Startup Playbook

From idea to a business that works.

A practical sequence of questions and actions for founders.

Choose your stage.

Write one customer problem and the person who experiences it.

Interview potential customers and record evidence that challenges the idea.

Build the smallest useful test of the main assumption.

Look for repeated use and clear reasons customers return.

Choose a reachable audience and test a direct acquisition route.

Test willingness to pay alongside delivery cost and customer value.

Record the buyer, objection, next step and result for each conversation.

Define the work and expected outcomes before hiring for a title.

Find a repeatable channel with economics you can sustain.

Explain the milestones capital will fund and the risks involved.

Document operations and track quality as volume increases.

Understand strategic options and dependencies before pursuing a transaction.

Original ITERAQ learning prompts. Further reading:

Research Y Combinator · Undated reference; checked 14 September 2026
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Opinion Sam Altman · Undated reference; checked 14 September 2026
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