Target Operating Model x Investable Business Case
THE PROBLEM / CHALLENGE Evaluating the true potential and probability of success of early-stage businesses is one of the most complex challenges for investors and entrepreneurs alike. Startups may show promise in their vision, team, or technology, but these elements are rarely assessed against a holistic, standardized framework that connects operational reality with investment attractiveness. Traditional due diligence focuses heavily on isolated indicators — financial forecasts, founder narratives, or market size — but often fails to capture whether the business model and operating model are aligned to deliver sustainable growth. Without a structured methodology that integrates operational readiness, management capacity, technology robustness, and predictable cashflow into a single investable business case, both investors and founders are left with blind spots. The result is a recurring gap: investors struggle to compare and prioritize opportunities objectively, while startups lack a roadmap to demonstrate their maturity and scalability in a way that builds confidence and unlocks funding.
THE SOLUTION Reisiger developed a Critical Solution Review & Due Diligence Methodology, built around its proprietary Critical Solution Matrix (WAB-SM). This framework provides a structured, standardized, and objective evaluation lens for assessing startups where traditional due diligence falls short. By benchmarking ventures across nine critical dimensions nested within governing pillars of an Investable Business Case (IBC) and Target Operating Model (TOPM), the methodology delivers a holistic maturity score — the Business Maturity Score (BMS). This score provides rapid, comparable insights into both investor-facing viability and business-centric operational health. Integrated within Reisiger’s Point of Success (POS) methodology, the Critical Solution Matrix not only evaluates risk and maturity but also generates actionable roadmaps, reverse-engineered objectives, and clear performance tracking mechanisms — enabling startups to improve their success realization trajectory while giving investors confidence in their capital allocation.
- Standardized due diligence – replaces guesswork with objective scoring across critical business dimensions - Holistic evaluation – assesses business model, leadership, cashflow predictability, operations, people, processes, and technology - Business Maturity Score (BMS) – rapid, comparable maturity index aligned with startup growth phases (validation → expansive growth) - Point of Success integration – links assessment to tactical action plans, OKRs, and performance dashboards - Risk reduction – identifies blind spots, scalability limitations, and operational weaknesses before investment - Investor confidence – enables sound capital allocation by benchmarking ventures against measurable criteria - Startup growth support – provides founders with a roadmap for validation, standardization, optimization, and automation - Scalability – applicable across industries, venture studios, accelerators, and incubators Impact: The Critical Solution Matrix revolutionizes how investors and startups engage at early stages — creating a shared, data-driven framework for evaluating, supporting, and scaling high-potential ventures. It bridges the gap between speculative forecasts and standardized benchmarks, increasing both investor confidence and startup survival rates.
