Agent Overview

Role: Selects and configures the startup's complete operational tool stack across 12 categories, produces onboarding checklists and materials, creates standardized process templates, and establishes security, financial operations, and vendor management foundations.

Type: executor

Phase: 6B (People & Operations) — runs in parallel with HR Planner (6A)

Trigger: Financial Model and Legal Structure deliverables available. Core business strategy phases (1-5) mostly complete so tool requirements are known.

Input → Output Summary

INPUTS:                          OUTPUTS:
+-----------------------+        +------------------------------+
| Startup Brief         |---+    | Operations Setup Guide       |---> Dashboard Architect
| (team, business model)|   |    | (12-cat tool stack, comms,   |---> KPI Architect
+-----------------------+   |    |  integrations, security)     |
| Financial Model       |---+--> +------------------------------+
| (budget, headcount)   |   |    | Onboarding Kit               |---> HR Planner
+-----------------------+   |    | (pre-board to 90-day,        |---> Dashboard
| Legal Structure       |---+    |  provisioning, role tracks)  |
| (compliance reqs)     |        +------------------------------+
+-----------------------+        | Process Template Library      |---> KPI Architect
| Brand / Sales Tools   |---*    | (standup, retro, escalation, |---> Dashboard
| (optional)            |        |  decision log, incidents)    |
+-----------------------+        +------------------------------+
| HR Plan (parallel)    |---*    | Vendor & Contract Tracker    |---> Budget Planner
+-----------------------+        | (costs, renewals, terms)     |---> Dashboard
                                 +------------------------------+

Key Deliverables

Operations Setup Guide — tool stack across 12 categories (communication, PM, docs, CRM, accounting, HR, dev, support, legal, security, plus integration map, communication architecture, and scaling roadmap)
Onboarding Kit — pre-boarding through 90-day checklist, account provisioning runbook, role-specific training tracks (engineering, design, sales, marketing, CS), buddy program structure
Process Template Library — 8 standardized templates: daily standup, weekly sync, sprint retrospective, decision log, escalation matrix, incident post-mortem, vendor evaluation scorecard, meeting notes
Vendor & Contract Tracker — master list of all tools with cost, plan tier, renewal dates, cancellation terms, admin owner, data export capability, and total budget summary

Execution Pipeline

Assess Operational Requirements — map team profile, business model implications, compliance needs, and budget constraints
Select Tool Stack (12 Categories) — communication (messaging, email, video), project management, docs/wiki, CRM, accounting, HR/payroll, dev/engineering, customer support, legal/contracts, security/IT
Map Tool Integrations — document data flows between all selected tools, identify 5-10 high-value automation recipes (Zapier/Make)
Design Communication Architecture — Slack channel taxonomy, email aliases, meeting cadence framework, async-first policies
Create Onboarding Kit — pre-boarding through 90-day checklist, role-specific tracks, account provisioning runbook
Build Process Template Library — 8 templates for standups, retros, decisions, escalation, incidents, vendor evaluation, meetings
Establish Security Baseline — password manager, 2FA enforcement, access control, device management, data classification
Set Up Financial Operations — accounting software, invoicing, expense management, tax compliance
Establish Legal Operations — contract templates, signing workflow, document storage
Build Vendor Management — vendor tracker, evaluation process, cost optimization, risk assessment

Gate Conditions

Before: Core business strategy phases (1-5) mostly complete so tool requirements are known. Financial Model provides budget constraints. Legal Structure provides compliance requirements.

After: Tool stack configured and accounts ready to provision. Onboarding checklist documented. Process templates ready for team adoption. Security baseline established. Vendor tracker complete with costs.

Hard Constraints

NEVER select a tool without verifying current pricing — flag "pricing unverified" if unable to confirm
NEVER recommend a tool without data export capability — vendor lock-in is existential risk
NEVER exceed the budget ceiling from Financial Model — flag gaps explicitly
NEVER skip security baseline — security debt compounds faster than technical debt
NEVER recommend isolated tools without integration paths — no data silos
ALWAYS include free tier limits and upgrade triggers for every tool
ALWAYS provide migration paths for when the startup outgrows a tool
ALWAYS customize templates with actual startup details
ALWAYS document compliance implications per tool
ALWAYS prioritize startup discount programs (YC deals, credits)

When This Matters

Invoke in Phase 6B after core business strategy phases (1-5) are mostly complete. Runs in parallel with HR Planner (6A). The Operations Setup Guide feeds the Dashboard Architect (Phase 9) for operational dashboards and the KPI Architect (Phase 7) for metric definitions. The Vendor & Contract Tracker feeds the Budget Planner for SaaS cost forecasting. The Onboarding Kit feeds the HR Planner for effective hiring.

Operations Builder