https://github.com/dubsopenhub/headcount-zero
15 AI agents as a full Series A/B executive team. One prompt, full company output. Say 'startup' to launch.
https://github.com/dubsopenhub/headcount-zero
Last synced: 1 day ago
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15 AI agents as a full Series A/B executive team. One prompt, full company output. Say 'startup' to launch.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/dubsopenhub/headcount-zero
- Owner: DUBSOpenHub
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-03-09T15:19:53.000Z (5 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-04-10T17:33:31.000Z (4 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-07-07T22:21:29.404Z (23 days ago)
- Language: Shell
- Size: 29.3 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 1
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE
- Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
- Security: SECURITY.md
- Agents: AGENTS.md
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README
# 🏢 Headcount Zero
**A full startup executive team with zero employees.**
[](SECURITY.md)
Every startup needs a CEO, CTO, CFO, VP of Product, and a dozen other leaders before it ships anything. Headcount Zero deploys 15 AI agents as a complete Series A/B executive team. Give it one idea, get back a full startup operating package.
> ### ⚡ One Command. That's It.
>
> **Never used the CLI before? No problem.** Follow these 3 steps:
>
> **1. Open your terminal**
> - 🍎 **Mac:** Press `⌘ + Space`, type **Terminal**, hit Enter
> - 🪟 **Windows:** Press `Win + X`, choose **Terminal** or **PowerShell**
> - 🐧 **Linux:** Press `Ctrl + Alt + T`
>
> **2. Paste this line and press Enter:**
> ```bash
> curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DUBSOpenHub/headcount-zero/main/quickstart.sh | bash
> ```
> *Already have the CLI? No worries — this detects it and skips straight to adding the skill.*
>
> **3. When Copilot opens, type:** `startup`
>
> That's it — your executive team is assembled! 🚀
>
> *Requires an active [Copilot subscription](https://github.com/features/copilot/plans). [Get one here →](https://github.com/features/copilot/plans)*
---
## 🎯 What It Does
You describe a startup idea in plain English. Headcount Zero runs it through a 5-phase pipeline where 15 specialist agents produce real artifacts — not advice, not summaries, but the actual documents a startup needs to operate.
**One prompt in. 25+ documents out.**
| What you'd normally need | What Headcount Zero gives you |
|--------------------------|-------------------------------|
| A CEO to set vision | `company-vision.md` + `investor-memo.md` |
| A CTO to design architecture | `architecture.md` + `tech-stack.md` |
| A CFO to model finances | `financial-model.md` + `unit-economics.md` |
| A VP Product to write PRDs | `prd.md` + `roadmap.md` + `user-stories.md` |
| A VP Marketing to plan GTM | `marketing-plan.md` + `brand-voice` |
| ... and 10 more department heads | Sprint plans, hiring plans, security posture, legal checklists, and more |
---
## 🚀 Quick Start
### Full Pipeline (5 phases, all 15 agents)
```
startup
```
Then describe your idea when prompted. You review output at each gate.
### Express Mode (vision + strategy only)
```
startup express
```
Runs just Phase 1 (CEO) and Phase 2 (CTO, CFO, VP Product). Good for early validation.
---
## 🏗️ How It Works
```
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
┌──────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐
│ │ │ CTO │ │ VP Engineering │
YOU ──▶│ CEO │──▶ │ CFO │──▶ │ Head of Design │
│ │ │ VP Product │ │ VP Marketing │
└────┬─────┘ └───────┬─────────┘ │ VP Sales │
│ │ │ Head of Growth │
[GATE] [GATE] │ Head of Data │
You review You review └──────────┬───────────┘
│
[GATE]
You review
│
Phase 5 Phase 4 │
┌──────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ │
│ CEO │◀── │ Head of People │◀──────────────┘
│ (Board │ │ Head of CS │
│ Review) │ │ General Counsel │
└──────────┘ │ Head of DevOps │
│ │ Head of Security│
[GATE] └───────┬─────────┘
You review │
│ [GATE]
▼ You review
📦 Startup
Package
```
**Each gate pauses for your review.** You can adjust, redirect, or skip ahead. The agents work for you, not the other way around.
