This section follows companies from the founding decision to the first paying contracts. Expect coverage of incorporation and equity splits, cofounder agreements, early product bets, seed financing and the hiring sequence that follows. Written for people building a company now rather than studying one from a distance.
The reliable path to a technical co-founder runs through shipped work together — a paid trial project — not cold pitches to engineers you met at a meetup.
Owen Blackwood · February 14, 2026
A SAFE defers the valuation conversation; a priced round settles ownership now — the difference shows up the day a priced round's terms meet your cap table.
Owen Blackwood · January 22, 2026
An 18-month financial model built from the bottom up — headcount, unit costs, and one honest revenue assumption — is the version that holds up in a board meeting.
Owen Blackwood · December 30, 2025