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.
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
Customer Interviews
- Customer Discovery Tactics - How to learn what people actually want (not what they say they want)
- Customer Interview Cheatsheet
- 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.
Growth & Revenue
- Funnel Diagnostic Worksheet - Find where you’re leaking customers
- Pricing Strategy Guide - Stop undercharging
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.