Academic Founder Role Design

Produce a first complete and usable asset for Academic Founder Role Design. The objective is to remove ambiguity around academic role, time, conflict, CEO/co-founder needs and governance, give the founder a decision-ready output, and make it clear whether the venture should progress, repeat the task with stronger evidence, escalate to expert support, or move into a linked stage.

Bertie or a programme manager assigns Academic Founder Role Design when the venture needs a decision-ready output for this group. Typical triggers include group-gate reviews, evidence gaps identified by the co-pilot or founder request.

research asset; IP or publication status; research team; technology maturity; candidate applications; draft inputs or template to complete; specific context for academic role, time, conflict, CEO/co-founder needs and governance.

1. 1Audit Existing Material and Framework Templatesexpand_more

   Review existing university IP policies, consultancy agreements, employment contracts, and initial venture notes to establish baseline commitments. Map these inputs into the standard academic founder role design framework to establish what is already fixed versus what remains negotiable.

   Objective

   Completing this action establishes a clear baseline of existing academic obligations and institutional constraints. It prevents redundant effort in the parent task by grounding the role design process in legally binding institutional realities from the outset.

   What's expected

   The founder must present a populated initial framework listing current academic employment terms, university spinout guidelines, and mapped existing materials. This must explicitly highlight hard constraints such as teaching hours, grant obligations, and institutional notice periods.

   Consultant stress-test · 5 questions

   1. 1.What specific clauses in your current university contract limit the amount of time you can legally dedicate to this venture?
   2. 2.How have you verified that the initial documents provided reflect the university's current spinout policy rather than outdated guidelines?
   3. 3.Why have you assumed the tech transfer office will accept your proposed time split without a formal conflict of interest waiver?
   4. 4.Which specific IP policies or consultancy allowances have you used to anchor the starting boundaries of your commercial involvement?
   5. 5.How does your mapping of existing commitments account for upcoming teaching terms or major research grant deliverables?

   Open action arrow_forward
2. 2Map Time Allocations and Governance Conflictsexpand_more
3. 3Define Founder Capabilities and Executive Requirementsexpand_more
4. 4Validate Strategic Alignment with Venture Thesisexpand_more
5. 5Stress Test Vulnerabilities and Address Gapsexpand_more
6. 6Finalise Decision-Ready Data Room Deliverableexpand_more

• A data-room asset titled Academic Founder Role Design
• A completed working asset, template, framework or decision-ready document that can be stored in the data room
• It should update the venture DNA with specific evidence or decisions about academic role, time, conflict, CEO/co-founder needs and governance, create a visible milestone in the founder journey, and generate one or more recommended next tasks

A mentor or evaluator can review the output at the group gate. Programme managers can require an advisor checkpoint before Bertie moves the venture forward.

Draft your output and let Bertie review it