Terms of Service

Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using Startup.Ready (the "Service"), including the Startup Readiness Score assessment, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Shaun P. Digan, PhD ("we," "us," or "our"), the operator of Startup.Ready.

Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use this Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years of age.

If you are using the Service on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

Description of Service

Startup.Ready provides a startup readiness assessment tool (the "Assessment") designed to help early-stage founders evaluate their startup's foundation across six pillars: Founder, Problem, Market, Business Model, Go-to-Market, and Financial.

The Service includes:

• The Startup Readiness Score assessment (free for up to 2 uses)

• Assessment results and scoring across 6 pillars

• Progress tracking and historical score viewing

• Educational content about the 6 Pillars framework

• Optional paid subscription for unlimited assessments and enhanced features

Account Registration and Security

Account Creation

To use the Assessment, you must create an account by providing accurate and complete information, including:

• Your name

• A valid email address

• A secure password

You may also register using a third-party authentication provider (e.g., Google).

Account Security

You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials

• All activities that occur under your account

• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access or security breach

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account credentials.

Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time through your account settings. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or engage in abusive behavior.

Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.

You May:

• Use the Assessment to evaluate your startup's readiness

• Retake the Assessment to track progress over time (subject to usage limits)

• Share your own assessment results with advisors, mentors, or investors at your discretion

• Access educational content about the 6 Pillars framework

You May Not:

• Use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any laws

• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service, other users' accounts, or our systems

• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the Service

• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, scripts) to access or use the Service

• Create multiple accounts to bypass usage limits or subscription requirements

• Share your account credentials with others

• Reproduce, distribute, or publicly display assessment content without permission

• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information to the Assessment

• Use the Service to harass, abuse, or harm others

• Violate any third-party rights, including intellectual property or privacy rights

Violation of these restrictions may result in immediate account termination and potential legal action.

Subscription Plans and Payments

Free Tier

All users can take the Startup Readiness Assessment up to two times for free. After two assessments, you must subscribe to continue using the Service.

Paid Subscription

A paid subscription provides:

• Expanded access to the Startup Readiness Assessment

• Progress tracking over time with historical score comparison

• Access to future premium features as they are released

Billing

• Subscriptions are billed on a recurring basis (monthly or annually, depending on the plan you select)

• Payment is processed through Stripe, our third-party payment processor

• You authorize us to charge your payment method on a recurring basis until you cancel

• All fees are in U.S. Dollars (USD) and are non-refundable except as required by law

Price Changes

We reserve the right to change subscription prices at any time. If we increase prices:

• We will notify you at least 30 days in advance

• The new price will apply at your next billing cycle

• You may cancel your subscription before the price increase takes effect

Cancellation and Refunds

• You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings

• Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period

• You will retain access to paid features until the end of the billing period

• We do not provide refunds for partial subscription periods

• If you cancel, you may continue using the free tier (2 assessments total) after your subscription ends

Free Trial (If Applicable)

If we offer a free trial:

• You will not be charged during the trial period.

• You must cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged.

• We reserve the right to limit free trial eligibility.

Intellectual Property Rights

Our Ownership

All content, features, and functionality of the Service, including but not limited to:

• The Startup Readiness Assessment questions and scoring methodology

• The 6 Pillars framework

• Text, graphics, logos, images, and software

• The overall design and "look and feel" of the Service

...are owned by us and are protected by U.S. and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

Your License to Use

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service for your personal, non-commercial use, subject to these Terms.

You may not:

• Copy, modify, or create derivative works based on the Service

• Sell, license, or distribute any part of the Service

• Use the Service for commercial purposes without our written permission

Your Content

You retain ownership of the information you submit to the Assessment (your responses, startup details, etc.).

By using the Service, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:

• Store and process your responses to provide the Assessment results

• Use aggregated, anonymized data for research, analysis, and improvement of the Service

• Publish anonymized insights (e.g., "40% of founders score low on GTM clarity") without identifying you

We will never sell or share your individual assessment responses without your explicit consent, except as described in our Privacy Policy.

Assessment Results and Disclaimers

Nature of the Assessment

The Startup Readiness Score is a diagnostic tool, not a guarantee, prediction, or professional advice.