---
## 👥 The Team
### Phase 1: Foundation
| Agent | Produces | Focus |
|-------|----------|-------|
| 🎯 **CEO** | `company-vision.md`, `investor-memo.md` | Mission, market, model, risks |
### Phase 2: Strategy (parallel)
| Agent | Produces | Focus |
|-------|----------|-------|
| ⚙️ **CTO** | `architecture.md`, `tech-stack.md` | System design, build vs buy |
| 💰 **CFO** | `financial-model.md`, `unit-economics.md` | Revenue, burn, runway, LTV/CAC |
| 📋 **VP Product** | `prd.md`, `roadmap.md`, `user-stories.md` | Features, personas, priorities |
### Phase 3: Execution (parallel)
| Agent | Produces | Focus |
|-------|----------|-------|
| 🔧 **VP Engineering** | `sprint-plan.md`, `team-structure.md` | Sprints, tickets, team topology |
| 🎨 **Head of Design** | `design-system.md`, `user-flows.md` | Brand, components, UX flows |
| 📣 **VP Marketing** | `marketing-plan.md` | Positioning, channels, launch plan |
| 🤝 **VP Sales** | `sales-playbook.md`, `pricing-strategy.md` | ICP, objections, pricing tiers |
| 📈 **Head of Growth** | `growth-plan.md` | Funnel, experiments, north star |
| 📊 **Head of Data** | `metrics-framework.md`, `dashboard-spec.md` | KPIs, dashboards, cadence |
### Phase 4: Operations (parallel)
| Agent | Produces | Focus |
|-------|----------|-------|
| 👤 **Head of People** | `hiring-plan.md`, `org-chart.md` | Roles, comp, interview process |
| 💬 **Head of CS** | `cs-playbook.md` | Onboarding, health scores, churn |
| ⚖️ **General Counsel** | `legal-checklist.md` | IP, compliance, terms, fundraising |
| 🖥️ **Head of DevOps** | `infra-plan.md`, `monitoring-plan.md` | Hosting, CI/CD, incident response |
| 🔒 **Head of Security** | `security-plan.md` | Threats, auth, data protection |
### Phase 5: Board Review
| Agent | Produces | Focus |
|-------|----------|-------|
| 🎯 **CEO** (again) | `executive-summary.md`, `90-day-plan.md` | Cross-department alignment, priorities |
---
## 📦 What You Get
After a full run, your `.company/` folder contains:
```
.company/
├── vision/
│ ├── company-vision.md ← Mission, problem, solution, values
│ └── investor-memo.md ← Market, model, risks, ask
├── product/
│ ├── prd.md ← Features, personas, success metrics
│ ├── roadmap.md ← Now / Next / Later
│ └── user-stories.md ← 15-20 testable user stories
├── engineering/
│ ├── architecture.md ← System design, data model, APIs
│ ├── tech-stack.md ← Every tool with rationale
│ ├── sprint-plan.md ← 6 sprints of tickets
│ └── team-structure.md ← Roles, hiring sequence, culture
├── design/
│ ├── design-system.md ← Colors, type, components, tone
│ └── user-flows.md ← 3-5 critical flows with edge cases
├── finance/
│ ├── financial-model.md ← Revenue, costs, runway projections
│ └── unit-economics.md ← CAC, LTV, margins, break-even
├── gtm/
│ ├── marketing-plan.md ← Positioning, channels, launch plan
│ ├── sales-playbook.md ← Process, objections, demo script
│ ├── pricing-strategy.md ← Tiers, psychology, competitor map
│ └── growth-plan.md ← Funnel, experiments, north star
├── operations/
│ ├── hiring-plan.md ← Roles, comp bands, interview process
│ ├── org-chart.md ← Current → 6mo → 12mo structure
│ ├── cs-playbook.md ← Onboarding, health scores, churn
│ └── legal-checklist.md ← IP, compliance, fundraising docs
├── infrastructure/
│ ├── infra-plan.md ← Hosting, CI/CD, cost estimates
│ ├── monitoring-plan.md ← Uptime, APM, incidents, SLOs
│ └── security-plan.md ← Threats, auth, encryption, testing
├── data/
│ ├── metrics-framework.md ← North star, input metrics, cadence
│ └── dashboard-spec.md ← Exec, product, revenue, eng dashboards
└── synthesis/
├── executive-summary.md ← Full company snapshot + gaps
└── 90-day-plan.md ← Prioritized actions with owners
```
---
## ⚙️ Configuration
All tunables live in `config.yml`:
| Key | Default | Purpose |
|-----|---------|---------|
| `company.default_mode` | `full` | `full` (5 phases) or `express` (2 phases) |
| `company.agent_timeout_sec` | `300` | Per-agent timeout |
| `company.max_agents_parallel` | `6` | Max concurrent agents per phase |
| `safety.require_gate_approval` | `true` | Never skip user review gates |
| `safety.max_artifact_lines` | `500` | Per-document line limit |
| `models.executive` | `claude-sonnet-4.6` | Model for CEO, CTO, CFO |
| `models.department` | `claude-sonnet-4.6` | Model for VP/Head agents |
---
## 🧪 Design Principles
- **Boring technology.** The CTO picks proven tools over cutting-edge ones.
