# Entrepreneurship and Startup Processes - Phase 2 Processes Backlog

This document outlines the key processes to be implemented for the Entrepreneurship and Startup Processes specialization. These processes cover the full lifecycle of venture creation from ideation through scaling.

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## Category 1: Idea Validation and Customer Discovery

### 1. Customer Discovery Interview Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Systematic approach to conducting customer discovery interviews following The Mom Test principles, generating validated problem hypotheses and actionable insights.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Define target customer segments and interview goals
  - Prepare interview scripts focused on past behaviors (not future intentions)
  - Conduct and record discovery conversations
  - Synthesize patterns and extract insights
  - Update problem hypotheses based on findings
- **Outputs:** Interview transcripts, insight synthesis, validated/invalidated hypotheses
- **References:** The Mom Test, Customer Development methodology, Steve Blank

### 2. Problem-Solution Fit Validation Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Structured process to validate that a proposed solution effectively addresses a real customer problem worth solving.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Articulate problem statement and solution hypothesis
  - Design and build solution prototype or mockup
  - Test solution concepts with target customers
  - Measure desirability, feasibility, and viability signals
  - Make pivot or persevere decision based on evidence
- **Outputs:** Validation scorecard, evidence documentation, go/no-go recommendation
- **References:** Lean Startup, Testing Business Ideas, Design Thinking

### 3. Market Sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM) Analysis Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Rigorous market sizing analysis using both top-down and bottom-up approaches to quantify market opportunity.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Define market boundaries and segmentation criteria
  - Conduct top-down analysis using industry reports
  - Validate with bottom-up calculations from unit economics
  - Calculate Total Addressable Market (TAM)
  - Define Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM)
  - Estimate Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM)
- **Outputs:** Market sizing model, methodology documentation, investor-ready analysis
- **References:** Strategyzer, McKinsey market sizing frameworks

### 4. Competitive Landscape Mapping Process
- **Priority:** Medium
- **Description:** Comprehensive analysis of competitive environment including direct competitors, substitutes, and potential entrants.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Identify direct and indirect competitors
  - Analyze competitor positioning, strengths, and weaknesses
  - Map competitive dimensions and differentiation factors
  - Assess barriers to entry and competitive moats
  - Identify whitespace opportunities and threats
- **Outputs:** Competitive matrix, positioning map, strategic implications report
- **References:** Porter's Five Forces, Blue Ocean Strategy

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## Category 2: Pitch Deck and Presentations

### 5. Investor Pitch Deck Development Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Structured process to create compelling investor pitch decks that tell a cohesive story and address investor criteria.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Define narrative arc and key messages
  - Structure deck following proven frameworks (problem, solution, market, etc.)
  - Create compelling visuals and data visualizations
  - Incorporate social proof and traction evidence
  - Iterate based on practice sessions and feedback
- **Outputs:** 10-15 slide investor pitch deck, appendix slides, presenter notes
- **References:** Get Backed, Sequoia pitch deck template, DocSend analysis

### 6. Demo Day Presentation Preparation Process
- **Priority:** Medium
- **Description:** Process to prepare founders for high-stakes demo day presentations at accelerators and investor events.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Craft 3-5 minute presentation narrative
  - Design demo and product visualization strategy
  - Develop memorable hooks and closing call-to-action
  - Conduct rehearsals with timing and feedback
  - Prepare for Q&A and follow-up conversations
- **Outputs:** Demo day deck, presentation script, Q&A preparation guide
- **References:** Y Combinator Demo Day, Techstars Demo Day best practices

### 7. Board Meeting Presentation Process
- **Priority:** Medium
- **Description:** Structured approach to preparing and delivering effective board meeting presentations for governance and strategic alignment.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Prepare operating metrics dashboard and KPIs
  - Draft CEO letter summarizing period performance
  - Structure discussion topics and decision items
  - Create financial summary and runway analysis
  - Prepare strategic discussion materials
- **Outputs:** Board deck, pre-read materials, meeting agenda, action item tracker
- **References:** First Round Review board meeting guides

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## Category 3: Fundraising Processes

### 8. Pre-Seed/Seed Fundraising Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** End-to-end process for raising pre-seed or seed funding from angels, angel groups, and seed-stage VCs.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Assess fundraising readiness and timing
  - Prepare pitch materials and data room
  - Build target investor list (angels, angel groups, seed funds)
  - Execute warm introduction strategy
  - Manage investor pipeline and follow-ups
  - Navigate term sheet negotiation and closing
- **Outputs:** Investor CRM, pitch deck, SAFE/convertible note terms, closed funding
- **References:** YC SAFE documents, Venture Deals, Art of Startup Fundraising

### 9. Series A Fundraising Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Comprehensive process for raising Series A institutional venture capital funding.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Validate Series A readiness metrics and milestones
  - Prepare institutional-grade pitch deck and financial model
  - Build comprehensive data room for due diligence
  - Create tiered target investor list aligned with thesis
  - Execute outreach and meeting schedule
  - Manage partner meetings and term sheet negotiation
  - Navigate legal documentation and closing
- **Outputs:** Series A deck, financial model, data room, term sheet, definitive agreements
- **References:** Secrets of Sand Hill Road, NVCA model documents

