TL;DR
15Five is a weekly check-in and continuous performance platform. Its core mechanic is the weekly self-report: employees answer structured questions, managers respond, and leadership rolls up the signal. It works well if your team actually writes honest check-ins every week.
Hatchproof is behavioral performance intelligence for founders. Instead of asking people to describe their week, we read the work itself — Slack, email, 1:1s, execution patterns — and turn it into performance signal without any self-report. If "the check-ins stopped happening" is a problem you've hit, Hatchproof is designed for that.
At a glance
| 15Five | Hatchproof | |
|---|---|---|
| Signal source | Weekly self-report check-ins + manager feedback | Behavioral signals from work (Slack, email, 1:1s, wearables) |
| Dependency on participation | High — if people stop writing, the signal stops | None — signal surfaces from work people already do |
| Best for | Teams that enjoy written reflection, strong async culture | Founders and CEOs running lean and scaling teams |
| Admin burden | Medium — managers must read and respond | Low — passive |
| Time to signal | Weekly | Real-time |
| Primary metric | Engagement, pulse, check-in completion | Flight risk, performance patterns, team fit |
What is 15Five?
15Five was founded in 2011 on a simple idea: a weekly 15-minute check-in (for employees) that takes a manager 5 minutes to read. Over time the product expanded into continuous performance management, engagement surveys, 1:1 agendas, OKRs, and coaching.
At its core, 15Five is still a self-report platform. The data is only as accurate as what employees write in their weekly check-ins.
What is Hatchproof?
Hatchproof is the behavioral performance platform for founders and CEOs. We read the work itself — how your team communicates, executes, decides, and collaborates — and turn that digital exhaust into performance signal. You see who's actually winning the game, who's drifting, and who to bet on next, without asking anyone to fill out a form.
We call it Moneyball for companies. Self-reports were never designed to predict who's actually winning. Behavioral signals are.
Key differences
1. Self-reports vs. behavioral signal
15Five asks employees to write a weekly check-in. The quality of the signal depends on three things employees won't always do: show up, be honest, and be specific. The best writers on a team get the most visibility. The most introspective reporter is not always the highest performer.
Hatchproof reads the work itself. Slack conversations, email patterns, 1:1 transcripts, execution flow, meeting behavior — the behavioral signals that actually predict performance. No writing required.
2. Check-in fatigue is real
Every 15Five customer we've talked to has hit the same wall: adoption starts strong, then slips. Week six, completion rates drop. By week twelve, managers are chasing non-responders. By quarter two, the signal is partial.
Hatchproof has no participation cliff. The signal surfaces from work people are already doing.
3. The "I didn't know" problem
15Five's value depends on people writing something true. But the early warning signs of disengagement are exactly the things employees won't write in a weekly check-in — they'll write "things are going great" right up until the resignation letter.
Hatchproof sees the behavioral shift 60 days before the resignation letter. It's the signal people don't volunteer.
4. Founder time
A 30-person team generating 30 weekly check-ins means a founder reading ~1,500 words of reflection per week. That adds up. Hatchproof summarizes the signal in seconds, not paragraphs.
Who should use 15Five?
- Distributed teams with strong async writing culture
- Organizations that genuinely value written weekly reflection
- Teams with managers who have bandwidth to read and respond thoughtfully every week
- Companies running coaching programs where the weekly artifact matters
Who should use Hatchproof?
- Founders and CEOs running lean (under 50) or scaling (50–200) teams
- Teams where the CEO doesn't have time to read 30 weekly check-ins
- Companies that have tried 15Five, Lattice, or similar tools and hit the participation cliff
- Leaders who want to catch disengagement before the resignation letter, not after
- Organizations where mis-hires cost more than the check-in completion rate
FAQ
Is Hatchproof a replacement for 15Five?
For most founder-led teams, yes. Hatchproof surfaces the same performance and flight-risk signal 15Five tries to extract from check-ins — but it reads the work itself instead of asking people to report on it.
Does Hatchproof handle 1:1 agendas?
Hatchproof reads your 1:1 transcripts (with consent) and surfaces signal from them — what got discussed, what was avoided, what changed. It doesn't impose a structured 1:1 agenda the way 15Five does. If you want templated agendas, pair Hatchproof with your existing 1:1 tool.
What about engagement surveys?
Hatchproof does not run engagement surveys. We believe the behavioral signal is more predictive than sentiment snapshots. If your board specifically wants a quarterly engagement score, use a dedicated tool alongside Hatchproof.
Will Hatchproof work for remote teams?
Yes — most of our customers are remote or hybrid. Behavioral signal from Slack, email, 1:1s, and calendars works regardless of location.
How long does it take to see signal after setup?
Hatchproof starts surfacing meaningful signal within 2–3 weeks of connection. No 90-day rollout required.
The bottom line
15Five is the right call if your team actually writes weekly check-ins, you have managers who read them, and you value the written artifact for coaching and recognition.
Hatchproof is the right call if you've hit the check-in completion cliff, you're a founder running a lean team, and you want the signal without the self-report overhead.
Different philosophies of where truth comes from. Self-reports vs. behavior.
Book a Hatchproof demo to see what behavioral signal looks like for your team.
