How to start a startup: your first 90 days

Days 1–30: test the problem

Interview potential customers without leading them toward your idea. Learn how they handle the problem today, what it costs them, who controls the budget, and what would create urgency. Write a narrow statement of the customer, problem, and proposed outcome.

• Complete 15–25 focused customer conversations.
• Map current alternatives, including doing nothing.
• Choose one measurable assumption to test first.
• Draft a simple value proposition in the customer’s language.

Days 31–60: build the smallest useful test

Create the smallest product, service, prototype, or manual process that can test real demand. Define a price or commitment. Compliments are encouraging, but a signed pilot, deposit, purchase, referral, or repeated use is stronger evidence.

At this stage, review founder ownership, intellectual property, confidentiality, data handling, immigration work authorization, and whether entity formation is now appropriate.

Days 61–90: establish a repeatable rhythm

Track a small set of metrics tied to acquisition, activation, retention, revenue, and runway. Document the sales process. Improve the product based on observed behavior rather than every requested feature.

• Set a weekly customer-learning goal.
• Separate business finances and maintain reliable records.
• Build a 12-month cash plan with conservative assumptions.
• Create a compliance calendar for taxes, licenses, filings, and contracts.
• Decide what evidence must exist before hiring or fundraising.

Formation should support the strategy

The right entity, state, tax treatment, and founder documents depend on the business model, ownership, fundraising plan, and where operations occur. Use formation as infrastructure for a validated plan—not as a substitute for customer discovery.