The library.
Guides, worksheets, and templates from the Foundry and the founders we trust — sorted by where you are, not who you know.
Five stages. One journey.
Every Foundry venture moves through the same arc. Pick the stage that sounds like this week, and the library sorts itself around you — the programs run along the same arc.
Take what you need.
a16z — Capital & Fundraising Guides
Collection of guides from Andreessen Horowitz covering fundraising strategy, cash management, convertible notes, valuations, and avoiding common mistakes from active investors who funded Airbnb and Slack.
a16z — Enterprise Startups: Hiring, Firing, Scaling
Video content from a16z featuring experienced CEOs sharing insights on firing early hires, transitioning from founder-led sales, and building executive teams during hypergrowth.
a16z — Guide to Growth Metrics
Comprehensive framework from Andreessen Horowitz with benchmarks for growth-stage B2B companies covering ARR growth, CAC payback, gross margin, and Rule of 40.
a16z Growth Guide
Comprehensive growth strategies from Andreessen Horowitz covering product-led growth, growth marketing, scaling operations, and building growth teams at venture-scale companies.
BetaList — Early Adopter Community
Platform connecting startups with early adopters for beta testing. Submit your MVP to get discovered by tech-savvy testers who love trying new products and providing feedback.
Bubble — No-Code Web App Builder
Most powerful no-code platform for building complex web applications with databases, user authentication, and logic. Free tier for learning and building MVPs. Used by many YC startups.
Carrd — Landing Page Builder
Simple, fully responsive landing page builder perfect for testing startup ideas before building. Build validation landing pages in under an hour with free tier available.
Carta — Free Cap Table Template
Professional cap table template from the leading equity management platform. Helps track ownership, equity distribution, and issued securities with formulas for common stock, preferred shares, and option pools.
Carta — How to Find a Co-Founder Guide
Practical guide covering solo vs. co-founder decisions, where to find co-founders, evaluating compatibility, and recommendations for trial projects with insights on complementary skills.
Clerky — Legal Platform for Startups
Most popular online legal service for startups, recommended by YC. Handles incorporation, SAFE/convertible note issuance, employee hiring, and equity compensation. Used by DoorDash, Coinbase, Instacart.
Clerky Handbooks — Legal Concepts for Founders
Free comprehensive guides on startup formation, incorporation, equity allocation, vesting, 83(b) elections, and capital contributions from experienced startup attorneys.
Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO)
World's largest network of student entrepreneurs with chapters at universities globally. Provides community, competitions, networking events, and resources with free membership.
Cooley GO — SAFE Document Generator
Free online tool to generate customized Y Combinator SAFE financing documents. Includes pre-money and post-money versions for US, UK, and Singapore companies from top startup law firm Cooley.
d.school Starter Kit
Complete, free facilitated guide to running an introduction to design workshop. Includes downloadable slides, activities, and worksheets covering 20+ design concepts in a 3-hour format.
Demand Curve — Product Hunt Launch Playbook
In-depth, step-by-step framework for launching on Product Hunt based on interviews with 14 successful hunters and makers. Covers preparation, timing, engagement strategies, and traffic conversion.
Effectuation Framework — UVA Darden
Professor Saras Sarasvathy's research-backed framework for entrepreneurial decision-making. Teaches the 'Bird in Hand' principle—how expert entrepreneurs start with available means rather than fixed goals.
Entrepreneurs Organization (EO)
Global peer network of 18,000+ founders across 60+ countries. Monthly forums with 7-10 peers for confidential discussions. EO Accelerator available for founders at $250K+ revenue.
FigJam — Lean Canvas Template
Collaborative, free Lean Canvas template in Figma's whiteboard tool. Perfect for student teams to brainstorm together with comments, stickies, and real-time editing.
FigJam by Figma — Brainstorming Tool
Free online whiteboard designed for creative collaboration. Features sticky notes, drawing tools, voting systems, and real-time audio chat for team ideation sessions.
