Transfer Readiness Checklist

A printable gate before Model Transfer Evaluation. Six checks that tell you whether a transfer thesis is ready for validation spend — or still forming.

Who this is for

For: operators weighing whether a proven model deserves a paid evaluation.

Useful when: you want to tighten thesis quality before sending a brief, not after.

The checklist takes five minutes. It runs the same logic as the fit gate in Brief Desk, so a thesis that clears here clears there.

What must line up

Model transfer is a route, not a leap. A proven model gets decoded at the source, adapted for the gap, and moved into an underserved market. Three waypoints sit on that route:

| Waypoint | What it carries | | --- | --- | | Model source | The proven business, product, or workflow | | Transfer gate | The fit checks below | | Signal proof | The named evidence that the transfer works |

Model, market, advantage, and proof point must line up before validation spend. If any one of the four is missing, the gate stays closed.

The six checks

Score one point for each statement that is true today — not aspirationally, today.

1. Model. There is an existing business, product, workflow, or proven model to improve.
2. Market. The market, process, or customer journey is underserved, fragmented, or underperforming.
3. Edge. You bring decision authority, market access, distribution, domain insight, or capital.
4. Proof. You can describe the customer or workflow problem and what would prove progress.
5. Structure. Scoped services, JV, building together, or aligned advisory is realistic if evidence clears.
6. Tempo. You are ready to move in weeks, not exploratory quarters.

If the proof point cannot be named before build, the thesis is not ready for scale.

Reading your score

Three tiers. The thresholds are deliberate — partial credit does not open the gate.

| Checks true | Tier | What it means | | --- | --- | --- | | 5–6 | Ready to brief | Most fit criteria apply. Continue in Brief Desk with the same checklist. | | 3–4 | Tighten thesis | A few gaps remain. Name the proof point and decision owner before evaluation. | | 0–2 | Still forming | Use the field notes to sharpen the thesis before spending validation budget. |

A "tighten" score is not a failure. It is a list of named gaps, and gaps close faster than instincts sharpen.

Closing the gaps

Each unchecked item maps to a specific fix:

• No reference model named? Name the model, product, or workflow you are improving. Start with the field note on whether a model is worth transferring.
• Market gap undocumented? Document the market or workflow gap before validation spend. RECON comes before roadmap.
• No proof point? Define what would prove progress before build. The Model Transfer Evaluation process shows what a named proof point looks like.

The pattern across all three: decode before you adapt, define proof before you chase it.

What happens after the gate

A cleared checklist feeds the brief journey: route, fit gate, brief, send. Once a brief lands, the process is fixed:

1. Brief review. Within 2–3 business days the venture thesis or services brief is reviewed against fit criteria, operating context, and next proof.
2. Fit call or direct no-go. If aligned, a 30–45 minute fit call scopes a Model Transfer Evaluation, services engagement, or validation sprint. If not, the answer is a brief no with a reason.
3. Validation or stop. Cleared work moves into a time-boxed sprint with named outcomes, instrumentation, and stop criteria. Weak evidence is a decision, not a delay.

No exploratory quarters. No free discovery loops. The checklist exists so that the first paid hour is spent on validation, not on figuring out what the thesis is.

The operating principle

Most transfer theses die from vagueness, not from bad models. The model is usually fine — it worked somewhere. What kills the transfer is an unnamed market gap, a missing edge, or a proof point nobody defined before the build started.

Six checks, five minutes. If the gate opens, move in weeks. If it does not, the checklist has just saved you a validation budget.