sys:fear-setting

Guide founders through naming fears and creating prevent, reduce, and repair mitigations.

3|Updated Mar 31, 2026

Search Tags:#prioritization #risk-assessment #decision-making #mentoring #action-planning #founder-advice #fear-setting

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/rickmanelius/skills --skill sys-fear-setting

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: sys:fear-setting
Source: https://github.com/rickmanelius/skills/tree/main/plugins/save-your-startup/skills/sys-fear-setting
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/rickmanelius/skills --skill sys-fear-setting

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps founders and leaders overcome paralysis on hard choices by systematically naming fears, writing mitigations, and converting vague anxiety into measurable risk estimates so a clear decision emerges.

Core Features & Use Cases

Structured Fear Inventory: Guides the user to list 5–15 specific fears tied to a single decision.
Mitigation Framework: For each fear, prompts Prevent, Reduce, and Repair actions to make risks tractable.
Quantitative Ratings: Captures Effort, Pain, and Likelihood on a 0–10 scale so perceptions can be compared to reality.
Use Case: Useful in one-on-one founder mentoring, pre-termination reviews, product pivot decisions, and board prep to reveal the real cost of action versus inaction.

Quick Start

Guide me through a fear-setting exercise for the decision "firing my VP of Sales" and produce a list of fears with prevent/reduce/repair steps plus numeric ratings for effort, pain, and likelihood.

Frequently Asked Questions about sys:fear-setting

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

What is fear-setting and how does it help with founder decision-making?▼

To run a fear-setting exercise, list 5 to 15 specific fears tied to a single decision, create mitigation triage steps for each item, assign 0 to 10 effort, pain, and likelihood scores, and generate a recommended action with a timeline.

Can I use fear-setting for product pivot decisions and personnel reviews?▼

Yes, fear-setting is applicable for founders, startup leaders, and mentors during product pivot decisions, pre-termination personnel reviews, board prep, and one-on-one mentoring sessions to reveal the real cost of action versus inaction.

What is the best way to quantify risk assessment for a difficult startup decision?▼

The best way to quantify risk assessment is to capture effort, pain, and likelihood ratings on a 0 to 10 scale for each specific fear, allowing you to compare perceptions against reality and convert vague anxiety into measurable estimates.

How do I create a mitigation framework for overwhelming business fears?▼

Create a mitigation framework by prompting prevent, reduce, and repair actions for each specific fear on your inventory list, making risks tractable and supporting the emergence of a clear, actionable decision.

Does fear-setting work for mentoring and advising startup leaders?▼

Yes, fear-setting works for mentoring and advising startup leaders by producing an exhaustive numbered fear list with mitigation triage and numeric scores, facilitating structured action planning during one-on-one sessions.