Topo · The Crux Innovation, LLC
Version 1.2 · Effective August 10, 2026
By signing in to Topo, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. Topo is offered to individuals we invite, so you're accepting for yourself. If you're using Topo for work, you represent that your use complies with your employer's policies, that you have all necessary permissions to use Topo, and that you will only submit information you are allowed to disclose.
Topo is an AI-powered thought partner for product strategy and innovation, built on THE CRUX Method — which has its roots in the Working Backwards (PRFAQ) method used by Amazon. Topo is provided by The Crux Innovation, LLC ("THE CRUX"). Topo relies on third-party technology providers to operate. Right now, Topo is a private beta offered to invited participants. Features may change, and things may occasionally break. We may add, change, limit, or remove features at any time, and we may suspend or discontinue the beta without notice.
Topo is available to individuals we invite and to members of organizations we've enabled for sign-in. Your account is yours alone.
You're responsible for activity under your account and for keeping your sign-in links and codes private. Don't use Topo in violation of any laws, to work around its security or usage limits, or to misuse what it produces. Don't submit anyone else's confidential information unless you're permitted to. Do not attempt to reverse engineer Topo or use it in any way to develop or improve a competing product or service. You will comply with all applicable export control and economic sanctions laws in your use of Topo.
You keep ownership of what you put into Topo — your inputs and your project material. You grant THE CRUX a limited license to host, copy, process, and transmit that content as needed to operate Topo.
We do not use the content you submit to Topo to train Topo or any third-party AI model.
If a separate confidentiality agreement is in place between you or your organization and THE CRUX, that agreement governs your confidential information.
If you send us feedback, suggestions, or ideas about Topo, you grant THE CRUX a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use them without obligation to you. This does not give us any rights in your inputs or project material.
Topo generates its responses with AI. That output can be wrong, incomplete, or out of date, and it is not professional, legal, or financial advice. It is a draft for you to review, not a conclusion to act on. Review it and apply your own judgment before relying on it, and independently verify anything material. Subject to your compliance with these Terms, you may use Topo's output for your own lawful business purposes.
THE CRUX owns Topo — its software, THE CRUX Method, and THE CRUX™ and Topo™ names and branding. Working Backwards, the method's lineage, belongs to Amazon; THE CRUX claims no ownership of it. These Terms let you use Topo; they don't transfer any of our intellectual property to you, except for a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use Topo during the beta, subject to these Terms.
Your use of Topo is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains what we collect and how we handle it.
TOPO IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE." TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE CRUX DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE. THE CRUX DOES NOT WARRANT THAT TOPO WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR THAT ITS OUTPUT WILL BE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, CURRENT, OR SUITABLE FOR ANY PURPOSE.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE CRUX WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, BUSINESS, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING IN ANY WAY TO TOPO, ITS OUTPUT, OR THESE TERMS, EVEN IF WE WERE ADVISED THAT SUCH DAMAGES WERE POSSIBLE, AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE CRUX'S TOTAL LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO TOPO OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE TOTAL FEES YOU PAID THE CRUX FOR TOPO IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) US$500.
These limitations apply even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot legally be limited under applicable law.
You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless THE CRUX and its officers, members, employees, and contractors from and against any third-party claim, demand, loss, liability, or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) content you submit to Topo, including any claim that you did not have the rights or permissions to submit it; (b) your breach of these Terms; or (c) your use of Topo or of its output.
We will notify you promptly of any such claim and cooperate at your expense. You may control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to us, but you may not settle any claim in a way that imposes an obligation on, or an admission by, THE CRUX without our prior written consent.
We may suspend or end your access if you misuse Topo or breach these Terms. You can stop using Topo at any time, and we may end the beta at any time. When the beta ends, we may delete accounts and content created during the beta in accordance with our Privacy Policy. The sections in these Terms relating to intellectual property, confidentiality, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnity, and governing law will continue after your access ends.
We may update these Terms. When we do, we'll change the version and effective date shown on this page. If you keep using Topo after a change, you accept the updated Terms.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of laws rules.
Any dispute arising out of or relating to Topo or these Terms will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Travis County, Texas. You and THE CRUX each consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts and waive any objection to venue there, including on the ground of inconvenient forum.
These Terms are issued in English and in translation. In the event of any inconsistency, the English version governs.
If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, that provision will be limited or removed to the minimum extent necessary and the remaining provisions will stay in full force.
These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement between you and THE CRUX regarding Topo — except that any separate confidentiality agreement, or any written agreement between THE CRUX and your organization, controls to the extent of a conflict.
Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it. You may not assign these Terms; we may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
For legal questions or notices, contact legal@thecrux.io.