Figma — Prototyping Tool
Industry-standard design and prototyping tool with generous free tier. Create interactive prototypes, wireframes, and UI designs collaboratively with developer handoff features.
First Round Review — Hiring Tactics
Collection of tactical hiring guides including developing hiring systems, building recruiting funnels, eliminating bias, and attracting top talent to early-stage companies.
First Round Review — Lightweight JTBD Framework
Practical, simplified Jobs-to-Be-Done framework from Facebook's New Product Experimentation team. Includes templates, real-world examples (Discord, Peloton, Segment), and step-by-step process for creating JTBD statements.
First Round Review — Scaling Articles
In-depth articles on scaling startups from First Round Capital's editorial team. Covers hiring, culture, leadership, operations, and lessons from successful founders.
First Round Review — Scaling Operations
Deep-dive articles on scaling challenges from founders at Twilio, Stripe, and Notion covering internal documentation, executive team building, scaling operations, and maintaining culture during hypergrowth.
Forecastr — Financial Model Templates
Free, investor-grade financial model templates in Excel and Google Sheets for SaaS, marketplace, and CPG startups with 60-month projections including MRR, CAC, LTV, and burn rate.
Glide Apps — Mobile App Builder
Build mobile apps in minutes from spreadsheets, without code. Drag-and-drop interface creates functional iOS and Android apps—perfect for quickly testing mobile app ideas.
Gusto — HR & Payroll Platform
Comprehensive HR and payroll solution for startups with transparent pricing. Features automated payroll, benefits administration, onboarding, time tracking, and compliance for teams of 1-100.
Harvard Innovation Labs (Student i-lab)
Harvard's comprehensive innovation hub serving students from all 13 schools. Offers Explorer programming for those curious about entrepreneurship, workshops, Slack community, and mentorship.
High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil
Definitive playbook for scaling startups from 10 to 10,000 employees covering CEO role evolution, board management, executive hiring, and M&A. Interviews with Reid Hoffman and Marc Andreessen. Available free online.
How to Find Your First 100 Customers
Practical guide covering the process from unknown startup to first paying customers. Includes tactics for beta users, meetups, content marketing, and validating product-market fit.
Indie Hackers Community
Community of entrepreneurs building profitable online businesses independently. Features founder interviews with revenue numbers, discussion forums, co-founder matching board, and niche-focused groups.
Leanstack — Lean Canvas (Official Tool)
Official Lean Canvas tool from Ash Maurya, creator of the framework. One-page business model template specifically designed for startups to identify and test key assumptions. Used by over 1 million entrepreneurs.
Masters of Scale Podcast by Reid Hoffman
Award-winning podcast where iconic leaders (Brian Chesky, Reed Hastings, Indra Nooyi) share scaling strategies. Hosted by LinkedIn co-founder with 500+ episodes on growth challenges.
Maze — Prototype Testing Platform
User testing platform integrating directly with Figma prototypes. Collect actionable usability feedback in hours with automated reports, click tracking, and heatmaps. Free tier available.
Measure What Matters by John Doerr
Bestselling book on implementing OKRs with case studies from Google, Intel, and the Gates Foundation. Essential for founders establishing goal-setting systems that scale.
Miro — Brainstorming & Mind Mapping
Visual collaboration platform with infinite canvas, real-time teamwork, and 300+ customizable templates. Free tier allows mind mapping and idea organization—ideal for student teams exploring concepts.
Miro — Product Roadmap Templates
Free, collaborative product roadmap templates including Agile roadmaps, feature roadmaps, and sprint planning boards. Visual, drag-and-drop interface for aligning teams on product vision.
MIT Becoming an Entrepreneur (edX)
Free online course from MIT Launch designed for aspiring entrepreneurs. Covers developing business ideas, market research, entrepreneurial strategy, and pitching. No prior business experience required.
MIT OpenCourseWare: Entrepreneurship Collection
Free access to MIT's full entrepreneurship curriculum including workbooks and structured frameworks to evaluate startup ideas and build products systematically.
