Free founder toolkit

Five tools. Fill them on your phone, print them on one page.

The same templates our panel uses with founders. What you type is saved only on this device. Nothing is sent to us.

Not sure where to start? Take the free Startup Check and it will pick the right tool for your stage.

Tool 1 of 5 · Best for: Idea, Prototype

Idea Validation Template

Write down what you believe, then find the cheapest test that could prove you wrong this week.

1. The problem, in the customer's wordsWhat do they complain about? Quote a real person if you can. 2. Who has this problem mostBe specific: "kirana owners in Tier-2 towns", not "small businesses". 3. What they do about it todayThe current alternative, including doing nothing or using Excel / WhatsApp. 4. Evidence you already haveConversations, people who paid, waitlist sign-ups, searches. Write numbers. 5. Your riskiest assumptionThe one belief that, if wrong, kills the idea. Usually "they will pay" or "we can reach them cheaply". 6. The test you will run this weekCheapest real test: 10 calls, a pre-order link, a landing page, a manual pilot. 7. Success looks like…Decide before you start. e.g. "3 of 10 agree to pay ₹499 upfront". 8. Result and decisionWhat happened, and what you will do: continue, change, or stop.

Rule of thumb: if the test costs more than ₹5,000 or takes more than a week, it is too big. Shrink it.

Tool 2 of 5 · Best for: every stage

Founder Habit Tracker

Seven habits that move a startup forward. Tick each day you do it. Aim for a streak, not perfection.

How to use: change any habit name to suit you. Two minutes every night. At the end of each week, look at the emptiest row: that is next week's focus. Log your week in Tracker Pulse to see your momentum score.

Tool 3 of 5 · Best for: Idea, Prototype

Market Research Checklist 0 / 18

Eighteen checks investors and our panel ask about. Tick only what you can show with evidence, then write it down.

Notes and sourcesLinks, numbers and names of people you spoke to.

Scoring: 15 or more ticks — ready for a full review. 9 to 14 — fill the gaps first. Under 9 — spend two weeks on customer conversations before anything else.

Tool 4 of 5 · Best for: every stage

7-Day Execution Sprint

One goal, one number, seven days. Day 7 always ends with a decision.

Sprint goalOne sentence. e.g. "Get 5 paying pilot users". The number that proves itStart value → target. e.g. "0 → 5 paid pilots". Start date Who is accountableA co-founder, mentor or friend you report to on Day 7.

Rule: anything not on this list waits until next sprint. If Day 3 shows you are far off, cut scope, not sleep.

Tool 5 of 5 · Best for: Prototype, Early customers

Business Model Canvas Lite

Nine boxes instead of a 40-page plan. If a box is hard to fill, that is where your next test is.

CustomerWho pays, and who uses (if different). ProblemTop 1–3 problems, in their words. SolutionThe smallest thing that solves the top problem. Why you winWhat is hard to copy: access, data, trust, cost. ChannelsHow customers find and buy: WhatsApp, field sales, distributors, marketplaces, referrals. RevenuePrice, how often, who collects. Include GST in what the customer sees. CostsBiggest monthly costs, and cost to serve one customer. Key numbersCost to get a customer, margin per sale, months to break even. India notesGST registration, licences (FSSAI, drug, trade), DPIIT recognition, state schemes.

Check: does Revenue minus Costs work at 100 customers? If not, change price, channel or customer before building more.

Five tools. Fill them on your phone, print them on one page.

Idea Validation Template

Founder Habit Tracker

Market Research Checklist 0 / 18

7-Day Execution Sprint

Business Model Canvas Lite

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