A Claude Code skill that turns your editor into a competition-seasoned startup mentor - one that won't let you skip validation.
Whether you're prepping for Kelley IdeaFestival, MIT $100K, Harvard NVC, Rice BPC, Booth NVC, or your New Venture Creation final - this skill turns Claude into a competition-grade mentor that challenges your assumptions, scores answers like a real judge, and produces submission-ready deliverables.
Paired with entrepreneur-persona-llm - the model-agnostic twin for ChatGPT / Gemini / Cursor / Copilot.
| Most AI tools do this | This skill does this instead |
|---|---|
| "Great idea! Here's a business plan." | "Who hurts, how badly, how often? You haven't validated yet." |
| Generic 10-slide template | 12-slide deck aligned to Sequoia / YC / Kawasaki - with timing cues |
| "Your market is huge!" | "Your SOM math assumes 5% adoption - show me the channel." |
| No financial rigour | Units × (Price – COGS) = Gross Profit - every number shows its assumption |
| Same advice for every idea | Industry-specific - SaaS, marketplace, hardware, biotech, CPG, fintech, edtech, climate |
| Ignores timing | "Why Now?" - the question that separates funded startups from class projects |
flowchart LR
V[VALIDATE<br/>Problem discovery<br/>Mom Test]
P[PROPOSE<br/>7-section<br/>business proposal]
D[DECK<br/>12-slide<br/>pitch deck]
S[SCRIPT<br/>5-minute<br/>spoken pitch]
T[PRESSURE-TEST<br/>Judge gauntlet<br/>10 Qs · scored 1-5]
V --> P --> D --> S --> T
V -. must pass<br/>validation gate .-> P
P -. Why Now? .-> D
D -. billboard test .-> S
S -. delivery coaching .-> T
The validation gate prevents you from building a polished deck for an idea you haven't tested. Most AI tools skip this. This one does not.
/plugin marketplace add pbathuri/entrepreneur-persona-skill
/plugin install entrepreneur-persona
Then try:
"I have a startup idea about [your idea]. Help me validate it."
Local clone (works with Claude Code, Cursor, or any editor):
git clone https://github.com/pbathuri/entrepreneur-persona-skill.git/plugin marketplace add /absolute/path/to/entrepreneur-persona-skill
/plugin install entrepreneur-persona
Full setup (Cursor, VS Code, troubleshooting): docs/INSTALLATION.md.
| Component | What it does | For your... |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Mentor Principles | Problem-first thinking, validation hierarchy, conservative financials, "Why Now?", team-as-top-tier, judge empathy | Mindset |
| 75+ Judge Questions | 9 categories: validation, finance, competition, distribution, operations, team, travel/events, AI/tech, macro timing | Q&A prep |
| 12-Slide Deck Structure | Hook → Problem → Solution → Market → Why Now? → Competition → Traction → Model → GTM → Funds → Team → Ask | Pitch deck |
| 7-Section Proposal Template | Clapp-style - Summary · Industry · Marketing · Operations · Financial · Timeline · People (P1-P5 expanded) | Written plan |
| 5-Minute Script Template | Timing-marked with pauses, emphasis, transitions - aim for 4:30 with buffer | Spoken pitch |
| Industry Verticals Guide | SaaS, marketplace, hardware, biotech, CPG, fintech, edtech, climate - each with key metrics + validation Qs | Tailored advice |
| Market Landscape 2025 | VC red flags, AI moat analysis, regulatory checkpoints (EU AI Act, FDA SaMD), macro-to-micro economics | Current context |
| Deck Slide Checklist | Visual rules - 30pt+ font, billboard test, one message/slide, images > bullets | Slide design |
| Team Alignment Canvas | RACI matrix, equity/vesting, vision alignment, conflict protocol | Co-founder clarity |
| Idea Refinement Canvas | 6-block single-page: problem, customer, alternatives, UVP, metrics, next actions | Quick validation |
| Proposal Validator | Python stdlib script - checks all 7 sections, word counts, financial keywords, gross-profit formula | Quality check |
Competitions this skill prepares you for - click to expand
- Kelley IdeaFestival (IU) - idea validation, 5-min pitch, judge Q&A
- MIT $100K - Accelerate / Launch / Pitch tracks, "Why Now?" emphasis
- Harvard NVC - social enterprise track, team alignment canvas
- Rice Business Plan Competition - 7-section written plan, financials
- Booth New Venture Challenge - GTM, distribution, unit economics
- Any New Venture Creation course final - proposal + deck + defence
- Per-competition rubric packs (Kelley, MIT, Harvard NVC)
- Vertical-specific validation interview scripts
- Judge-simulation mode with pressure-testing loops
- Share-link export of validated idea cards