NextView Ventures — Board Deck & Investor Update Templates
Free, downloadable board meeting deck templates with VC commentary including formats for CEO updates, KPI dashboards, and team reporting for seed-to-Series A startups.
NextView Ventures — Seed Stage Pitch Deck Template
Free pitch deck template designed specifically for seed-stage startups by active VCs. Includes storytelling components and design guidance updated for modern fundraising standards.
No Code MBA — Build Without Code
Educational platform with free tutorials on building apps, websites, and automations using no-code tools. Includes practical business ideas, tool guides for Bubble/Webflow/Airtable, and step-by-step walkthroughs.
Notion
All-in-one workspace for notes, wikis, databases, and project management. Free for students with education email. Perfect for organizing research and capturing ideas throughout your exploration.
Notion — Startup Templates
Free project management and startup templates including product roadmaps, task management, sprint boards, and team collaboration spaces. Works on Notion's free plan.
PandaDoc — Founders Agreement Template
Customizable, legally structured founders agreement template covering equity distribution, intellectual property rights, vesting schedules, decision-making processes, and dispute resolution.
Paul Graham: Before the Startup
Y Combinator co-founder's definitive essay for college students considering entrepreneurship. Explains why startups are counterintuitive, what to do in college to prepare, and the key mindsets for success.
Paul Graham: How to Get Startup Ideas
Essential guide explaining that the best startup ideas come from noticing problems you personally have, not brainstorming 'startup ideas.' Teaches students to live in the future and build what's missing.
Paul Graham: How to Start a Startup
Comprehensive foundational essay covering the three essential elements: good people, making something customers want, and spending as little money as possible.
Product Hunt
Definitive platform for launching and discovering new products. Active community discussions for getting feedback, finding beta testers, and validating ideas. Free to participate.
Product Hunt Launch Platform
Premier launch platform where startups get discovered by tech enthusiasts, early adopters, and investors. Free to use with potential for thousands of visitors. Launched Notion, Loom, Zapier.
Product School — JTBD Framework Guide
Comprehensive guide with real-world implementation examples from Spotify, Uber, and Duolingo. Covers practical application of JTBD in product management with step-by-step methodology.
Product School — Product Roadmap Templates & Guides
Free downloadable product roadmap templates (Feature, Outcome-based, Agile, Visual) with guides on product development from experienced product managers.
ProductPlan — Customer Validation Interviews Guide
Practical guide covering when to start interviews, how to formulate hypotheses using Business Model Canvas, in-person vs. remote techniques, and common validation mistakes.
ProductPlan — Jobs-To-Be-Done Framework Overview
Clear introduction to JTBD theory with practical application. Explains how to uncover customer motivations beyond surface-level needs, with examples and comparison to other prioritization frameworks.
Rippling — Unified HR, IT & Finance Platform
All-in-one workforce management automating HR, payroll, IT device management, and finance. Built to scale from startup to enterprise with global payroll in 185+ countries.
SaaStr — How to Pitch Your Seed Stage Startup
Video masterclass from YC Managing Director Michael Seibel covering exact tactics to catch investor attention based on 2,000+ YC interviews. Covers traction, market sizing, and founder mistakes.
Sequoia Capital — Board Deck Guide
Sequoia's framework for preparing board meetings with proven structure: CEO update, calibration section, and strategic discussions. Used by Dropbox from seed to public company.
Sequoia Capital — Building Enduring Companies
Resources and frameworks from Sequoia Capital on building companies that last, covering strategy, culture, hiring, and organizational design.
Sequoia Capital — Company Design
Sequoia's systematic approach to company building covering product-market fit frameworks, go-to-market strategy, equity planning, and hiring. 50+ years of experience backing Apple, Google, Airbnb.
Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Framework
Proven storytelling framework used by legendary companies like Airbnb, YouTube, and PayPal. Covers 6 essential sections: purpose, problem, solution, timing, market, and team.
Slidebean — Cap Table Template
Free Google Sheets/Excel cap table template estimating equity redistribution across five funding rounds. Handles SAFEs, convertible notes, and priced rounds with exit scenario modeling.
