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Constraint Inventory

Purpose

Before selecting a business model, you need a clear inventory of reality.

This page builds that inventory.

Why This Step Is Often Avoided

Many people resist this step because it feels limiting.

They fear naming constraints will:

  • shrink their options
  • make them feel behind
  • force uncomfortable honesty

Then they design businesses that fight their lives instead of fitting them.

What a Constraint Inventory Is

A Constraint Inventory is:

  • a design tool
  • a structural diagnosis
  • a decision filter

It is not:

  • an excuse
  • self-judgment
  • a list of failures

Constraints are neutral data.

Hard vs Soft Constraints

Not all constraints are equal.

Constraint: A limitation that creates real damage if violated
(financial, health, relational, legal)

Preference: A desire that would be nice to honor, but does not create structural damage if ignored.

Use this test:

If violating this would cause real instability or harm, it is a constraint.
If it only causes discomfort, it is likely a preference.

Also classify constraints by type:

  • Fixed (health conditions, legal limits, caregiving obligations)
  • Temporary (current job schedule, short-term capital limits)
  • Adjustable (skills that can be developed, beliefs that can evolve)

You will label each constraint accordingly.

The Seven Core Constraint Categories

Do not overanalyze.

Be precise and honest.

1. Time

  • How many hours per week can you realistically commit?
  • Are those hours consistent or unpredictable?
  • Do you have long focused blocks or short bursts?
Core Time Diagnostic Questions
  • What would cause you to consistently miss weekly execution targets?
  • Do you control your schedule or react to it?
  • What is the longest focused block you can protect weekly?
  • How many weeks of interruption can you tolerate?
  • What external obligations override business work?

2. Money

  • How much can you invest without stress?
  • How long can you operate before income is required?
  • Is early revenue necessary?
Core Money Diagnostic Questions
  • What level of financial loss would create instability?
  • What is your true cash runway in months?
  • Do you require predictable income?
  • Are you willing to reinvest profits?
  • What expenses are non-negotiable?

3. Energy

  • When do you think most clearly?
  • What drains you quickly?
  • What work feels sustainable over months?
Core Energy Diagnostic Questions
  • What type of work leaves you depleted for hours?
  • What work could you repeat weekly for a year?
  • How many high-focus sessions can you sustain per week?
  • What social exposure level is tolerable?
  • What creates cognitive fatigue fastest?

4. Personality

  • Do you prefer solo work or collaboration?
  • Are you comfortable being visible?
  • Do you tolerate persuasion and selling well?
Core Personality Diagnostic Questions
  • Do you enjoy influencing others?
  • Do you avoid confrontation?
  • Do you prefer structured or ambiguous environments?
  • Are you energized or drained by public visibility?
  • How much persuasion feels sustainable?

5. Skills

  • What can you already execute well?
  • What are you willing to learn?
  • What do you avoid consistently?
Core Skill Diagnostic Questions
  • What do others consistently rely on you for?
  • What tasks do you complete faster than peers?
  • What skills have compounded over time?
  • What have you repeatedly failed to improve?
  • What skill gaps would stall execution?

6. Lifestyle

  • Location limitations
  • Care responsibilities
  • Health constraints
  • Schedule rigidity or flexibility
Core Lifestyle Diagnostic Questions
  • What responsibilities cannot be delegated?
  • What schedule disruptions are predictable?
  • What environment do you require to think clearly?
  • Are travel or relocation possible?
  • What daily rhythms are fixed?

7. Risk Tolerance

  • How do you respond to uncertainty?
  • Can you tolerate income volatility?
  • Do you prefer gradual growth or rapid risk?
Core Risk Diagnostic Questions
  • How do you behave under financial stress?
  • What downside is unacceptable?
  • Do you prefer predictable or volatile income?
  • How quickly do you make decisions under uncertainty?
  • How much variance can you psychologically tolerate?
Constraint Inventory Worksheet

The worksheet version of this inventory is available as a standalone page.
It includes all seven categories in a structured, fillable format along with
an optional AI analysis prompt for identifying patterns in your completed profile.

Open the Constraint Inventory Worksheet

Output Requirement

Before moving to Phase 2, produce a one-page Constraint Profile including:

  • Each constraint
  • Category
  • Hard or Soft classification
  • Fixed / Temporary / Adjustable type
  • Severity (1–10)
  • Non-Negotiable (Yes/No)

This becomes required input for the Discovery Engine.

AI Constraint Analysis (Optional)

AI Constraint Analysis Prompt

You are analyzing a constraint inventory within a structured framework.

Identify: 1. Top 3 Non-Negotiable Constraints 2. Top 3 Flexible Constraints 3. Contradictions or tensions 4. Obvious eliminations (model types that conflict) 5. Missing clarifications

Do not suggest business models. Only analyze structural patterns.

How to Capture This Properly

Do not answer mentally.

Write everything down.

This Constraint Profile will be reused in Phase 2.