The Startup Founder Survival Kit
- Startups
- Founder
- Messaging & Positioning
- Legal
- Developer-First Go-To-Market
- Finance
- Cap Tables
- Product Management
- Sales
- Billing
- Open Source
Dig into Decades of Startup Founder Experience
1: Foundational Strategy
- Article
Foundational Messaging
Dear Founders: Start with Messaging
Building the messaging framework isn’t a marketing exercise. It’s the act of answering the existential question: Why do we deserve to exist?
- Video
Communicating Effectively
Executive Communication w/ Harrison Metal
- Video
Making a Business of Open Source
Commercial Open Source Business Strategies
2. Startup Ownership and Funding
- Article
Build a Pitch Deck That Works
How to Build an Effective Pitch Deck
Heavybit’s Partners explain how to build an effective seed-stage pitch deck for devtool startups.
- Video
Investor Expectations
From Seed To Series B
- Article
Understanding Cap Tables
Founder 101: (Almost) Everything You Need to Know About Cap Table Management
In this post, we asked airCFO’s Director of Financial Advisory some questions about setting up cap table management as an early-stage startup.
3. Building Products Customers Love
- Article
Understanding Product Management
Kwan’s Hierarchy of Product Needs: The Four Levels of Product Managers
A common dilemma faced by developer company founders is that while CPOs add significantly greater value than junior and senior PMs, they are expensive resources. To successfully navigate this dilemma, let’s break down the various levels of PM in terms of the product needs your business is likely to encounter.
- Video
The Product Discovery Journey
Think like A Customer: Product Discovery Strategies with Datadog
4. Go-To-Market for Early-Stage Startups
- Video
Building Your Self-Serve Motion
Building Self-Serve Go-to-Market with Adam Gross
- Article
How to Launch an AI Startup
How to Launch an AI Startup: Lessons from GitHub Copilot
GTM expert Alyss Noland shares the story behind the GitHub Copilot launch–and important lessons for any early-stage AI startup.
- Article
How to Become the First Seller
How to Build a Successful Founder-Led Sales Strategy
Sales expert Walter Roth explains how early-stage founders can step into the role of first seller by applying core engineering principles.
- Article
How to Do Testimonials
How to Craft Your First Customer Case Study
Distilling a customer’s experience into one brief document can seem challenging, but you can streamline the process with a simple case study framework.
5. Business + Financial Planning
- Article
Financial Reporting
How to Generate Financial Reporting for Board Meetings
Finance expert Josh Aharonoff gives a brief overview of how to get a handle on your financial reporting for your next board meeting.
- Article
How to Hire a Startup Lawyer
How To Hire And Work With Lawyers At Your Startup: Advice For Early-Stage Founders From A General Counsel
Here’s what you need to know about hiring legal counsel for raising capital, hiring, and managing IP for your early-stage startup.
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