they thought made the business valuable and what a buyer actually evaluates are two different things.
Brokers give you a valuation range based on comparable transactions. Accountants confirm your EBITDA. Neither tells you why a buyer would pay a premium — or why they would walk away during due diligence.
The Foundry 360 was built to close that gap. It measures every dimension a buyer evaluates — systems maturity, revenue quality, owner-independence, operational capacity, execution capability, leadership depth, and market timing — and produces a single, scored assessment that tells you exactly where you stand and what needs to change.
Seven Scored Frameworks. 360 Total Points.
The Foundry 360 combines seven scored frameworks into a comprehensive business assessment. Each framework measures a different dimension of business value. Together, they total 360 points — a complete evaluation of everything a buyer examines before making an offer.
LAUNCH Framework — 30 Points
Action Readiness
What does the LAUNCH Framework measure? The LAUNCH Framework is a 30-point assessment that measures whether a business owner has the readiness to begin the exit preparation process. It scores six dimensions — leverage, action capacity, urgency, now cost, competitive window, and hesitation pattern — on a scale of 0–5 each.
LAUNCH identifies whether the timing is right to start — and what’s holding you back if it isn’t. A low LAUNCH score doesn’t mean the business isn’t valuable. It means the owner isn’t positioned to act on that value yet.
Explore the LAUNCH Framework →
SCORE Framework — 100 Points
Exit Readiness
What does the SCORE Framework measure? The SCORE Framework is the largest single assessment in the Foundry 360 system at 100 points. It measures the five dimensions that determine whether a buyer sees an asset worth acquiring or a risk to avoid: systems maturity, concentration risk, owner-independence, revenue quality, and exit timing. Each dimension is scored 0–20.
SCORE provides the broadest view of exit readiness. Where the other frameworks go deep on specific areas, SCORE evaluates the strategic overview — the five factors that most directly determine whether a buyer writes a check or walks away.
SELL Framework — 40 Points
Revenue Engine
What does the SELL Framework measure? The SELL Framework is a 40-point assessment that evaluates whether a company’s revenue engine would continue producing results if the current team changed, the market shifted, or a buyer took ownership. It scores four dimensions — sales process documentation, effectiveness metrics, lead generation diversity, and customer loyalty — on a scale of 0–10 each.
Buyers pay premiums for revenue engines that run independently of any single person. SELL measures whether yours does.
SCALE Framework — 50 Points
Operational Capacity
What does the SCALE Framework measure? The SCALE Framework is a 50-point assessment that evaluates whether a company’s operational backbone can handle two to five times its current volume without breaking. It scores five dimensions — organizational structure, physical and digital capacity, automation maturity, financial liquidity, and unit economics — on a scale of 0–10 each.
A business that can’t scale is a business that limits a buyer’s upside. SCALE identifies whether the infrastructure supports growth or constrains it.
DRIVER Test — 60 Points
Execution Capability
What does the DRIVER Test measure? The DRIVER Test is the second-largest scored framework in the Foundry 360 system at 60 points. It measures whether the leadership team can identify priorities, build plans, allocate resources, track progress, adapt to change, and deliver results. Six dimensions — direction, rhythm, integration, velocity, evidence, and resilience — are each scored 0–10.
Buyers acquire businesses that execute. DRIVER measures whether the team beneath the founder can set direction, maintain rhythm, and deliver results without the owner in the room.
EXIT Framework — 40 Points
Market Timing
What does the EXIT Framework measure? The EXIT Framework is a 40-point assessment and the only framework in the Foundry 360 system that evaluates external conditions alongside internal readiness. It scores five dimensions — economic climate, current exit multiples, industry momentum, transition readiness, and buyer demand — on a scale of 0–8 each.
Internal readiness without favorable market timing produces suboptimal outcomes. EXIT measures whether the market will reward your preparation with premium pricing.
BENCH Framework — 40 Points
Leadership Depth
What does the BENCH Framework measure? The BENCH Framework is a 40-point assessment that evaluates whether the team beneath the founder is a transferable asset or a concentrated risk. It scores five dimensions — bench depth, employment security, next-in-line readiness, concentration risk, and human capital systems — on a scale of 0–8 each.
A buyer’s biggest risk is often not the business model — it’s the people. BENCH measures whether leadership depth survives the transition.
Two Additional Tools Outside the 360-Point Total
Beyond the seven scored frameworks, the Foundry 360 ecosystem includes two standalone tools that operate outside the 360-point total. Each serves a specific purpose that the scored frameworks do not address.
