# FAQs ## **How did you choose which behavioral analytics tools are used by Founder Story?** In the early stages of our research, we measured a broad spectrum of features. We examined behaviors, acumen, competencies, motivators, and emotional intelligence competencies. We discovered that some features were predictive of performance and others weren’t. After this wide survey, we developed the Entrepreneur Habits Assessment, a tailored assessment measuring predictive entrepreneur habits. ## **What are psychometrics?** A psychometric is a tool to measure psychological traits, features, and abilities. These traits may include cognitive skill, personality, communication style preferences, and more. Psychometric assessments come in many forms, but Two Story only uses assessments that are empirically validated and based on research done by academics working in behavioral sciences. ## **How are these assessment tools validated?** Two Story holds a rigorous standard for assessment tools. Our tools have been evaluated by several peer-reviewed studies to demonstrate consistency. The psychometric assessment tools we use abide by the best practices defined by the American Psychological Association (APA). Two Story’s findings have served as a foundation for curricular materials at Harvard University and Westminster University in the UK. ## **Can people manipulate their psychometric assessment scores?** Our assessment tools use both transparent and non-transparent questions to generate an individual’s unique psychometric profile. Moreover, some questions are designed to reveal different aspects of the same behavioral characteristic, meaning we can sense just how developed certain traits are. In short, our questions are largely non-transparent and are nuanced enough to prevent nearly all assessment manipulation. ## **Why do you measure psychometric features rather than general intelligence and critical thinking?** Research has shown that cognitive abilities (general intelligence, critical thinking) are more or less fixed. Psychometric features, however, which include behavior, acumen, motivators, and emotional intelligence, are more elastic. Though an individual is unlikely to develop without intention and effort, development is possible. Two Story has spent decades working with leaders and workplaces to implement changes based on findings from behavioral science. It is possible for an individual to work with their assessment findings to strengthen elements of their profile or design teams to address blind spots. ## **How do you know the scores aren’t an anomaly?** Our assessments ask questions in multiple ways in order to account for different interpretations of the question. Moreover, approaching a trait in a variety of ways allows the respondent to provide nuance. We measure psychometric features, which are typically quite stable and unlikely to shift in the short term. Therefore, we can confidently say our assessments offer a reliable measure of habits. ## **What type of artificial intelligence powers Founder Story?** Founder Story is powered by the Simple RulesTM algorithm, a proprietary machine learning technique to learn a set of explainable rules specific to a target outcome (for Founder Story, this is the entrepreneur’s aptitude to build a successful startup). ## Surely there’s not just one profile of success. I look around and see people with many different behavioral styles succeeding. **How does your algorithm account for multiple profiles of success?** Yes, there are multiple profiles of success—and our algorithm accounts for that. Though the algorithm identifies and isolates individual traits that lead to success, it does not do so in isolation. It then uses data fusion to combine these traits to build multiple profiles of success. ## **How do you communicate the Founder Story value proposition to the entrepreneur?** Founder Story provides an objective analysis of an entrepreneur’s aptitude to build a successful startup with personalized recommendations for improving their performance. The results: * Accelerates fundraising by adding credibility to the pitch, and proactively executing a portion of the due diligence * Creates clarity by identifying specific habits that are inherent strengths and revealing which habits may derail the success of their startup * Improves investor relationships by identifying opportunities for investors to complement the founding team “I was initially skeptical, but this proved to be the best return on investment of any activity my team participated in this year” - Founder Story Entrepreneur ## **How is “success” defined? And who defines it?** Successful entrepreneurs build, scale, and exit their startup, returning greater than 1x multiple to their investors. ## Are the results trustworthy? Unlike other AI models, our algorithm is explainable—meaning it’s completely interpretable. It is designed with transparency in mind. We can understand how and why it reached its conclusion. Moreover, the fact that our algorithm empowers humans to define success based on the needs in the situation adds an additional level of transparency. ## **Can an algorithm really tell me if an entrepreneur is going to be successful?** No. But an algorithm can tell you where you score on the competencies you’ll need to succeed. These competencies include behavior, acumen, motivators, and emotional intelligence. Armed with this knowledge, you can address your own blind spots (by partnering with others, creating processes to address your derailers, etc.), understand your strengths, and improve your likelihood of success. With Founder Story, you’ll have the insider edge—the beta you need to leverage to succeed. ## **How long does the assessment take?** The assessments take around 15-30 minutes. Once submitted, results are available within minutes. ## **How do you account for other factors such as market timing, luck, technology, etc?** Many factors contribute to an entrepreneur’s success, but even we—behavioral science experts—were surprised to find the degree to which an entrepreneur’s behavioral traits matter when it comes to success. Our data demonstrated that up to 78% of an entrepreneur’s success is based on their psychometric profile. So while our method does not currently capture factors outside the individual’s psychometric profile, we found that their profile is an enormously important factor of success. ## **How will you use a founder’s data?** We will use your data to identify potential hurdles in your entrepreneurial journey. We will also use your data to enhance the experience of others by learning from your data. ## **What does Founder Story show? What is presented in the analysis?** Two Story presents a rating of likelihood of overall success. We also include: 1. A unique analysis of obstacles this particular entrepreneur will likely face 2. Clear communication strategies for working with this entrepreneur 3. Insights on how to unleash this entrepreneur’s intrinsic motivation 4. Tactics to effectively nudging this entrepreneur ## As an investor, I already have an effective process for choosing which entrepreneurs to support. Why use Founder Story? Founder Story optimizes selection processes by quickly and effectively identifying risk associated with the psychometric profile of an entrepreneur. Once you have selected entrepreneurs, you can use Founder Story to fast-track their success. Founder Story identifies each person’s unique hurdles and customizes recommendations for how to develop the entrepreneur. All of this is presented on an easy-to-use dashboard. ## **When it comes to success, how do you know you’re measuring the right traits?** Our initial study measured approximately 120 unique psychometric features. Based on that data, we were able to isolate the 8 features most relevant to entrepreneurship. These traits align with what behavioral scientists have observed in the field. ## **How will I benefit from learning about my psychometric profile?** Founder Story has the potential to significantly increase the confidence your investors have in you. In the event that there are aspects of your profile to address, you have the opportunity to use Founder Story as a tool to learn how to bulletproof yourself. ## **What if I don’t like my results? Will this keep me from getting funded?** Two Story is committed to designing and implementing technology that augments human decision-making. Founder Story does not replace the decision-maker. In any funding process, your business goes through rigorous due diligence processes and is subject to several stress tests. Psychometrics assessments are a resource: they can reveal your Achilles’ heel so that you can put your best foot forward as you enter a challenging marketplace. Yes, there is risk in taking a psychometric assessment. But there’s also risk in investing in start-ups. And you didn’t become an entrepreneur to avoid risk. ## **Can I have an investor account if I registered as a founder of a startup in Founder Story?** Yes, however, you will need to contact support so we can implement this account update. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.twostory.com/founder-story/faqs-1/faqs.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. 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