The Assessment:

• Provides a structured self-evaluation framework

• Highlights areas of strength and potential gaps

• Offers guidance based on research-backed principles

The Assessment Does Not:

• Guarantee startup success or failure

• Replace professional advice from lawyers, accountants, or business consultants

• Predict whether your idea will succeed in the market

• Provide investment, legal, or financial advice

Your Responsibility

You are solely responsible for:

• The accuracy of the information you provide

• How you interpret and use your assessment results

• Any decisions you make based on the Assessment

• Seeking professional advice when appropriate

No Liability for Decisions

We are not responsible for any decisions you make, actions you take, or outcomes you experience based on your use of the Assessment or its results.

Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

"AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" Basis

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose

• Warranties that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure

• Warranties regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of assessment results

Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:

WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR:

• Any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages

• Loss of profits, revenue, data, or business opportunities

• Damages resulting from your use or inability to use the Service

• Damages resulting from reliance on assessment results

• Damages caused by third-party services (e.g., Stripe, Vercel, Google Analytics)

MAXIMUM LIABILITY: Our total liability to you for any claims arising from or related to the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months prior to the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation of liability for incidental or consequential damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Startup.Ready, Shaun P. Digan, PhD, and our affiliates, employees, contractors, and licensors from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service

• Your violation of these Terms

• Your violation of any third-party rights

• Any false or misleading information you provide

Third-Party Services

The Service uses third-party services, including:

• Stripe for payment processing

• Vercel for hosting

• Google Analytics for usage analytics

Your use of these third-party services is subject to their respective terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for the actions, policies, or services of third parties.

Data and Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

By using the Service, you consent to our collection, use, and sharing of your information as described in the Privacy Policy.

Modifications to the Service

We reserve the right to:

• Modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time

• Change assessment questions, scoring methodology, or features

• Add or remove features without notice

We are not liable to you or any third party for any modifications, suspensions, or discontinuations of the Service.

However:

• If we make material changes that negatively affect paid subscribers, we will provide reasonable notice

• You may cancel your subscription if you disagree with the changes

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page

• If changes are material, we will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Service

• Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms

If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account.

Termination

Your Right to Terminate

You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time.

Our Right to Terminate

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service immediately, without notice, if:

• You violate these Terms

• You engage in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity

• We are required to do so by law

• We decide to discontinue the Service

Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to use the Service immediately ceases

• We may delete your account and data in accordance with our Privacy Policy

• You remain liable for any fees incurred prior to termination

• Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (e.g., disclaimers, limitations of liability, indemnification) will remain in effect

Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Ohio, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Arbitration Agreement

Please read this section carefully. It affects your legal rights.

You and Startup.Ready agree to resolve any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service through binding arbitration, rather than in court, except as specified below.

Arbitration Process:

• Arbitration will be conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules

• Arbitration will take place in Cincinnati, Ohio, or remotely via video conference

• The arbitrator's decision is final and binding

• Each party will bear its own costs, unless the arbitrator decides otherwise

Exceptions to Arbitration:

• Small claims court disputes (if they qualify)

• Disputes involving intellectual property infringement

• Requests for injunctive or equitable relief

Class Action Waiver: You agree that disputes will be resolved on an individual basis only. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

Opt-Out: You may opt out of this arbitration agreement within 30 days of first using the Service by emailing shaun@probusinessplanning.com with the subject line "Arbitration Opt-Out" and your name and email address.

General Provisions

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Service.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your account without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.

Force Majeure

We are not liable for any failure or delay in performance due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, war, terrorism, pandemics, internet outages, or government actions.

No Agency

Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between you and us.

Notices

We may provide notices to you via email, through the Service, or by posting on our website. You consent to receive notices electronically.

Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or disputes regarding these Terms:

Email: shaun@probusinessplanning.com.
Response Time: We aim to respond within 5 business days.

For legal notices or formal disputes, please send written correspondence to:

Shaun P. Digan
Startup.Ready
3306 Burnet Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45229

Acknowledgment

By using Startup.Ready, you acknowledge that:

• You have read and understood these Terms of Service

• You agree to be bound by these Terms

• You are at least 18 years old

• You will use the Service in compliance with all applicable laws

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Service.