LEAD Model — 40-Point Deal Evaluation
Standalone Transaction Tool
What is the LEAD Model? The LEAD Model is a standalone 40-point deal evaluation tool used when a specific transaction materializes — an acquisition offer, partnership proposal, or capital raise. It scores four dimensions: leverage position, economics (real proceeds vs. headline price), alignment between parties, and deal structure. Each dimension is scored 0–10.
The LEAD Model is event-driven. Its 40 points are scored independently and do not count toward the 360-point total. Use it when you have a deal on the table.
THREATS Framework — Seven-Category Crisis Protection
Standalone Risk Tool
What is the THREATS Framework? The THREATS Framework is a standalone crisis protection tool that identifies vulnerabilities across seven categories — turnover, hacks, reputation, economic disruption, legal actions, operational trouble, and surprises. It uses a four-tier response protocol covering the first two hours through seven days of any crisis.
THREATS does not use a point-based score. It provides a categorical assessment of whether documented response protocols exist for each threat type. It operates continuously and independently of the 360-point total.
Explore the THREATS Framework →
How to Use the Foundry 360 to Score Your Business
The Foundry 360 is designed for business owners generating $10M to $250M in annual revenue who want to understand — with specificity — where their business stands and what needs to change before going to market.
Step 1: Assess. Score each framework honestly against the defined dimensions. The frameworks include specific criteria and scoring thresholds for every dimension.
Step 2: Identify the gaps. Your total score matters less than which dimensions are dragging it down. A business scoring 240 out of 360 with a weak BENCH score and a strong SCORE has a different improvement path than one scoring 240 with a weak SCORE and a strong BENCH.
Step 3: Build the plan. Focus on the one or two weakest dimensions first. Ninety days of focused improvement on a single dimension produces more value than twelve months of scattered effort across all of them.
Step 4: Rescore. Measure again in six to twelve months. Without measurement, improvement is a feeling. With measurement, improvement is a fact.
The goal is not a perfect 360. The goal is knowing exactly where the gaps are and closing them before a buyer finds them during due diligence.
What the Foundry 360 Score Means for Enterprise Value
The Foundry 360 is not an academic exercise. It is a valuation lever.
A business generating $5M in EBITDA that scores in the low 200s might command a 3–4x multiple — an enterprise value of $15M to $20M. The same business, after focused improvement that pushes the score into the high 200s or low 300s, might command a 5–6x multiple — $25M to $30M.
The difference — $10M or more — comes from reducing the risks that buyers discount and strengthening the qualities that buyers pay premiums for. Documented systems, diversified revenue, an independent management team, strong unit economics, a capable leadership bench, and favorable market timing are not abstract qualities. They are specific, measurable dimensions that directly determine the multiple.
Every point of improvement on the Foundry 360 reduces buyer-perceived risk. Reduced risk produces higher multiples. Higher multiples produce higher enterprise value. The math is that direct.
Built by Scott Sylvan Bell
Scott Sylvan Bell is a business growth and exit strategy consultant who works with owners of companies generating $10M to $250M in annual revenue. He created The Foundry 360 after recognizing that no standard measurement existed for exit readiness — owners relied on broker opinions, accountant estimates, and gut instinct, none of which reflected what buyers actually evaluate.
Scott hosts two podcasts — one focused on sales training and one covering business growth and exit strategy — with over 200 combined episodes. He has a decade of corporate sales training experience, holds an MBA, and grew up in a family of entrepreneurs.
Know Your Number Before a Buyer Names Theirs
The Foundry 360 gives you the scored, specific, dimension-by-dimension picture of your business that a buyer will build during due diligence. The difference is timing — you see it first, with enough time to fix what needs fixing.
Seven frameworks. 360 points. Every dimension that determines your exit value.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Foundry 360
What is The Foundry 360?
The Foundry 360 is a 360-point business assessment system that scores mid-market companies across seven frameworks — measuring every dimension buyers evaluate before making an acquisition offer. Created by Scott Sylvan Bell, it is designed for business owners generating $10M to $250M in annual revenue who want to understand exactly where their business stands and what needs to change before going to market.
The seven scored frameworks are LAUNCH (30 points), SCORE (100 points), SELL (40 points), SCALE (50 points), DRIVER (60 points), EXIT (40 points), and BENCH (40 points). Two additional standalone tools — the LEAD Model and the THREATS Framework — operate outside the 360-point total for deal evaluation and crisis protection.
Why do buyers care about exit readiness?
Buyers care about exit readiness because it directly determines the risk they’re taking on. A business that scores well across the Foundry 360’s seven dimensions — systems maturity, revenue quality, owner-independence, operational capacity, execution capability, leadership depth, and market timing — presents lower acquisition risk. Lower risk means higher multiples and better deal terms for the seller.
