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Kayley HartThe Small Team Builder

Leadership

Founder Bottleneck Assessment

Finds where the business queues behind you across decisions, money, knowledge, customer relationships, systems and absence — and what to move first.

Takes about 4 minutes. Your answers stay in your browser, and no email address is required to see your result.

Decision bottleneck

Work waits for your decision even when the answer is usually the same.

People ask you questions they could answer from a written rule.

Spending bottleneck

You approve small purchases personally.

You are the only person who can pay a supplier.

Knowledge bottleneck

Some processes exist only in your head.

Work stops when someone cannot reach you for an answer.

Relationship bottleneck

Key customers expect to deal with you personally.

You are the only person who knows the history of your main accounts.

Systems bottleneck

Work is tracked in your head, your inbox or your notes.

You are the only person with access to important tools or accounts.

Absence bottleneck

You could not be uncontactable for a week without something breaking.

You check in on work while you are meant to be off.

Where does the business queue behind me?

Some parts of the business queue behind you.

Partly founder-dependent — overall dependence 50 / 100

Decision bottleneck50 / 100

Not currently a bottleneck

Spending bottleneck50 / 100

Not currently a bottleneck

Knowledge bottleneck50 / 100

Not currently a bottleneck

Relationship bottleneck50 / 100

Not currently a bottleneck

Systems bottleneck50 / 100

Not currently a bottleneck

Absence bottleneck50 / 100

Not currently a bottleneck

Keep it that way

  1. Re-run this every quarter, and ask a colleague to answer it about you as a cross-check.
Assumptions and limitations
  • Twelve statements across six bottleneck types, each rated on a five-point frequency scale.
  • Each type scores 0–100. Types scoring 60 or above are reported as active bottlenecks, ordered by severity.
  • Scores are described in words as well as numbers, and never signalled by colour alone.
  • It measures your perception of frequency. Ask a colleague to run it too and compare.

Methodology and calculation

This tool is designed with transparency in mind. The results are calculated based on the following logic:

  • Twelve statements across six bottleneck types, each rated on a five-point frequency scale.
  • Each type scores 0–100. Types scoring 60 or above are reported as active bottlenecks, ordered by severity.
  • Each active bottleneck maps to a specific first action and a relevant guide or tool.
  • Scores are explained in words as well as numbers, and never use colour alone.

Limitations and scope

  • It measures your perception of frequency. Ask a colleague to run it too and compare.
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