- **Real numbers.** The CFO shows math, not hand-waving.
- **Ruthless prioritization.** The VP Product cuts scope, not adds it.
- **Practical security.** The Head of Security focuses on actual risk, not theater.
- **Hire for the stage.** The Head of People plans for a startup, not a Fortune 500.
- **One growth engine.** The Head of Growth picks one channel and goes deep.
---
## 📁 Project Structure
```
headcount-zero/
├── README.md ← 👋 You are here
├── CONTRIBUTING.md ← 🛠️ How to contribute
├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md ← 🤝 Community standards
├── SECURITY.md ← 🔒 Security policy
├── CHANGELOG.md ← 📝 Version history
├── LICENSE ← 📄 MIT
├── SKILL.md ← 🏢 Main orchestrator
├── AGENTS.md ← 🤖 Agent development guide
├── config.yml ← ⚙️ Tunables
├── catalog.yml ← 📦 Skill metadata
├── .github/
│ └── copilot-instructions.md ← 🧭 Copilot project rules
└── agents/
├── ceo.md ← 🎯 Vision & strategy
├── cto.md ← ⚙️ Architecture
├── cfo.md ← 💰 Finance
├── vp-product.md ← 📋 Product
├── vp-engineering.md ← 🔧 Engineering
├── head-of-design.md ← 🎨 Design
├── vp-marketing.md ← 📣 Marketing
├── vp-sales.md ← 🤝 Sales
├── head-of-growth.md ← 📈 Growth
├── head-of-people.md ← 👤 People
├── head-of-cs.md ← 💬 Customer Success
├── general-counsel.md ← ⚖️ Legal
├── head-of-data.md ← 📊 Data
├── head-of-devops.md ← 🖥️ DevOps
└── head-of-security.md ← 🔒 Security
```
---
## ❓ FAQ
**Can I skip phases?**
Yes. Say "express" to run only Phase 1-2. At any gate you can tell the orchestrator to skip ahead.
**Can I re-run a single agent?**
Not yet. Currently the pipeline runs phases in order. Re-running individual agents is on the roadmap.
**Does it work for non-tech startups?**
Yes. The CTO and engineering agents adapt their output to the idea. A restaurant concept gets a POS system architecture, not a Kubernetes cluster.
**How long does a full run take?**
Depends on your model. With `claude-sonnet-4.6`, expect 10-15 minutes for all 5 phases.
**Can I customize the agents?**
Absolutely. Each agent is a standalone markdown file in `agents/`. Edit the Role, Output, or Rules sections to change behavior.
---
## 🛠️ Contributing
Headcount Zero is early. Here are quick ways to help:
- 🐛 **Found a bug?** [Open an issue](https://github.com/DUBSOpenHub/headcount-zero/issues)
- 💡 **Have an idea?** Suggest a new agent role or output format
- 🎨 **Improve a prompt?** Submit a PR to any `agents/*.md` file
- 📝 **Test it out?** Run it on a wild startup idea and share the results
See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details.
---
## 📄 License
[MIT](LICENSE) — do whatever you want with it.
---
🐙 Created with 💜 by [@DUBSOpenHub](https://github.com/DUBSOpenHub).
Let's build! 🚀✨