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Workflow: Author Foundation File

When to use

User wants to create a new foundation file or improve an existing one.

Core principle

You are extracting and structuring the user's domain knowledge. You are NOT generating knowledge from your own training data. If you don't know something, ask. If the user doesn't know something, mark it as a gap to validate later.

Process

Step 1: Identify the concept

Determine which foundation type is needed. Ask if not clear: "What domain concept should this foundation cover?"

Common types: ICP, competitor, messaging, product capabilities, brand voice, culture principles, role architecture, compensation philosophy, domain expertise.

Step 2: Interview

Interview the user to extract their knowledge. Ask one question at a time. Be specific. Follow up on vague answers.

Interview approach by foundation type:

ICP Foundation

  1. "Describe your ideal customer company. What industry, size, stage?"
  2. "Who's the primary buyer? Title, function, what they care about."
  3. "What situation are they in before they find you? What are they using today?"
  4. "What specific pain points does this buyer have? Observable problems, not abstract needs."
  5. "What triggers them to start looking for a solution?"
  6. "Why haven't they solved this already? What keeps them stuck?"
  7. "What language do they use to describe their problem? Their actual words, not your marketing words."
  8. "What kind of proof do they trust? Case studies, metrics, peer references, certifications?"
  9. "What are their common objections?"
  10. "What signals tell you this is NOT the right prospect?"

Competitor Foundation

  1. "Who is this competitor? Brief overview of what they do."
  2. "What do they genuinely do well? Be honest."
  3. "Where do they fall short, specifically for your ICP?"
  4. "How do they position themselves? What's their primary claim?"
  5. "How are you different? Be specific and provable."
  6. "In what situations are they actually the better choice?"
  7. "What causes their customers to start looking at alternatives?"
  8. "When a prospect is considering switching from them to you, what objections come up?"
  9. "What do you know about their pricing and packaging?"

Messaging Foundation

  1. "What is your core value proposition? In the customer's language, not yours."
  2. "What are your 3-5 key proof points?"
  3. "How do you differentiate by segment? Does the message change for different buyers?"
  4. "What words or phrases do you deliberately use? Which do you avoid?"
  5. "What's your hierarchy: if you can only say one thing, what is it?"

Brand Voice Foundation

  1. "Show me 2-3 examples of writing that sound like your brand at its best."
  2. "Show me something that does NOT sound like your brand."
  3. "How does formality change by audience? Give me the range."
  4. "What personality traits define your voice? Give me a behavior for each, not just an adjective."
  5. "What words or phrases are banned? What are your go-to expressions?"

Product/Service Foundation

  1. "What does the product do? For whom?"
  2. "How does it work, at a level your buyer needs to understand?"
  3. "What are its limitations? What does it NOT do?"
  4. "What are the technical requirements or dependencies?"
  5. "What's the pricing model?"

For other foundation types, construct a similar interview sequence: start broad, go specific, ask for examples, ask for counter-examples.

Step 3: Structure the output

Transform interview answers into a structured foundation file. Follow these rules:

File structure:

# [Foundation Type]: [Specific Concept]

## Last validated
[Date] by [User's name/role — ask if not known]

## [Structured sections relevant to the concept]
[Use structured fields for core claims, prose for nuance]

Formatting rules:

  • Use structured fields (key: value) for factual claims, not prose paragraphs
  • Use prose only for nuance, explanation, or context that structured fields can't capture
  • Include negative specification: what is NOT true, what does NOT apply
  • Be specific. "B2B SaaS companies, Series B-C, 50-500 employees" not "mid-market companies"
  • Use the user's actual language, not polished marketing speak
  • Mark anything unvalidated: [UNVALIDATED — needs confirmation from [role]]

Separation check before saving: Review the file and remove anything that is:

  • An instruction for how to use the information (→ belongs in a technique)
  • A specific situational detail (→ belongs in context)
  • A duplicate of something in another foundation file

Step 4: Review with the user

Present the structured file to the user. Ask:

  1. "Does this accurately reflect reality? Not aspirations, reality."
  2. "Is anything missing that you'd want AI to know when generating outputs for this domain?"
  3. "Is anything wrong or overstated?"

Make corrections. Set the "Last validated" date to today.

Step 5: Save

Save to foundations/foundation-[concept].md using the naming convention.

Update the README's module list if a README exists.

Quality checks

Before finalizing, verify:

  • File contains ONLY declarative claims (what is true), no instructions
  • "Last validated" date and validator are set
  • Structured fields are used for core claims
  • Negative specification is included (what's not true, what doesn't apply)
  • No aspirational statements disguised as facts
  • Honest about weaknesses and limitations
  • No duplication with other foundation files
  • Specific enough that AI can extract precise information
  • Unvalidated claims are flagged