### 10. Due Diligence Preparation Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Systematic process to prepare all materials and documentation required for investor due diligence.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Organize corporate documents and cap table
  - Prepare financial statements and projections
  - Document customer references and contracts
  - Compile intellectual property documentation
  - Gather team backgrounds and references
  - Create organized data room with appropriate access controls
- **Outputs:** Due diligence checklist, organized data room, management presentation
- **References:** Cooley GO due diligence guide, VC due diligence frameworks

### 11. Investor Update Communication Process
- **Priority:** Medium
- **Description:** Regular cadence process for communicating with existing and potential investors to maintain relationships and support.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Define update frequency and format (monthly/quarterly)
  - Structure updates with consistent metrics and narrative
  - Highlight wins, challenges, and asks
  - Segment updates for different investor tiers
  - Track investor engagement and responses
- **Outputs:** Investor update template, mailing list management, engagement tracking
- **References:** YC investor update templates, First Round Review

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## Category 4: Business Planning and Strategy

### 12. Business Model Canvas Development Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Structured process to design, document, and validate business models using the Business Model Canvas framework.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Map nine building blocks of the business model
  - Identify key assumptions and risks in each block
  - Prioritize assumptions for testing
  - Design experiments to validate critical assumptions
  - Iterate canvas based on validated learning
- **Outputs:** Completed Business Model Canvas, assumption tracking, experiment results
- **References:** Business Model Generation, Strategyzer platform

### 13. Financial Model Development Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Process to build robust financial models including projections, unit economics, and scenario analysis for planning and fundraising.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Define revenue model and key drivers
  - Build bottoms-up revenue projections
  - Model operating expenses and headcount plan
  - Calculate unit economics (CAC, LTV, payback)
  - Create scenario and sensitivity analysis
  - Build cash flow and runway projections
- **Outputs:** 3-5 year financial model, unit economics analysis, scenario dashboard
- **References:** Lean Analytics, startup financial modeling best practices

### 14. Go-to-Market Strategy Development Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Comprehensive process to develop go-to-market strategy including positioning, messaging, channel strategy, and launch planning.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Define target customer segments and personas
  - Develop positioning and messaging framework
  - Select and prioritize distribution channels
  - Design pricing strategy and packaging
  - Create launch timeline and milestones
  - Define success metrics and measurement plan
- **Outputs:** GTM strategy document, positioning statement, channel plan, launch playbook
- **References:** Crossing the Chasm, Traction, Obviously Awesome

### 15. Business Plan Document Creation Process
- **Priority:** Medium
- **Description:** Process to create comprehensive business plan documents for formal contexts (grants, competitions, traditional investors).
- **Key Activities:**
  - Draft executive summary capturing essence of opportunity
  - Document market analysis and opportunity assessment
  - Describe product/service and competitive advantages
  - Detail operations and team capabilities
  - Include financial projections and funding requirements
  - Create supporting appendices and documentation
- **Outputs:** Formal business plan document, executive summary, financial appendix
- **References:** SBA business plan templates, Disciplined Entrepreneurship

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## Category 5: Product-Market Fit

### 16. MVP Definition and Development Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Structured approach to defining and building minimum viable products that test core value propositions with minimal investment.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Identify core value hypothesis to test
  - Define minimum feature set for learning
  - Select appropriate MVP type (concierge, Wizard of Oz, landing page, etc.)
  - Build or fake MVP with rapid execution
  - Launch to early adopters for feedback
  - Measure and analyze results
- **Outputs:** MVP specification, functioning MVP, test results, learning documentation
- **References:** Lean Startup, Running Lean

### 17. Product-Market Fit Assessment Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Systematic process to measure and assess product-market fit using quantitative and qualitative signals.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Deploy Sean Ellis survey ("How would you feel if you could no longer use this product?")
  - Analyze retention curves and engagement metrics
  - Conduct qualitative interviews with active users
  - Assess organic growth and word-of-mouth signals
  - Calculate Net Promoter Score (NPS)
  - Make PMF determination with confidence level
- **Outputs:** PMF scorecard, survey results, retention analysis, PMF determination
- **References:** Sean Ellis PMF survey, Superhuman PMF engine

### 18. Pivot Decision Framework Process
- **Priority:** Medium
- **Description:** Structured process for making data-driven pivot or persevere decisions when facing validation challenges.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Compile evidence from experiments and market feedback
  - Assess progress toward key milestones and PMF
  - Evaluate remaining runway and resources
  - Generate pivot alternatives (zoom-in, zoom-out, customer segment, etc.)
  - Analyze pivot options against team capabilities and market opportunity
  - Make and communicate pivot or persevere decision
- **Outputs:** Evidence summary, pivot options analysis, decision documentation, new direction plan
- **References:** Lean Startup, Customer Development

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## Category 6: Growth and Scaling

