domain-taxonomy

Domain and Module Taxonomy

The full analytical universe from which the assessment framework is constructed. This is not a checklist — it is the complete set of possible analytical units. The framework is built dynamically by selecting, weighting, and organizing from this universe based on the context profile and assessor criteria.

Overview: 10 Domains

Domain	ID	Focus
Market and Opportunity	1	Market validity, size, dynamics, competition
Solution and Product	2	Product maturity, IP, defensibility, regulatory
Business Model and Commercial Architecture	3	Revenue model, unit economics, margins
Go-to-Market and Commercial Execution	4	Sales, channels, acquisition, expansion
Traction and Commercial Validation	5	Revenue history, customer metrics, milestones
Management and Organizational Capability	6	Team, leadership, execution track record
Financial Performance and Projections	7	Historical financials, projections, scenarios
Risk Profile	8	All risk types across market, execution, finance, people
Capital Structure and Transaction Terms	9	Cap table, instrument, use of proceeds, protections
Legal, Compliance, and Corporate Governance	10	Corporate structure, contracts, IP ownership, governance

Module Summary (quick-reference for framework construction)

Domain 1 — Market and Opportunity (8 modules): Problem Definition · Market Sizing · Market Dynamics · Timing Thesis · Competitive Landscape · Competitive Positioning · Customer Segmentation · Demand Validation.

Domain 2 — Solution and Product (9 modules): Solution Description · Value Proposition · Development Stage · Technology Architecture · Intellectual Property · Product Roadmap · Defensibility Assessment · Regulatory and Compliance Profile · Environmental and Social Impact.

Domain 3 — Business Model (8 modules): Revenue Model · Pricing Strategy · Cost Structure · Unit Economics · Operating Leverage · Revenue Quality · Customer Economics · Monetization Sequencing.

Domain 4 — Go-to-Market (8 modules): Sales Strategy · Channel Strategy · Marketing Strategy · Customer Acquisition Economics · Retention and Expansion Mechanisms · Partnership Strategy · Market Entry Sequencing · Pipeline and Backlog.

Domain 5 — Traction (7 modules): Revenue History · Customer Metrics · Product Engagement · Commercial Milestones · Pilot and PoC Results · Independent Validation · Failure and Adaptation Record.

Domain 6 — Management (9 modules): Founder and Leadership Profile · Functional Coverage · Team Depth · Advisory and Board Composition · Organizational Structure · Talent Strategy · Cultural and Execution Evidence · Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion · Identified Gaps.

Domain 7 — Financial Performance (10 modules): Historical Financials · Revenue Projections · Cost and Margin Projections · Cash Flow Projections · Balance Sheet Projections · Key Assumptions · Scenario Analysis · Break-Even Analysis · Debt Service Analysis · Return Analysis.

Domain 8 — Risk Profile (10 modules): Market Risk · Execution Risk · Technology Risk · Financial Risk · Regulatory and Legal Risk · People Risk · Concentration Risk · Macroeconomic and Systemic Risk · ESG and Sustainability Risk · Mitigation Assessment.

Domain 9 — Capital Structure and Transaction Terms (8 modules): Current Capital Structure · Funding Instrument · Use of Proceeds · Valuation Basis · Investor/Lender Protections · Governance Rights · Exit Mechanisms · Dilution and Waterfall Analysis.

Domain 10 — Legal, Compliance, and Governance (9 modules): Corporate Structure · Ownership and Cap Table · Material Contracts · Intellectual Property Ownership · Litigation and Contingent Liabilities · Regulatory Compliance Status · Governance Structure · Data Protection and Privacy · ESG Governance and Reporting.

ESG/DEI Integration Note

ESG and DEI considerations are integrated as cross-cutting modules within their most relevant domains rather than as a separate domain. This follows the fit-to-purpose principle — ESG modules are activated based on assessor type (ILPA-compliant LPs, ESG-mandated funds, sovereign wealth funds) and vertical (climate tech, social enterprise, regulated industries). Activation criteria:

Module	Domain	Activation
Environmental and Social Impact	Domain 2 (Product)	Always optional; escalates to important for climate, clean-tech, social enterprise verticals; mandatory for impact funds
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion	Domain 6 (Management)	Always optional; escalates to important when assessor profile indicates ILPA compliance or DEI mandate
ESG and Sustainability Risk	Domain 8 (Risk)	Always optional; escalates to important for regulated sectors, ESG-mandated funds, sovereign wealth; mandatory for impact investing
ESG Governance and Reporting	Domain 10 (Legal)	Always optional; escalates to important when assessor requires ILPA DDQ compliance or ESG framework maturity assessment

Standards alignment: ILPA ESG Assessment Framework (four maturity tiers: Not Present, Developing, Intermediate, Advanced), UN PRI integration guidance, SFDR classification (Article 6/8/9 where applicable).

Framework Construction Process

Step 1 — Domain Activation: Apply stage calibration (stage-calibration skill) and vertical calibration (vertical-calibration skill). Document inactivation rationale for any domain excluded.

Step 2 — Module Activation: For each active domain, determine module criticality: mandatory (always scored), important (scored unless clearly inapplicable), optional (scored when evidence exists). Apply vertical and commercial model adjustments.

Step 3 — Criticality Classification: Classify each active domain as hard-blocker, critical, standard, or contextual. This drives go/no-go gate logic and domain floor thresholds. Hard-blocker status is determined dynamically.

Step 4 — Weight Assignment: Assign domain weights summing to 1.0 across active domains. Assign module weights within each domain summing to 1.0. Both scoring tracks use the same weights.

Step 5 — Framework Confirmation: Present full framework at Confirmation Point 2. Document all adjustments in the framework construction log.

Hard Blocker Determination

A module is a hard blocker when: (a) its absence renders the submission analytically incoherent for the identified transaction type, or (b) professional standards for the identified assessor type require it. Examples by context:

• Founder and Leadership Profile — hard blocker for all equity assessors at all stages
• Regulatory and Compliance Profile — hard blocker for verticals with regulatory exposure (Fintech, Medtech, Healthtech, regulated sectors)
• Debt Service Analysis — hard blocker for all credit/debt assessors
• Use of Proceeds — hard blocker for all transaction types
• IP Ownership — hard blocker for technology companies with proprietary IP claims
• Unit Economics — hard blocker for Series A+ equity assessors
• Market Sizing — hard blocker for all equity assessors (any stage)

Hard blocker status must be documented in the framework construction log with the standard or rationale.

References

Full module definitions with analytical content, assessment indicators, and common failure patterns are in the domain-specific reference files. Load these when performing module-level analysis or scoring:

• references/domain-1-market.md — Domain 1: Market and Opportunity
• references/domain-2-product.md — Domain 2: Solution and Product
• references/domain-3-business-model.md — Domain 3: Business Model
• references/domain-4-gtm.md — Domain 4: Go-to-Market
• references/domain-5-traction.md — Domain 5: Traction
• references/domain-6-management.md — Domain 6: Management
• references/domain-7-financials.md — Domain 7: Financial Performance
• references/domain-8-risk.md — Domain 8: Risk Profile
• references/domain-9-capital.md — Domain 9: Capital Structure
• references/domain-10-legal.md — Domain 10: Legal and Governance