The Clarity Interview: Questions That Turn Abstract Ideas into Actionable Plans

Most founders fail because they start building too fast, not too slow. Everyone tells you to move quickly, launch your MVP, iterate on the go. But speed without clarity is just expensive chaos.

I recently sat down with metapress to talk about something I’ve used for years across my companies: the clarity interview. It’s a diagnostic framework that turns vague excitement into executable strategy before you write a single line of code or spend a dollar on development.

Here’s what catches most people off guard: the conversation isn’t about your product. It starts with questions you probably haven’t asked yourself. Where do you actually want to live? Are you prepared if this scales faster than expected? What are you willing to sacrifice versus what’s non-negotiable?

I learned this the hard way building multiple seven-figure companies. You can have the perfect product and still fail if it doesn’t match what you’re actually prepared to build and run. Too many founders chase visions that sound impressive but conflict with the life they want to live.

The framework moves through three layers. First, we clarify founder intentions—because not every CEO is ready to run a big company overnight. Second, we define the market problem with surgical precision. “Making things easier” isn’t specific enough. Who has this problem right now? What are they currently paying for inadequate solutions?

Third, we reverse-engineer the execution pathway. My golf background taught me that in long games, every decision compounds. Startups are the same. You need the discipline to map the minimum viable version, identify what must exist on day one versus month six, and move fast without guessing.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between “I have an idea” and “here’s exactly what we’re building,” this methodology bridges that gap. The time invested upfront gets recouped many times over through eliminated pivots and prevented false starts.

Clarity tells you where to go; speed gets you there before the opportunity passes.