Most founders / CEOs content is generic. Yet in practice, very different archetype win: * some CEOs are visionary storytellers. * Some are executions-obsessed operators * Some are product monomaniacs * Some are community / Culture builders
So I built TheNext.CEO - a free, web based CEO archetype assessment platform that tries to capture how you lead, not just "your personality type".
What it does
* Asks you 98 questions across areas like:
- Decision-making style - Risk appetite - Product vs sales vs ops focus - People / culture priorities - Time horizon and ambition
* Maps you into a CEO archetype (e.g. “Visionary Builder”, “Operator-in-Chief”, etc.).
* Gives you:
- A short, skimmable summary of your archetype - Key strengths and blind spots - Suggestions on what kind of team or co-founder might complement you.
The core test is free and runs fully in the browser (no tricks, no paywall required to see your archetype).
What I’m looking for from HN
I’d really appreciate feedback from this community on:
1. Scoring and archetypes
- Does the result feel directionally accurate or completely off? - Are there any questions that feel leading / confusing / redundant? - Any archetype description that feels like hand-wavy fluff?
2. UX / flow
- Is 98 questions “too much”, or is it acceptable if the value is clear? - Any rough edges where you felt like dropping off?
3. Technical / product ideas
- If you’ve built similar assessment tools, what went wrong for you? - Is there anything obviously dangerous or naive in the way I’m approaching this?
4. Future directions
- I’m considering: team-level reports (e.g. “your founding team’s archetype mix”), more granular reports, and anonymized aggregate “state of CEOs” reports. - What would actually be useful vs just “fun”?
It’s an MVP, so I fully expect rough edges. Please be brutal and honest – especially about the questions, the logic, and the usefulness of the result. I’ll hang around in the comments to answer anything and iterate based on feedback.
codingdave•2mo ago
I kinda like psych tests, so might be willing to try it anyway, except your landing page says all you get is a summary, and in the future you may be able to "unlock" the full report. Which sounds like a "collect your emails and try to charge you for the results" business model.
Also, be wary of bucketing people into archetypes. That is pretty much the entire reason Myers-Briggs and other psych assessments are completely debunked.
ajanthanmani•2mo ago
On the 98 questions: fair point. I was trying to get as many data points as possible create the more accurate finger print for the leadership style. I am now thinking a shorter version for a simpler use case.
On the "summary vs unlock later" wording, that's on me. The core summary along with some of the key insights about the leadership style are completely free, no emails required. I'll fix the copy, to convey this message clearly.
On the archetype: agreed. This isn't meant to be scientific psych test or a hiring tool (at least for now). it's more of a reflection framework for founder and aspiring CEOs. I'll make it clearer too.
Really Appreciate you taking the time to call them out.