TeamDNA™ Overview
Overview
Great ideas are everywhere. But how do you know if the team behind the idea has what it takes to execute, scale, and exit successfully? Most startups don’t fail because of bad ideas—they fail because of weak teams. Poor leadership, founder conflicts, or mismatched roles can derail even the most promising opportunities. Introducing TeamDNA™—the tool that empowers investors and founders to analyze, benchmark, and optimize their teams for success.
Quick Summary
TeamDNA™ is a 15-minute, research-backed assessment that reveals whether a founding team has the psychological traits, cognitive styles, and decision-making heuristics proven to predict startup execution and investor returns. The survey utilizes the HEXACO personality model, along with nine entrepreneurship-specific traits, benchmarks scores against those of thousands of founders, corporates, and successful exits, and delivers an investor-ready report instantly.
Why Customers Love It
-
- Cuts diligence time from weeks to minutes – investors get hard data on “Can this team execute?” without marathon interviews.
- Scientifically valid – built on 20 years of peer-reviewed HEXACO research plus proven entrepreneurial predictors such as self-efficacy, innovation, stress-tolerance, and locus of control.
- Actionable benchmarks – see exactly how your scores compare to corporate managers, average entrepreneurs, and teams with prior exits.
- Founder-friendly – Likert-scale clicks only, no essays; finish in one sitting and get the report link immediately.
- Flexible deployment – run it as a stand-alone tool or bundle it with the DealIQ™ suite for full startup readiness scoring.
What Constitutes a TeamDNA™ Profile?
TeamDNA™ considers and incorporates six broad HEXACO domains (Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness) plus nine entrepreneurship traits (self-efficacy, autonomy, initiative, innovativeness, achievement motivation, locus of control, risk-taking, stress tolerance, and faith). It also profiles cognitive style and heuristic use.
How much time is required to complete a TeamDNA™ Profile?
Less than 15 minutes per participant. Each statement is timed (≈ 8 seconds) to keep responses instinctive and best ensure that each response is an accurate reflection of the individual profile
Who Should Fill Out Your TeamDNA™ Profile?
Your TeamDNA™ survey and team profile should include each of your full-time C-suite and board members. CEOs can also invite advisors and contractors, but only full-time leadership is incorporated into your TeamDNA™ profile.
Is TeamDNA™ methodology scientifically validated?
Yes, the survey methodology and profile analysis reporting of TeamDNA™ is scientifically validated. It leverages the well-established HEXACO inventory and entrepreneurship meta-analyses showing strong correlations (e.g., self-efficacy r ≈ 0.42) with venture success.
What do we get back? / How to View the TeamDNA™ report(s)?
Upon completion of each Team Member profile as well as upon completion of all invited Team member profiles, an immediate, shareable link is made accessible on each Team authenticated login that plots team scores against multiple benchmark groups, highlights high/low traits with plain-language commentary, and summarizes readiness strengths and gaps will be made available. Access will remain with you. The profile reports for each Team Member and the overall Team are accessed from the TeamDNA™ page of the authenticated user’s Startup Ecosystem™ application portal.
Can we retake TeamDNA™?
Yes, after a new funding round, major C-suite turnover, or a specific investor request. Otherwise, we ask you to wait a minimum of 6 months before retaking a TeamDNA™ survey to produce a refreshed TeamDNA™ profile.
How is our TeamDNA™ data protected?
The TeamDNA™ results belong to you and your team. Reports are released only via the secure link that you control; no one sees them unless you choose to copy and share, or share from within the Startup Ecosystem™ application portal.
How is AI Used in TeamDNA™?
General Use of AI with TeamDNA™
TeamDNA™ does not use AI to calculate results. All scoring and insights come from validated psychometric models. However, AI may be used in the future to aid teams in interpreting results, answering FAQs, or personalizing reporting.
TeamDNA™ Use of AI in Relation to Founding Teams
Unlike AI-driven assessments that can feel like a ‘black box,’ TeamDNA™ is transparent. The core analysis is based on established psychological science. AI is an optional layer we use to improve clarity, not to generate the core insights.
TeamDNA™ Use of AI in Relation to Investors and Accelerators
AI isn’t in the core calculations of TeamDNA™. Instead, we’re exploring AI as a supportive tool. For example, auto-highlighting potential risk factors or simplifying reporting for portfolio reviews.
TeamDNA™ Use of AI in Relation to Academics and Coaches
By design, TeamDNA™ has been intentionally designed without overstating the use of AI. TeamDNA™ is evidence-based first. AI can be layered on to improve pedagogy, reporting, or engagement—but it never replaces the underlying science.