NSV Framework
How Aisocrat reads a startup decision.
This is the plain-language version of the method behind Compass and Centaur. It explains the logic without the advisor-only mechanics.
The core formula
NSV = Traction − Friction
If traction is meaningfully outweighing friction, the company is building forward momentum. If friction is winning, the company may be busy without getting clearer. The diagnostic is designed to separate these before recommending action.
Key terms
NSV
Net Strategic Vitality. The central metric. Traction outweighing friction means the company is building forward momentum. Friction winning means activity without clarity.
DUB
Dominant Upstream Bottleneck. The single constraint that, if resolved, would most improve outcomes. Every recommendation is anchored to locating and addressing this.
Traction
Real forward signal: clear product–market fit evidence, customer activation, revenue momentum, or team learning velocity. Not activity; confirmed movement.
Friction
Forces that slow or distort progress: misaligned orientation, execution gaps, coherence failures, or phase errors — doing the right work in the wrong order.
Hypothesis class
The four explanatory families: Amplitude (effort gap), Phase (orientation error), Coherence (misalignment), Topology (market / model structural mismatch).
Intervention class
Actions matched to the DUB class: Amplitude-increasing, Theta-correcting, Coherence-repair, or Transformation-repair. Prescribing "more effort" when the DUB is Phase is a common failure mode.
How the report uses it
A short chain from problem to next move
01
Start with the actual concern
The report begins with what the founder is wrestling with, not a canned business template. The first move is always locating the real concern.
02
Separate pull from drag
NSV asks whether real forward traction is outweighing the forces that are slowing or distorting progress. This separation drives the rest of the diagnostic.
03
Make the next move smaller than the final answer
The goal is not to pretend the big decision is ready. It is to recommend the smallest move that improves the evidence and reduces uncertainty before a larger commitment.
Try it now
Compass runs the diagnostic in 10 minutes and outputs a Decision Brief using this framework. Free, no account required.