Startup Resources
Frameworks, calculators, templates, and tactics for bootstrapped founders at $0-5k MRR. Mostly, this is being maintained for those founders who are in the Founder Labs Community.
Obviously though, it’s public. So, anyone can and should use them.
They were synthesized by Nate Ritter based on his experience going from 0 to 1 as a founder.
No fluff. Just what works.
How to Use This
You’re stuck on something. Find the resource. Do the thing. Move on.
It’s not sequential. It’s not a course.
These aren’t meant to be read cover-to-cover. Grab what you need when you need it. If you’re in PMF, Bust, or Pivot accountability program, your cohort and/or facilitator should point you to the right resource at the right time during your weekly commitments.
Also, there’s a list of Suggested Tools I use for all my work.
The Value Isn’t in the Tool - It’s in the Review Process
Pre-PMF founders don’t need more dashboards or automated tracking. You need a structured review process that forces you to look at what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next.
These frameworks work best when you:
- Review weekly (not whenever you remember)
- Track inputs in the right direction, not just outcomes (conversations had, not just customers gained)
- Make one decision per week based on what the data tells you, this helps you know what to work on
The tools help you see. The weekly review helps you decide. The commitment helps you act.
If you’re in the PMF accountability program, this is built into your weekly check-ins. If you’re going solo, block 30 minutes every Friday to review your metrics and pick ONE thing to focus on next week.
Founders, Corporate Structure, Taxes, and Equity
- Solopreneurs vs Co-Founders vs Multiple Co-Founders - What the stats say
- Sole Proprietorship vs LLC vs C-Corp vs S-Corp - A comparison of corporate structures
- Typical Equity Setups
Funding
- Funding Decision Matrix - What types of businesses need funding
Prioritization & Time Management
- Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy (synthesis/summary)
- Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell (time audit section summary)
Validation & Market Fit
- Customer Development - Find a repeatable and scalable business model through validated learning before scaling
- Demo, Build, Sell - Sell the promise with a demo first, build only what buyers commit to, and let revenue—not opinions—decide the roadmap.
- Financial Reality Calculator - Know your real numbers before you commit another 6 months
- Market Evaluation Framework - Score your market opportunity objectively
- Self-Selection Framework - Get the right people to your pages.
- Customer Avatars - Target the right person with the right message every time.
Customer Interviews
- Customer Discovery Tactics - How to learn what people actually want (not what they say they want)
- The Mom Test - How to do customer interviews, with templates
- How and What to Track from Customer Interviews
Decision Making
- Persist or Pivot Framework - The structured process for making the call
- Weekly Commitment Template - Pick ONE thing. Do it. Repeat.
- R/ICE Framework - Decision making for the builder
Growth & Revenue
- Your First Funnel - How to build one, and what comes next
- Funnel Diagnostic Worksheet - Find where you’re leaking customers
- Pricing Strategy Guide - Stop undercharging
- Customer Avatars - Target the right person with the right message every time.
Mental Models
- The Gap - Current state → Desired state → Your opportunity
- Land and Expand - Start narrow, prove value, then grow
- Solve the Problem You Just Created - Your next product is hiding in your current one
Coming Soon
This library grows based on what cohort members actually need. Have a request? Drop it in on Slack.