The most important startup questions

It’s okay to not have answers to all of these.

know what questions are
the most important for you just now.

Why

  • we are doing this?

Are we

When

  • we we will be out of money? (What’s our runway) 
  • we will be really happy for the first time / when we will start to sleep well?

What

  • is our BHAG?
  • we already have?
  • we are best in?
  • are our unfair advantages?
  • key expertises are we missing in the team?
  • current cap-table looks like?
  • is the best scenario for next 3/12/… Months?
  • is the worst scenario for next 3/12/… Months?

Who

  • is our ideal customer segment / target vertical?
  • are co-founders and what they are best in?
  • from our current team we would hire again?
  • are our closest competitors?
  • are the companies on the market what would be most beneficial from what we are doing / will do?
  • are we hunting – big or small animals?

Do

  • we already have some success in hunting these animals?

How

  • many of these we want to hunt in next 3 and 12 Months?
  • specifically we will get them? (GoToMarket strategy)
  • we will make sure we are getting there? (metrics)
  • we will make sure there is clarity in ownership? (OKRs)
  • we will survive until then?
  • our target customers are solving the biggest problem we want to solve for them now? (What is typical solution used today)
  • the market is changing and will change in following years?
  • big is our market and how fast is it growing?
  • our dream company looks like several years from now?
  • our (founding team) roles will change then?

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