Most buyers evaluate these dimensions during due diligence whether the seller has measured them or not. The difference is that a prepared seller can identify and fix gaps before they become discount factors in the buyer’s valuation model.
What is a business exit readiness assessment?
A business exit readiness assessment is a structured evaluation of whether a company is prepared for acquisition, merger, or sale. The Foundry 360 is a 360-point exit readiness assessment that scores businesses across seven frameworks covering the operational, financial, strategic, and leadership dimensions that buyers evaluate during due diligence.
Unlike a standard business valuation — which estimates what a company is worth today — an exit readiness assessment identifies what needs to change to maximize that value before going to market.
Who created The Foundry 360?
Scott Sylvan Bell created The Foundry 360 after recognizing that no standard measurement existed for exit readiness in the mid-market space. Business owners generating $10M to $250M in annual revenue relied on broker opinions, accountant estimates, and gut instinct — none of which reflected what buyers actually evaluate during due diligence.
Scott is a business growth and exit strategy consultant who hosts two podcasts, has a decade of corporate sales training experience, holds an MBA, and grew up in a family of entrepreneurs.
Who is The Foundry 360 designed for?
The Foundry 360 is designed for owners of mid-market businesses generating $10M to $250M in annual revenue. It serves business owners who are preparing for an exit in the next one to five years, evaluating whether their business is ready for acquisition, or building enterprise value for a future transaction.
The system measures the same dimensions that buyers, private equity firms, and acquisition teams evaluate during due diligence — making it relevant whether the owner is actively marketing the business, fielding an unsolicited offer, or building long-term value with no immediate exit planned.
How is The Foundry 360 different from a business valuation?
A business valuation estimates what a company is worth today based on financial performance and comparable transactions. The Foundry 360 identifies what needs to change to increase that value before going to market. A valuation tells you the number. The Foundry 360 tells you how to improve it.
Specifically, the Foundry 360 scores seven operational, strategic, and leadership dimensions that directly influence buyer-perceived risk — the factor that determines whether a business commands a 3x multiple or a 6x multiple on the same EBITDA.
How is The Foundry 360 different from a SWOT analysis?
A SWOT analysis identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in general terms without scoring them. The Foundry 360 scores 36 specific dimensions across seven frameworks, producing a 360-point total that quantifies exactly where a business stands and where the gaps are.
The difference is specificity and measurability. A SWOT analysis might note that “leadership depth is a weakness.” The Foundry 360 scores leadership depth across five dimensions (bench depth, employment security, next-in-line readiness, concentration risk, and human capital systems) and produces a number between 0 and 40 that can be tracked over time.
Can I use The Foundry 360 if I’m not planning to sell my business?
Yes. The Foundry 360 measures the same dimensions that make a business valuable regardless of whether a transaction is imminent. Business owners who score their company and improve weak dimensions are building enterprise value — the kind of value that compounds over time and produces options.
Many owners use the Foundry 360 as an annual operating assessment rather than an exit-specific tool. The dimensions it measures — systems maturity, revenue quality, execution capability, leadership depth — are the same dimensions that drive growth, profitability, and resilience whether or not a sale is planned.
How many frameworks are in The Foundry 360?
The Foundry 360 includes seven scored frameworks totaling 360 points, plus two standalone tools. The seven scored frameworks are: LAUNCH (30 points for action readiness), SCORE (100 points for exit readiness), SELL (40 points for revenue engine), 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).
The two standalone tools are the LEAD Model (a 40-point deal evaluation applied to specific transactions) and the THREATS Framework (a seven-category crisis protection system). These operate outside the 360-point total.
What is a good Foundry 360 score?
A good Foundry 360 score depends on context, but general ranges apply. Scores above 280 out of 360 indicate a business that is well-positioned for acquisition with strong fundamentals across most dimensions. Scores between 200 and 280 indicate solid fundamentals with specific gaps that can be addressed through focused improvement. Scores below 200 indicate significant work is needed before going to market.
The total score matters less than which specific dimensions are weak. A business scoring 260 with a very low BENCH score (leadership depth) has a different risk profile — and a different improvement path — than a business scoring 260 with a low SELL score (revenue engine). Targeted improvement on the lowest-scoring framework typically produces the highest return on effort.
What is the difference between SCORE and the other Foundry 360 frameworks?
SCORE is the largest single framework in the Foundry 360 system at 100 points, providing the broadest assessment of exit readiness across five strategic dimensions: systems maturity, concentration risk, owner-independence, revenue quality, and exit timing. The other six frameworks go deeper into specific areas.
