How the LaunchGenius Assessment Works

Methodology note · Business Launch Check and Mission Readiness Assessment

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LaunchGenius looks at a business the way a launch team checks a rocket: system by system, before liftoff. This note explains what we measure, how we score it, and what the scores do and don't mean.

WHAT IT MEASURES

Both assessments cover the same nine pillars. The Business Launch Check asks 9 scored questions, one per pillar, for a quick snapshot. The Mission Readiness Assessment asks 36 scored questions, four per pillar, for a fuller picture. Both also include optional written questions that add context to your recommendations and 90-day plan; they are never scored.

HOW SCORING WORKS

• Each answer scores A = 3, B = 2 or C = 1. Every question also offers an honest "I'd have to check" option. Those answers are left out of the score, flagged as visibility gaps, and each one becomes a get-the-baseline step in your first 30 days. (In the Mission Readiness Assessment, the pick-all-that-apply tools question converts to 0–3 points; "None of the above" scores 0.)
• Pillar score = points earned ÷ points possible on the questions you answered × 100. In the Business Launch Check, an "I'd have to check" answer leaves that pillar unscored. In the Mission Readiness Assessment, a pillar needs at least 2 of its 4 answers to be scored, and it is flagged low-confidence if more than 40% of its answers are unknown. An unscored pillar is left blank, never counted as 0.
• Overall score = the weighted average of the scored pillars (weights re-spread over them), a whole number from 0 to 100. The tier is marked Provisional when fewer than 6 of 9 pillars are answered (Business Launch Check) or fewer than 7 of 9 are scored (Mission Readiness Assessment).
• Tiers: Grounded 0–39 · Fueling 40–54 · Ignition 55–69 · Liftoff 70–84 · Orbit 85–100.

FRAMEWORK REFERENCE

Our pillar structure was informed by the categories of the Baldrige Excellence Framework®, a public-domain framework published by NIST, in partnership with the Baldrige Foundation. LaunchGenius is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, NIST, or the Baldrige Foundation. We use only the framework's category structure as a reference point; our questions, weights and scoring are our own. Category names refer to the 2026 revision (Leadership, Strategy, Customers, Organizational Intelligence, Workforce, Operations). Marketing and Brand, Sales and Revenue, Digital Presence and Financial Health only partly overlap with those categories, and some framework areas (governance, community contributions, suppliers and partners) are outside our scope.

Source: Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. 2026. Baldrige Excellence Framework® (Business/Nonprofit/Government): Proven Leadership and Management Practices for High Performance. Gaithersburg, MD: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology. www.baldrigefoundation.org/what-we-do/baldrige-excellence-framework

PUBLIC BENCHMARK SOURCES

When a peer match exists, the Mission Readiness Report compares a business with public U.S. data, cited by name and year: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics (data through March 2025); U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses (2022); U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics (2023); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025). These describe peers, not your business.

LIMITS: WHAT THE SCORES DO AND DON'T CLAIM

• Scores reflect your own answers. They are not an audit of your books, systems or legal standing.
• A score is a readiness snapshot. It does not predict success or failure, and it is not a credit rating, valuation, or financial, legal or tax advice.
• The Business Launch Check uses one question per pillar, so treat it as a starting point; the Mission Readiness Assessment is more complete.
• This is not an accredited or certified assessment. It is not endorsed, certified or sponsored by, or affiliated with, NIST, the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program or the Baldrige Foundation.

HOW IT WILL BE VALIDATED OVER TIME

• Check how consistent each pillar's four Mission Readiness questions are (internal reliability).
• Compare Business Launch Check and Mission Readiness results for the same businesses.
• Follow up at 6 and 12 months to test whether scores track real outcomes.
• Invite an independent reviewer and publish a summary. Weights change only on evidence, each with a new version.

Version 1.1 · October 30, 2026 · Business Launch Check v2.2 and Mission Readiness Assessment v2.1
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