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Startup Foundations

2 of 6 modules completed. Keep going!

Latest Session

August 18, 2025

Summary

The conversation highlighted William's progress with a new, impactful case study, which is central to his strategy for securing funding and expanding the sales team. Key discussions revolved around promoting this asset, recruiting effectively, and preparing meticulously for investor outreach.

  • Case Study (development, promotion, and utilization for fundraising)
  • Fundraising and Investor Outreach (strategies, pitch deck, planning)
  • Hiring a Salesperson (ideal profile, recruitment strategies)
+2 more topics View full insights

Actions Due

Weekly Founder Check-in

Overdue · Jan 18

Recurring

Finalize Q1 OKRs

Due Jan 24

Investor Deck Review

Due Jan 26

Monthly Revenue Report

Due Jan 31

Recurring

Team Hiring Plan Draft

Due Feb 3

Product Roadmap Update

Due Feb 7

Upcoming Meetings

No upcoming sessions scheduled

Upcoming
Submitted

Overdue

Weekly Founder Check-in

Saturday, Jan 18 | 10:00 AM

Recurring

Sat

This Week

Finalize Q1 OKRs

Friday, Jan 24 | 5:00 PM

One-time

Investor Deck Review

Sunday, Jan 26 | 12:00 PM

One-time

Next Week

Monthly Revenue Report

Friday, Jan 31 | 5:00 PM

Recurring

Monthly

Team Hiring Plan Draft

Monday, Feb 3 | 9:00 AM

One-time

Product Roadmap Update

Friday, Feb 7 | 3:00 PM

One-time

Weekly Founder Check-in

Saturday, Feb 8 | 10:00 AM

Recurring

Sat

Recent
All Meetings

Recent Session Insights

From meeting on August 18, 2025

Summary

The conversation highlighted William's progress with a new, impactful case study, which is central to his strategy for securing funding and expanding the sales team. Key discussions revolved around promoting this asset, recruiting effectively, and preparing meticulously for investor outreach, with William expressing gratitude for the coaching's structured support.

Key Topics

  • Case Study (development, promotion, and utilization for fundraising)
  • Fundraising and Investor Outreach (strategies, pitch deck, planning)
  • Hiring a Salesperson (ideal profile, recruitment strategies)
+3 more

Challenges

  • Standing out on job boards without a budget for paid ads (for sales hiring)
  • Securing funding for the business
+2 more

Breakthroughs

  • Successfully demonstrated system effectiveness with a fashion brand case study, resulting in positive client feedback
  • Quantified the business impact of their system in terms of reduced overstock and avoided stockouts

Effective Strategies

  • Using a narrative to present data (for demonstrating value to clients)
  • Leveraging personal networks and connections (for finding quality hires)
  • Considering referral bonuses (for successful hires through the network)
+4 more

Your Sentiments

  • Excited (Due to positive case study results and client feedback)
  • Motivated (To find the right salesperson and pursue growth)
  • Focused (On strategic plans and actions)
+2 more

Action Items

  • Place the case study on the website, in the pitch deck, and use it in every conversation with investors
  • Focus on leveraging personal network and connections to find potential sales candidates
  • Consider offering a bonus to the current network for a successful referral
+5 more
Notes

Session Summary - Jan 15

January 15, 2026 at 10:30 AM

Fundraising Strategy

January 8, 2026 at 2:15 PM

Q1 Goals & Priorities

January 2, 2026 at 9:00 AM

Sales Hiring Checklist

December 18, 2025 at 3:45 PM

Session Summary - Jan 15

Last modified: January 15, 2026 at 10:30 AM

Saved Created by coach

Session Summary: January 15, 2026

Overview

The coaching session between Matt Schaefer and William Anderson focused on reviewing progress from Q4, analyzing early traction metrics, and refining the investor outreach strategy for the upcoming fundraising push.

Key Topics Discussed

  • Q4 Review: William successfully closed two new pilot customers, bringing total ARR to $45K. The case study continues to be a powerful sales tool.
  • Investor Pipeline: Identified 15 target investors for seed round. Discussed warm intro strategies and timeline for outreach.
  • Product Roadmap: Prioritized three key features based on customer feedback: automated alerts, custom dashboards, and API integrations.

