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FIELD MANUAL / PILOT PLAYBOOK

Run your first Loop with operational clarity.

The Pilot Playbook helps ecosystems deploy lightweight founder emergence pilots through evidence-based facilitation and rapid learning loops.

01 / BEFORE THE PILOT

Set conditions before activation.

Most pilots fail before they start. A clean setup creates the room for honest learning.

  1. 01CHECK

    Define challenge scope

    One question, one timeframe, one observable outcome. Narrow beats ambitious.

  2. 02CHECK

    Recruit participants

    Mix builders, operators, domain holders. Cap at 12 for a first Loop.

  3. 03CHECK

    Identify facilitators

    One lead facilitator per cohort. One observer per group when possible.

  4. 04CHECK

    Prepare spaces

    Wall surface, movable furniture, no stage. Optimize for ground-level work.

  5. 05CHECK

    Prepare evidence templates

    Reflection sheets, evidence logs, signal capture. Print before you start.

  6. 06CHECK

    Define timing

    Choose a 4h Loop, Buildathlon de 8h, 5-day Challenge or 12-week Program. Lock it.

  7. 07CHECK

    Align ethics expectations

    Consent, opt-in visibility, participant ownership of evidence. State it out loud.

  8. 08CHECK

    Define tu baseline de impacto

    Antes de empezar el sprint, identifica una dimensión social o ambiental que toca tu venture. No una restricción - una lente.

02 / DURING THE PILOT

An operational sequence, not a workshop.

Each stage produces evidence. Each transition is a decision moment.

  1. T+0

    Kickoff

    Frame the protocol. Set ethics. Distribute evidence templates. 30 min max.

  2. T+1

    Signal discovery

    Capture real signals from the field, not assumptions. Document sources.

  3. T+2

    Framing

    Convert signals into a testable proposition. One sentence, one user, one outcome.

  4. T+3

    Build sprint

    Ship the smallest demonstrable artefact. No slide decks at this stage.

  5. T+4

    Testing

    Expose the artefact to real people. Capture reactions, not opinions.

  6. T+5

    Evidence review

    Sort what was learned vs what was performed. Discard theatre.

  7. T+6

    Reflection

    Each builder writes their own learning, in their own words. Operators do the same.

  8. T+7

    Closing loop

    Decide: continue, pivot, drop. Record the decision and its evidence base.

  9. T+8

    Checkpoint de impacto

    A mitad del sprint: ¿la dirección tomada crea o destruye valor más allá del cliente? Señálalo. No lo resuelvas. Sólo nómbralo.

03 / AFTER THE PILOT

Outputs the ecosystem keeps.

A pilot is not finished when the room empties. It is finished when the evidence is filed.

  • 01Evidence artefacts owned by participants.
  • 02Participant reflections, written first-person.
  • 03Operator notes on facilitation rhythm.
  • 04Founder signals observed in the field.
  • 05Ecosystem learnings shared with partners.
  • 06Next-loop decisions documented openly.
  • 07Debrief de impacto: ¿el sprint reveló alguna señal ESG, positiva o negativa? Documéntalo junto al debrief de evidencias. Alimenta el Impact Canvas.
§ SESIÓN DE CIERRE

Cómo termina la Loop define lo que ha producido.

La sesión de cierre no es opcional. Es donde el sprint se convierte en un artefacto de aprendizaje. Los operadores eligen un formato antes del evento - los equipos lo ejecutan en menos de 5 minutos.

5 FORMATOS
  • 01Signal Card2 minCanvas - CompartibleTodos los formatos
  • 02Loom de 2 minutos2 minVídeo async - Transcrito por IARemoto o híbrido
  • 03Signal Sprint Board5 minFísico + Digital - MiroBuildathlon presencial
  • 04Founder Moment60 secVídeo vertical - Social-firstPilotos públicos
  • 05AI Readout5 minGenerado por Looping - Auto-publicadoBuildathlon (8h)

Un formato. Elegido antes del evento. No negociable.

Guías completas en theloop.vc/pilots →
04 / COMMON FIELD MISTAKES

What collapses a pilot.

These patterns predict failure. Name them out loud and they lose power.

  • M.01

    Endless brainstorming

    Ideas inflate, evidence stalls. Cap ideation. Move to artefact.

  • M.02

    Premature building

    Code before signal. The team builds confidently in the wrong direction.

  • M.03

    Fake customer validation

    Friends, classmates, sponsors. Not signal. Engineer real exposure.

  • M.04

    Mentor overreach

    Mentors decide. Builders comply. Authority replaces evidence.

  • M.05

    Pitch obsession

    Polishing narrative instead of testing reality. Ban decks during the Loop.

  • M.06

    Performative startup culture

    Theatre wins applause and kills learning. Reward evidence, not energy.

05 / EXECUTION TIMELINES

Choose a format, then run it cleanly.

Four standard formats. Pick one. Do not blend them on a first pilot.

  1. 4h Loop

    Discovery sprint

    Signal → frame → micro-test. Best for first exposure to the protocol.

  2. Buildathlon de 8h

    Compressed cycle

    Full Signal-to-Decide cycle in a single day. Operator-led pace.

  3. 5-day Challenge

    Field challenge

    Real users, real builds, real evidence. The default ecosystem format.

  4. 12-week Program

    Founder emergence

    Multiple Loops chained. Evidence compounds. Operators rotate roles.

06 / PRINTABLE EXPORTS

Operational sheets to print before the room opens.

Tactical, minimal, field-tested. Designed to be photocopied, not licensed.

  • PRINTPilot agenda (one page per format).
  • PRINTFacilitator timing sheet.
  • PRINTEvidence log (per builder).
  • PRINTFounder reflection sheet (end of Loop).
  • PRINTOperator checklist (pre, during, post).
  • PRINTPost-pilot review template (ecosystem-side).
  • PRINTPlantilla Signal Card: canvas imprimible (Punto de partida / Hipótesis / Test / Señal / Decisión / Próximo RAT). Una por equipo. Rellenar en 2 minutos.
  • PRINTHoja de prompts Loom: 5 preguntas mostradas durante la grabación de 2 min (Con qué vinimos / Qué testeamos / Qué descubrimos / Qué decidimos / Qué hacemos después).
  • PRINTScript Founder Moment: estructura de 3 planos para el vídeo vertical de 60 seg (Vinimos con [X] / Descubrimos [Y] / Decidimos [Z]).

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