### 19. Traction Channel Identification Process (Bullseye Framework)
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Systematic process to identify, test, and prioritize customer acquisition channels using the Bullseye Framework.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Brainstorm all 19 traction channels for applicability
  - Rank channels based on potential, cost, and speed
  - Select top 3 channels for testing
  - Design and execute small-scale channel tests
  - Analyze results and identify winning channel
  - Focus resources on optimizing winning channel
- **Outputs:** Channel brainstorm, test plans, channel test results, focus recommendation
- **References:** Traction (Weinberg & Mares), Bullseye Framework

### 20. Growth Experiment Design and Execution Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Structured process for designing, running, and analyzing growth experiments across the AARRR funnel.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Identify growth lever and funnel stage to optimize
  - Generate experiment hypotheses with predicted impact
  - Design experiment with clear metrics and statistical requirements
  - Build and launch experiment with proper tracking
  - Analyze results with statistical rigor
  - Document learnings and scale winners
- **Outputs:** Experiment brief, implementation, analysis report, playbook update
- **References:** Hacking Growth, Reforge, AARRR framework

### 21. Scaling Operations Playbook Process
- **Priority:** Medium
- **Description:** Process to develop operational playbooks that enable scaling without proportional headcount growth.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Identify high-volume, repeatable processes
  - Document current state process and bottlenecks
  - Design standardized, scalable process
  - Create documentation and training materials
  - Implement process with quality controls
  - Measure efficiency gains and iterate
- **Outputs:** Process documentation, training materials, SOP library, efficiency metrics
- **References:** High Output Management, The Checklist Manifesto

### 22. International Expansion Planning Process
- **Priority:** Low
- **Description:** Structured process for planning and executing expansion into new geographic markets.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Screen and prioritize target markets
  - Conduct market-specific research and competitive analysis
  - Assess regulatory, legal, and operational requirements
  - Define localization requirements (product, content, operations)
  - Build financial model for expansion
  - Create phased expansion roadmap
- **Outputs:** Market prioritization matrix, expansion business case, localization requirements, launch plan
- **References:** Blitzscaling, global expansion case studies

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## Category 7: Team and Culture

### 23. Founding Team Formation Process
- **Priority:** High
- **Description:** Structured approach to identifying, evaluating, and formalizing co-founder relationships with clear agreements.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Define required skills and experience for founding team
  - Evaluate potential co-founder fit (skills, values, commitment)
  - Conduct co-founder dating and collaboration tests
  - Discuss and align on vision, roles, and equity
  - Draft and execute founders agreement
  - Establish vesting schedules and governance
- **Outputs:** Co-founder evaluation framework, founders agreement, vesting schedule, operating agreement
- **References:** YC co-founder advice, Noam Wasserman's Founder's Dilemmas

### 24. Startup Hiring Process
- **Priority:** Medium
- **Description:** Efficient hiring process optimized for early-stage startups balancing speed, quality, and culture fit.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Define role requirements and success criteria
  - Source candidates through networks, referrals, and targeted outreach
  - Design interview process for skill and culture assessment
  - Conduct structured interviews with scorecards
  - Make offer decisions with equity considerations
  - Execute onboarding for rapid productivity
- **Outputs:** Job descriptions, interview guides, offer templates, onboarding checklist
- **References:** Who (Geoff Smart), First Round hiring guides

### 25. Startup Culture Definition Process
- **Priority:** Medium
- **Description:** Process to intentionally define, document, and operationalize company culture and values.
- **Key Activities:**
  - Identify core values through founder reflection and team input
  - Define behaviors that exemplify each value
  - Create culture documentation and artifacts
  - Embed values in hiring, feedback, and recognition
  - Establish rituals and practices that reinforce culture
  - Measure and iterate on cultural health
- **Outputs:** Culture document, values definitions, behavioral examples, culture health metrics
- **References:** What You Do Is Who You Are, Netflix Culture Deck

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## Implementation Priority Summary

| Priority | Process Count | Categories |
|----------|--------------|------------|
| High | 14 | Validation, Pitch, Fundraising, Business Planning, PMF, Growth, Team |
| Medium | 9 | Competitive Analysis, Presentations, Investor Relations, Planning, Growth, Team |
| Low | 2 | Scaling, International |

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## Process Dependencies

```
Customer Discovery (1) --> Problem-Solution Fit (2) --> MVP Development (16)
Market Sizing (3) + Competitive Mapping (4) --> Business Model Canvas (12)
Business Model Canvas (12) --> Financial Model (13) --> Pitch Deck (5)
MVP Development (16) --> PMF Assessment (17) --> Pivot Decision (18)
PMF Assessment (17) --> Series A Fundraising (9)
Pitch Deck (5) + Due Diligence Prep (10) --> Pre-Seed/Seed Fundraising (8)
Pre-Seed/Seed Fundraising (8) --> Series A Fundraising (9)
PMF Assessment (17) --> Traction Channels (19) --> Growth Experiments (20)
```

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## Next Steps

1. Begin implementation with high-priority processes in the Idea Validation category
2. Develop pitch deck and fundraising processes in parallel
3. Implement PMF assessment processes once MVP development process is available
4. Add growth and scaling processes as startups progress through lifecycle stages

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*Last updated: January 2026*
