The 38-point framework two VCs use to spot the next unicorn founder

Paige and Leura Craig aren’t looking for product-market fit, a Stanford degree, or a Zuck-evoking hoodie. They’re looking for entrepreneurs with preternatural forward momentum. 

“Basically, we’re looking for these monsters that can make decisions in chaos, constantly getting things off the plate, constantly making decisions and just moving forward,” Paige, founder and managing partner at Outlander VC, told Fortune. 

Yes, this is an especially colorful way of articulating more or less what all early-stage VCs are looking for—entrepreneurs who can barrel through, adapt, and ultimately thrive. 

The Craigs—who are married and run Outlander VC, backing companies like SpaceX, Scale, Flock, and Gusto—have sought to codify something investors have long sought to understand: How can you tell early that someone has the potential to be a generational entrepreneur? The Craigs have drawn from experience and Paige’s military background—he served in the U.S. Marines and built and sold private intelligence firm Lincoln Group—to create a 38-point framework by which they assess every founder. (Outlander currently has 18 unicorns and one “baby on the way,” as Leura jokes, with drone software maker Havoc at $750 million.)

“It’s not just about adding or subtracting attributes,” said Leura. “It’s also the way the attributes are scored, and the way that the process is run…More than anything, the framework serves as a way for the investment team to have a shared vocabulary around what excellence really means.”

The 38‑point framework has four domains—vision, intelligence, character, and execution—with a heavy emphasis on character and execution. The number of points, or characteristics on the list has waxed or waned over time (at one point there were as many as 43; and they started with 14 in 2014). Their core belief: That who someone is can ultimately determine who survives. 

“We go through a short call, a long call, and a deep dive,” said Paige. “You might spend 15 to 20 hours going through a founder’s entire life,........

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