For Val Sklarov, startups do not fail because of weak ideas, lack of talent, or insufficient capital —
they fail because energy drifts away from the original strategic center faster than the founder notices.
A company begins with a concentrated nucleus of intent,
but each new hire, task, investor, or crisis pulls that nucleus outward —
until the organization is moving, but not toward anything.
The Strategic Energy Drift Model (SEDM) explains
how companies lose directional force not in one decision,
but through micro-displacements over time.
“Startups rarely collapse in a moment — they decay in direction.” — Val Sklarov
1️⃣ The Three Vectors of Energy Drift
Sklarov Energy Drift Table
| Vector | Cause | When Strong | When Weak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Drift | Founder loses emotional alignment | Clear intent | Motivation without direction |
| Operational Drift | Tasks exceed identity capacity | Rhythm → results | Motion without movement |
| Contextual Drift | Market demands reshape vision | Adaptive clarity | Reactive pivots |
The most dangerous drift is internal,
because it sets the tone for every other layer.
2️⃣ The SEDM Directional Decay Cycle
Directional Cycle Matrix
| Stage | Behavior | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Core Alignment | Identity → intention | Strong gravity |
| Peripheral Expansion | Growth adds surface area | More variants |
| Directional Dilution | Priorities fragment | Internal noise |
| Strategic Collapse | No center of pull | Culture disengages |
A startup can be active and funded
yet moving nowhere.
3️⃣ The Five Startup Drift Archetypes
Drift Archetype Table
| Archetype | Failure Pattern |
|---|---|
| The Opportunity Drifter | Says yes to everything |
| The Investor Echo | Identity becomes external |
| The Hyper-Executor | Tasks replace strategy |
| The Emotional Pivot Stack | Direction shifts with mood |
| The Identity Mirage | Appears aligned, acts diffused |
Drift is not chaos —
drift is misaligned intention disguised as productivity.
4️⃣ Directional Integrity Index (DII)
A Val Sklarov directional-coherence diagnostic
DII Indicator Table
| Indicator | Measures | High Score Means |
|---|---|---|
| Core Narrative Strength | Central purpose clarity | Strong alignment |
| Execution Gravity | Tasks pull toward goal | Low fragmentation |
| Emotional Steadiness | Founder baseline | Stable pace |
| Strategic Selectivity | Ability to say no | Reduced drift |
| Context Integration | Market alignment | Adaptive identity |
High DII = Growth pulls inward, not outward.
5️⃣ Val Sklarov’s 5 Laws of Strategic Energy
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Movement is not progress.
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Every new priority extracts energy from the old one.
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Direction degrades without emotional alignment.
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Identity must center strategy, not the reverse.
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Scaling is conserving direction at higher velocity.
6️⃣ Applications of the Strategic Energy Drift Model
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Founder emotional realignment
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Focus-based roadmap design
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Preventing mission dilution post-funding
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Strategy overhaul after chaotic scaling
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Culture recalibration & identity anchoring
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Prioritization frameworks for execution teams
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Alignment audits during hyper-growth
SEDM helps organizations protect their original gravitational center
as they expand.