Crucible
Crucible is Infinity Forge's commercialization system. It takes frontier technology — from any stage, any geography — and produces three outputs: a deployable product, an investable company, and capital readiness. Every engagement runs through the same pipeline. Every output is documented.
Stages and gates
Crucible operates as a linear pipeline with defined stages. Each stage has explicit entry criteria, activities, outputs, and failure modes.
Required Inputs
- Technical documentation or research papers
- Team background and capabilities
- Existing market research (if any)
- IP portfolio or patent status
Evaluation Criteria
- Technology novelty and defensibility assessment
- Market size and accessibility evaluation
- Team capability and commitment analysis
- Regulatory and compliance landscape review
Outputs
- Technology assessment brief
- Market landscape scan
- IP status report
- Intake decision memo (proceed / decline with feedback)
Failure Modes
- Technology is not novel or defensible — decline with detailed feedback
- Market is too small or inaccessible — decline or suggest alternative wedge
- Team lacks capacity for iteration — pause pending team changes
Artifacts per stage
If you work with us, these are the tangible outputs you receive at each stage.
| Stage | Key Artifacts | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Intake | Technology assessment brief, market landscape scan, IP status report | Internal + Founder |
| Wedge Def. | Wedge thesis document, competitive map, buyer persona set, positioning brief | Founder + Investors |
| Validation | Customer discovery synthesis, design partner feedback log, pricing analysis, iteration log | Founder |
| Build | Product spec, MVP release notes, data room, investor memo, financial model, GTM plan | Founder + Investors |
| Launch & Scale | Board deck, investor update template, expansion roadmap, hiring plan | Founder + Board |
Cadence
Sprint Loops
2-week sprint cycles with defined deliverables per sprint. Each sprint has a clear objective, execution plan, and review.
Steering Reviews
Monthly steering reviews with gate decisions. Sprint results are presented, gate criteria are evaluated, and next actions are defined.
Portfolio Reviews
Quarterly portfolio reviews for multi-company engagements. Aggregate pipeline throughput, cross-portfolio learnings, and strategic adjustments.
Decision rights
The system doesn't override founder autonomy. Here is the explicit split between what Infinity Forge decides and what you decide.
Infinity Forge Decides
- Gate pass/fail assessment
- Sprint prioritization recommendations
- Capital readiness evaluation
- AI workflow deployment scope
Founder / Client Decides
- Product direction and vision
- Hiring and team composition
- Fundraising timing and investor selection
- Business model and pricing
Instrumentation
What gets measured across the Crucible pipeline.
Pipeline Throughput
Inputs to gate passes per period
Iteration Velocity
Cycles completed per sprint
Gate Conversion Rates
Conversion by stage across portfolio
Time-to-Artifact
How long each key deliverable takes
AI Automation Ratio
Percentage of workflows with machine assistance
Capital Velocity
Time from gate pass to capital deployment