Action Items

  • William: Finalize pitch deck by Jan 22 and share with Matt for review
  • William: Schedule intro calls with top 5 investors from the warm list
  • Matt: Connect William with two portfolio founders who recently closed seed rounds

Next Session

Scheduled for January 22, 2026. Focus will be on pitch deck review and mock investor Q&A practice.

Fundraising Strategy

Last modified: January 8, 2026 at 2:15 PM

Saved Created by client

Seed Round Fundraising Strategy

Target Raise

$1.5M seed round at $6M post-money valuation. Use of funds: 18 months runway to reach $500K ARR milestone.

Investor Criteria

  • Pre-seed/Seed stage focus
  • B2B SaaS or retail tech experience
  • Check size: $100K - $500K
  • Value-add: Customer intros, operational expertise

Target Investors

  • Tier 1 (Warm intros available): First Round Capital, Founder Collective, Precursor Ventures
  • Tier 2 (Network outreach): Initialized Capital, Hustle Fund, Uncork Capital
  • Angels: 5 retail/fashion industry operators identified

Timeline

  • Jan 15-31: Finalize materials, begin warm outreach
  • Feb 1-28: First meetings, collect feedback, iterate
  • Mar 1-31: Partner meetings, term sheet negotiations
  • Apr 1-15: Close round

Q1 Goals & Priorities

Last modified: January 2, 2026 at 9:00 AM

Saved Created by coach

Q1 2026 Goals & Priorities

Primary Objective

Close seed funding round and establish foundation for scaling.

Key Results

  • Fundraising: Close $1.5M seed round by end of Q1
  • Revenue: Grow ARR from $45K to $75K (67% growth)
  • Team: Hire first sales rep by March 15
  • Product: Ship automated alerts feature by Feb 28

Weekly Focus Areas

  • Monday-Tuesday: Investor outreach and meetings
  • Wednesday-Thursday: Customer calls and product work
  • Friday: Team planning, admin, coaching sessions

Risks & Mitigations

  • Risk: Fundraising takes longer than expected. Mitigation: Extend runway with bridge if needed.
  • Risk: Key customer churn. Mitigation: Increase check-in frequency, accelerate feature requests.

Sales Hiring Checklist

Last modified: December 18, 2025 at 3:45 PM

Saved Created by coach

First Sales Hire - Profile & Process

Ideal Candidate Profile

  • Experience: 3-5 years B2B SaaS sales, preferably SMB/mid-market
  • Industry: Retail, e-commerce, or supply chain experience preferred
  • Stage: Has worked at early-stage startup (Series A or earlier)
  • Skills: Full-cycle sales, comfortable with cold outreach, consultative selling
  • Traits: Self-starter, resourceful, coachable, metrics-driven

Compensation Structure

  • Base: $70K - $85K depending on experience
  • OTE: $120K - $140K (50/50 split)
  • Equity: 0.25% - 0.5% with 4-year vest

Interview Process

  • Stage 1: Phone screen (30 min) - Culture fit, background
  • Stage 2: Video interview (60 min) - Deep dive on experience, mock cold call
  • Stage 3: Case study presentation - Sell our product to a mock prospect
  • Stage 4: Reference checks and offer

Sourcing Channels

  • LinkedIn (direct outreach to candidates at target companies)
  • AngelList / Wellfound
  • Personal network referrals (offer $2K referral bonus)
  • Sales-specific communities (Bravado, Sales Hacker)
All
Shared

founders_guide.pdf

PDF File · 2.4 MB · Uploaded Aug 15, 2025

pitch_deck_template.pdf

PDF File · 1.8 MB · Uploaded Aug 10, 2025

90_day_plan.docx

Document · 245 KB · Uploaded Aug 18, 2025

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Coaching Session

60 minutes

1 /14

Matt Schaefer

Coaching Session

60 minutes
Virtual Meeting
January 2026
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Startup Foundations

25% Complete

Module 1: Customer Discovery

Identify Your Ideal Customer
Conduct Customer Interviews
Map the Customer Journey

Module 2: Go-to-Market Execution

Craft Your Value Proposition
Choose Your First Marketing Channels
Build an Early Sales Pipeline

Module 3: Fundraising Fundamentals

Understanding the Funding Landscape
Building Your Pitch Deck
Investor Outreach Strategy
Video Lesson

Workbook

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