SELL evaluates revenue engine mechanics. SCALE assesses operational capacity. DRIVER measures team execution capability. EXIT evaluates market timing and external conditions. BENCH scores leadership depth. LAUNCH measures whether the owner is positioned to act. SCORE provides the strategic overview; the other frameworks provide the operational detail.
Why are LEAD and THREATS not included in the 360-point total?
The LEAD Model and THREATS Framework are not included in the 360-point total because they serve fundamentally different purposes than the seven scored frameworks. The seven scored frameworks measure ongoing business readiness — dimensions that can be assessed and improved over time. LEAD and THREATS operate on different triggers.
The LEAD Model is event-driven — it applies only when a specific deal materializes (an acquisition offer, partnership proposal, or capital raise). The THREATS Framework is continuous — it audits crisis readiness regardless of exit timing. Neither measures the same kind of steady-state business value that the seven scored frameworks assess, which is why they operate independently.
How long does it take to complete a Foundry 360 assessment?
A thorough Foundry 360 assessment typically takes two to four weeks to complete, depending on how much supporting documentation the business already has in place. The assessment itself involves scoring each of the seven frameworks against defined criteria, but producing honest scores requires reviewing actual systems, processes, financial data, and team capabilities.
Businesses with well-documented systems and clear operational metrics can complete the assessment faster. Businesses that discover gaps during the assessment — for example, no documented sales process or no next-in-line succession plan — will spend additional time gathering the information needed to score accurately.
How many dimensions does The Foundry 360 measure?
The Foundry 360 measures 36 scored dimensions across its seven frameworks. LAUNCH measures 6 dimensions (scored 0–5 each), SCORE measures 5 dimensions (scored 0–20 each), SELL measures 4 dimensions (scored 0–10 each), SCALE measures 5 dimensions (scored 0–10 each), DRIVER measures 6 dimensions (scored 0–10 each), EXIT measures 5 dimensions (scored 0–8 each), and BENCH measures 5 dimensions (scored 0–8 each).
The THREATS Framework, which operates outside the 360-point total, adds seven categorical crisis dimensions (not point-scored). The LEAD Model adds four deal evaluation dimensions (scored 0–10 each, totaling 40 points independently).
How does The Foundry 360 score affect EBITDA multiples?
The Foundry 360 score affects EBITDA multiples by quantifying the buyer-perceived risk that determines the multiple a buyer is willing to pay. A business generating $5M in EBITDA that scores in the low 200s on the Foundry 360 might command a 3–4x multiple — an enterprise value of $15M to $20M. The same business, after focused improvement that pushes the score into the high 200s or low 300s, might command a 5–6x multiple — $25M to $30M.
The difference — $10M or more in enterprise value — comes from reducing the specific risks that buyers discount: owner-dependence, revenue concentration, undocumented systems, weak leadership bench, and poor unit economics. Every point of improvement reduces buyer-perceived risk. Reduced risk produces higher multiples.
What does each letter in SCORE stand for?
In the SCORE Framework, each letter represents one of the five dimensions of exit readiness: S for Systems Maturity, C for Concentration Risk, O for Owner-Independence, R for Revenue Quality, and E for Exit Timing. Each dimension is scored 0–20, for a maximum score of 100 points.
SCORE is the largest single framework in the Foundry 360 system and provides the broadest assessment of whether a buyer sees an asset worth acquiring or a risk to avoid.
What does each letter in DRIVER stand for?
In the DRIVER Test, each letter represents one of the six dimensions of execution capability: D for Direction, R for Rhythm, I for Integration, V for Velocity, E for Evidence, and R for Resilience. Each dimension is scored 0–10, for a maximum score of 60 points.
DRIVER is the second-largest scored framework in the Foundry 360 system and measures whether the leadership team can execute without the owner in the room.
What are the seven threat categories in the THREATS Framework?
The seven threat categories in the THREATS Framework are: Turnover, Hacks, Reputation, Economic disruption, Actions (legal), Trouble (operational), and Surprises. Each category represents a crisis type that can damage or destroy business value if no documented response protocol exists.
The THREATS Framework uses a four-tier response protocol covering the first two hours through seven days of any crisis, and provides a categorical assessment rather than a point-based score.
What does LEAD stand for in the LEAD Model?
In the LEAD Model, each letter represents one of the four dimensions of deal evaluation: L for Leverage, E for Economics, A for Alignment, and D for Deal Structure. Each dimension is scored 0–10, for a maximum standalone score of 40 points.
The LEAD Model is applied only when a specific transaction materializes and its 40 points are scored independently of the 360-point Foundry 360 total.
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