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AI Sherpa Role Feature Guide

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1. Overview

AI Sherpas guide founders through the Fiftyknots platform, ensuring you build ventures worth building. They assess your readiness, validate your project’s worthiness, and shepherd you through each stage of your journey. Think of them as your experienced guide who knows the terrain and keeps you on the path to product-market fit.

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2. Step-by-Step Guide

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For Founders Working with AI Sherpas

  1. Complete Your Client Readiness Assessment
    • Navigate to your dashboard after initial platform signup
    • Your assigned AI Sherpa triggers a readiness assessment
    • Answer questions about your venture idea, resources, and commitment level
    • Receive your readiness score and personalized recommendations
  2. Submit Your Project for Build Worthiness Assessment
    • Upload your project documentation through the Wizard or Quick Start flow
    • AI Sherpa analyzes your business case, market validation, and technical feasibility
    • Review the assessment results on your Journey Dashboard
    • Address any flagged concerns before proceeding to active build stages
  3. Engage with Journey Guidance
    • Check your Sherpa Dashboard for active guidance sessions
    • Receive checkpoint notifications at critical milestones
    • Respond to AI Sherpa queries through the project messaging interface
    • Review stage-specific recommendations on your Journey Overview page
  4. Request Support or Escalation
    • Navigate to the Sherpa Dashboard when you need assistance
    • Submit specific questions or concerns through the escalation interface
    • Track escalation status and response timelines
    • Receive expert human intervention when AI guidance reaches its limits

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For AI Sherpas (Platform Guides)

  1. Apply and Complete Onboarding
    • Visit the Sherpa Signup page and submit your application
    • Acknowledge the Sherpa Creed on your Sherpa Profile Setup page
    • Complete certification requirements tracked on your profile
    • Wait for platform review and approval notification
  2. Access Your Sherpa Dashboard
    • Log in and navigate to the Sherpa Combined Dashboard or Sherpa Dashboard
    • Review your current workload and active founder assignments
    • Monitor pending assessments, reviews, and escalations
    • Track your performance metrics and grading status
  3. Conduct Client Assessments
    • Review incoming Client Readiness Assessment requests
    • Score founder responses using the configured rubric
    • Submit Build Worthiness Assessment evaluations
    • Provide pathway recommendations based on assessment outcomes
  4. Guide Founders Through Their Journey
    • Monitor founder progress on assigned projects
    • Create and respond to checkpoints at key decision points
    • Review planning artifacts (briefs, charters, specifications)
    • Approve stage completions or request changes through the Sherpa Planning Review interface
  5. Handle Escalations
    • Access the escalations queue from your Sherpa Dashboard
    • Review escalation context and founder history
    • Accept escalation assignments and provide guidance
    • Resolve or escalate further to human supervisors when needed

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3. Common Questions

Q: How do I know if I’m ready to start building on Fiftyknots? Your AI Sherpa runs a Client Readiness Assessment that evaluates your preparation, resources, and venture viability. You’ll receive a clear readiness score with specific recommendations. If you score below the threshold, your Sherpa guides you through preparatory steps before you proceed to active building stages. Q: What happens if my project fails the Build Worthiness Assessment? Your AI Sherpa provides detailed feedback on why your project needs refinement. You can address the concerns, update your documentation, and resubmit for assessment. The platform prevents you from advancing to resource-intensive stages until your project demonstrates sufficient validation and viability. Q: Can I request a human expert instead of working with an AI Sherpa? Yes. AI Sherpas handle standard guidance and assessments, but you can escalate to human Sherpas or supervisors through the escalation interface. Complex decisions, disputes, or situations requiring judgment beyond AI capabilities trigger automatic escalation to human experts. Q: How does my AI Sherpa track my progress? Your AI Sherpa monitors your journey stage, task completion, checkpoint responses, and milestone achievements. The system tracks your momentum and flags stall risks. Your Sherpa uses this data to provide timely guidance, suggest next actions, and intervene when you deviate from optimal pathways. Q: What’s the difference between an AI Sherpa and the SupaSherpa feature? AI Sherpas guide you through structured journey stages with assessments and checkpoints. SupaSherpa is your conversational AI assistant for daily questions, task guidance, and platform navigation. AI Sherpas focus on strategic guidance and gate decisions; SupaSherpa handles tactical support and immediate questions.

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4. Troubleshooting

Issue: My readiness assessment seems stuck or incomplete Check your Journey Dashboard for pending assessment tasks. Ensure you’ve answered all required questions in the assessment form. If the assessment doesn’t progress after submission, check for escalations in your notifications - your AI Sherpa may have flagged items requiring clarification. Contact support through the escalation interface if the assessment remains blocked after 24 hours. Issue: I disagree with my Build Worthiness Assessment results Review the detailed feedback on your Confidence Report page to understand specific concerns. Update your documentation to address flagged issues, then request reassessment through your Sherpa Dashboard. If you believe the assessment is incorrect, use the escalation feature to request human Sherpa review with supporting evidence. Issue: I’m not receiving guidance at critical decision points Verify your notification preferences on the Privacy Preferences page. Check your Sherpa Dashboard for pending checkpoints you may have missed. Ensure your journey stage is correctly set on the Journey Overview page. If guidance remains absent, submit an escalation request describing the specific milestone where you need direction. Issue: My AI Sherpa requested changes but the feedback is unclear Navigate to the Sherpa Planning Review or Sherpa Review Results page to view detailed change requests. Look for specific sections or criteria that need revision. Use the project messaging feature to ask clarifying questions. If feedback remains ambiguous after review, escalate for human Sherpa interpretation. Journey Dashboard - Your central command center for tracking progress through venture stages. The AI Sherpa role integrates directly with your journey, triggering assessments and guidance at each stage transition. Navigate here to see your Sherpa’s active guidance sessions and upcoming checkpoints. Confidence Report - Provides detailed analysis of your venture’s viability and readiness to proceed. Your AI Sherpa uses confidence assessment data to determine whether you advance to the next stage or need additional validation. Review this report before major stage transitions. Lifecycle Journey - Defines the complete path from idea to launch, with AI Sherpa checkpoints built into each stage. Understanding your lifecycle position helps you anticipate when your Sherpa will conduct assessments and what criteria determine progression to subsequent stages.