Founder Readiness Check
Are you actually ready to start a startup?
Most founders waste 6–12 months because they start before they're ready. Be brutally honest.
Do you have a specific, named list of 50+ potential customers?
Can you reach decision-makers directly (not cold email)?
Do you have a repeatable way to generate leads?
Have you closed at least 3 paid pilots or POCs?
Can you confidently demo your product live?
Do you know your product's ROI story by heart?
Have you closed a B2B deal >$10K before?
Can you handle procurement, legal, and security questions?
Can you commit 40+ hours/week for 18 months?
Do you have family/partner support for this commitment?
Are you prepared for 12+ month sales cycles?
Can you sustain motivation through long gaps between wins?
Can you afford 18 months with no income?
Are you comfortable with 80% chance of failure?
Can you handle customer rejections and pivots?
Do you have a fallback plan if this doesn't work?
Do you have $50K+ saved or committed funding?
Can you bootstrap to first revenue without fundraising?
Do you know your burn rate and runway precisely?
Have you accounted for compliance and legal costs?