lp-do-assessment-03-solution-selection — Solution Selection (ASSESSMENT-03)
Reads solution-space research results from the operator's deep research run, evaluates options against feasibility criteria, and produces a decision record with a shortlist of 1–2 viable options and elimination rationale for all others. An explicit decision record is required to continue to ASSESSMENT-04 (naming handoff).
Invocation
/lp-do-assessment-03-solution-selection --business <BIZ>
Required:
--business <BIZ>— 3-4 character business identifier
Business resolution pre-flight: If --business is absent or the directory docs/business-os/strategy/<BIZ>/ does not exist, apply _shared/business-resolution.md before any other step.
Operating Mode
READ-THEN-DECIDE
This skill:
- Reads solution-space results and problem statement artifacts
- Builds an evaluation matrix across feasibility dimensions
- Produces a shortlist and decision record
- Applies a kill gate — if no viable option exists, stops the operator before ASSESSMENT-04
Required Inputs
Required:
docs/business-os/strategy/<BIZ>/<YYYY-MM-DD>-solution-profile-results.user.md— operator-filled research output from/lp-do-assessment-02-solution-profiling
If no results file exists, stop: instruct the operator to complete the deep research run from /lp-do-assessment-02-solution-profiling first.
Also read if present:
docs/business-os/strategy/<BIZ>/<YYYY-MM-DD>-problem-statement.user.md— use to verify options are still solving the stated problem
Steps
Step 1: Load and parse results
Read the results file. Extract all product-type options returned by the research tool. List them. If fewer than 3 options are present, flag as a thin research result and note that the shortlist may be unreliable.
Step 2: Build the evaluation matrix
For each option, score across these four criteria:
- Launch feasibility — can a small team launch this within 6 months with realistic capital?
- Distribution path — is there a known, accessible channel to reach the target user group?
- Regulatory/compliance burden — are there licensing, certification, or compliance requirements that would materially delay or block launch?
- Problem-solution fit — does this option directly address the stated problem in
<YYYY-MM-DD>-problem-statement.user.md, or does it require the problem to be reframed?
Score each: Pass / Flag / Fail. A single Fail does not automatically eliminate an option — use judgment based on all four together. Document the rationale for each score; do not leave scores unexplained.
Step 3: Apply elimination logic
Eliminate options that:
- Score Fail on Launch feasibility AND Fail on Distribution path
- Score Fail on Regulatory burden (hard legal block, not just complexity)
- Score Fail on Problem-solution fit (option solves a different problem)
For each eliminated option, write a 1-sentence elimination rationale. "Not interesting" is not a valid rationale — cite the specific criterion that failed.
Step 4: Select shortlist
From remaining options, select 1–2 to carry forward to ASSESSMENT-04. If two options remain and both are genuinely viable, include both — the naming research phase can handle parallel tracks. Do not reduce to one arbitrarily.
Apply the problem-fit check: verify that each shortlisted option still addresses the problem statement as written. If an option requires reframing the problem, note this explicitly in the decision record.
Step 5: Apply kill gate
If no options survive elimination, apply the kill gate:
Explicit decision record required to continue to ASSESSMENT-04. No viable option identified from current solution-space results. Do not advance to ASSESSMENT-04 (naming handoff). Options:
- Re-run
/lp-do-assessment-02-solution-profiling --business <BIZ>with a refined problem scope or broader option set- Return to
/lp-do-assessment-01-problem-statement --business <BIZ>to reassess the problem statement
Write the kill gate output to the artifact and stop. Do not proceed to ASSESSMENT-04.
Step 6: Write and save decision record
Assemble all outputs into the decision record format below. Save to the output path.
Output Contract
Path: docs/business-os/strategy/<BIZ>/<YYYY-MM-DD>-solution-decision.user.md
Format:
# Option Selection Decision — <BIZ>
## Evaluation Matrix
| Option | Launch Feasibility | Distribution Path | Regulatory Burden | Problem Fit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <option name> | Pass/Flag/Fail | Pass/Flag/Fail | Pass/Flag/Fail | Pass/Flag/Fail | Shortlisted/Eliminated |
## Elimination Log
- **<option>**: [1-sentence rationale citing specific criterion]
- **<option>**: [1-sentence rationale citing specific criterion]
## Shortlist
1. **<option name>** — [2-3 sentence rationale for selection; any caveats]
2. **<option name>** (if applicable) — [2-3 sentence rationale]
## Decision
**Status:** GO / NO-GO
**Carry forward:** <option name(s)>
[If GO: "Proceed to `/lp-do-assessment-04-candidate-names --business <BIZ>` with the option(s) above."]
[If NO-GO: Kill gate language — see Step 5.]
Downstream consumer: /lp-do-assessment-04-candidate-names --business <BIZ> (ASSESSMENT-04) reads this file to scope the naming research to the selected option(s).
Quality Gate
Before saving, verify:
- All options from results file appear in the evaluation matrix
- Every score has a documented rationale — no unexplained Pass/Flag/Fail
- Elimination log contains one entry per eliminated option with specific criterion cited
- Shortlist contains 1–2 options (not zero unless kill gate applies, not more than 2)
- Kill gate applied if no viable options remain
-
## Decisionsection contains explicit GO/NO-GO verdict - Shortlisted options align with the problem statement from
<YYYY-MM-DD>-problem-statement.user.md - Artifact saved to correct path before completion message
Red Flags
Invalid outputs — do not emit:
- Evaluation matrix with unexplained scores ("it seemed weak")
- Elimination rationale of "not interesting" or "too crowded" without citing specific criteria
- Shortlist of zero options without triggering the kill gate
- Decision section missing or containing only "TBD"
- Kill gate suppressed — if no viable option exists, the gate MUST fire; do not advance the operator to ASSESSMENT-04
Integration
Upstream (ASSESSMENT-02): Reads docs/business-os/strategy/<BIZ>/<YYYY-MM-DD>-solution-profile-results.user.md from the operator's deep research run via /lp-do-assessment-02-solution-profiling.
Downstream (ASSESSMENT-04): /lp-do-assessment-04-candidate-names --business <BIZ> reads <YYYY-MM-DD>-solution-decision.user.md to scope naming research to the shortlisted option(s). The naming skill should be run with the shortlisted option names provided as context.