The 6-Axis Radar Chart — See at a Glance Which Part of Your Business Plan Is Weakest

#A Single Score Can't Tell You Where the Problem Is

An overall score alone gives you no direction for revision. A number like 78 signals that something is lacking — but it doesn't reveal which area is holding you back.

OpenSeed's 15-reviewer structure assigns each reviewer to a specific domain. To make sense of all those independent evaluations in one view, a tool that visualizes scores by axis was essential. That's exactly what the 6-axis radar chart was designed to do.

A hexagon skewed to one side means a particular axis is weak. A small hexagon across the board means every axis is uniformly low. Either way, the chart answers the question: where do I start?

#What Each of the Six Axes Measures

Each axis is an independent evaluation area. Scoring well on one axis does not lift the others. The table below outlines what each axis covers and the key things reviewers look for.

These six areas show up repeatedly in virtually every evaluation framework — whether for government grant applications or investor pitch decks. The axes will likely feel familiar the moment you see them.

#How to Read the Radar Chart in 3 Steps

The chart can look unfamiliar at first. Breaking it into three steps makes it easy to turn what you see into action.

1. Find the shortest axis — The vertex that pushes farthest toward the center of the hexagon marks your lowest-scoring axis. That axis takes priority over overall balance.
2. Check every axis below 50 — For any axis sitting under the baseline, read every reviewer comment without skipping. Thin coverage and flawed logic require different fixes, so identify the root cause first.
3. Check how adjacent axes connect — A low Solution score often means the link between your Problem narrative and your solution has broken down. A low Finance score frequently points to a logical gap between your market size estimate and your revenue projections. When you fix one weak axis, review its neighbors at the same time.

Reviewer comments for each axis appear directly below the chart. Don't stop at the scores — use the specific issues flagged in those comments to define exactly what needs to be revised.

#Where to Start — A Practical Priority Order for Fixing Your Weakest Axes

Trying to improve all six axes at once usually means none of them improve enough. The priority order below reflects patterns consistently observed across founders who submitted to OpenSeed multiple times.

If more than one axis is low at the same time, focus on whichever appears higher in the priority list first. Fixing one or two axes and then resubmitting for review is faster than trying to overhaul everything at once.

#Your Workflow After Checking the Chart

The radar chart appears at the top of your report. Once you've looked it over, follow the steps below to move into revision mode without wasting effort.

1. Open your report and note which axis scored lowest on the radar chart.
2. Read every reviewer comment for that axis and write out the flagged issues as a numbered list.
3. Open the corresponding section of your business plan and work through the issues in order.
4. Once revisions are done, read through the adjacent axes to confirm the logic still flows.
5. Resubmit your revised plan to OpenSeed and check how the per-axis scores have shifted.
6. Move on to the next lowest axis and repeat the cycle.

When you resubmit, the radar charts from each submission can be compared side by side. Placing an earlier chart next to a current one shows you numerically how much each axis has improved. If a particular axis is barely moving, treat that as a signal to rethink your approach entirely.

#Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is the overall score just a simple average of the six axis scores?

No. The weight assigned to each axis varies depending on the type of business plan and the purpose of the review. A plan written for a government grant program and one prepared for investor fundraising may be weighted differently. For that reason, it's more accurate to base your revision decisions on the individual axis scores and reviewer comments rather than on the overall score.

Q. How do I improve my Team axis score?

There are two issues reviewers flag most often in team narratives. First, founders list roles without explaining why this particular team is the right one to solve this particular problem. Second, key roles are unfilled and the team either hasn't noticed or has no plan to address it. Check your reviewer comments to figure out which of these applies to you before making changes.

Q. If my radar chart looks like a near-perfect hexagon, does that guarantee approval?

No. The radar chart is a diagnostic tool for the logical completeness of your business plan. Actual funding decisions involve many factors beyond the plan itself — market conditions, commercial viability, the priorities of a given program, and more. Use the chart to systematically close your weakest gaps. Don't treat it as a pass/fail threshold.