Slidebean — Pitch Deck Examples (35+ Startups)
Collection of real pitch decks from funded startups including Airbnb, Uber, YouTube, and Buffer with analysis and fill-in-the-blank templates modeled on each deck structure.
Standard Metrics — Board Deck Templates
Free board deck templates from world-class investors (David Sacks, Hayley Barna from First Round, Nabeel Hyatt from Spark Capital) plus investor update and benchmarking tools.
Stanford d.school — Get Started With Design
Curated collection of beginner-friendly tools including the Haircut Challenge and Design Abilities Workshop with guided exercises for design-curious students.
Stanford d.school Design Thinking Bootleg
Comprehensive, free guide to design thinking methods and mindsets. Provides practical exercises for empathizing with users, defining problems, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing.
Stanford eCorner — Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders
Free archive of 1000+ videos and podcasts featuring successful entrepreneurs sharing stories, insights, and practical advice. Speakers include Sergey Brin (Google), Mark Zuckerberg, and Anne Wojcicki (23andMe).
Stanford Introduction to Design Thinking
Free course from Stanford d.school teaching fundamentals of design thinking and creative problem-solving from the institution that pioneered this methodology.
Strategyn — Jobs-to-be-Done Comprehensive Guide
Definitive JTBD resource from Tony Ulwick, creator of the methodology. Includes four practical frameworks: market definition, needs canvas, customer types, and strategy selection with free downloadable PDFs.
Stripe Atlas — How to Incorporate Your Startup
Step-by-step guide covering business structure selection (LLC vs C-Corp), Delaware incorporation benefits, registered agents, and ongoing compliance from Stripe's Atlas team.
Stripe Atlas — Incorporation Platform
All-in-one incorporation platform ($500) handling Delaware C-Corp or LLC formation, EIN acquisition, 83(b) election filing, founder equity, and banking. Includes $2,500+ in startup credits.
TED Talks: When You Want to Start a Business
Curated TED playlist featuring essential talks including Simon Sinek's 'Start with Why' and talks on pitching to VCs, building resilience, and the psychology of entrepreneurship.
The 7-Step Process to Startup Validation
Step-by-step validation process covering market research, customer interviews, surveys, pre-orders, and landing page MVPs. Includes analysis frameworks and specific tool recommendations for each method.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Foundational book on modern startup methodology. Teaches Build-Measure-Learn cycle, validated learning, MVP development, and when to pivot. Essential reading for product development.
The Lean Startup Methodology
Eric Ries's foundational framework explaining the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop, minimum viable products, and validated learning. Essential for understanding how modern startups test ideas efficiently.
The Lean Startup Methodology (Build-Measure-Learn)
Eric Ries's foundational framework teaching the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop. Focuses on validated learning through MVPs, rapid experimentation, and knowing when to pivot or persevere.
The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
Essential book on conducting customer interviews that extract truth instead of false validation. Teaches how to ask questions that even your mom can't lie about. Recommended by Y Combinator.
The Mom Test Summary Guide
Detailed breakdown of Rob Fitzpatrick's Mom Test methodology for customer interviews. Covers the three rules for getting honest feedback, types of bad data to avoid, and practical tips for effective validation conversations.
The Ultimate List of Customer Development Questions
Comprehensive question bank organized by validation stage: problem discovery, idea validation, and product improvement. Includes questions for interviews across the entire product lifecycle.
Typeform — Survey & Research Tool
Beautiful, conversational survey builder ideal for customer research and validation surveys. Free plan with templates for product feedback, market research, and beta tester feedback collection.
Vercel — Free Hosting Platform
Free hosting with 100GB bandwidth, automatic deployments from GitHub, and global CDN. Ideal for Next.js, React, and static sites with serverless functions. No credit card required.
Webflow — Visual Website Builder
No-code website builder with professional design capabilities, CMS features, and hosting. Free plan for building and publishing sites—perfect for non-technical founders.
WhatMatters.com — OKR Framework by John Doerr
Definitive resource for implementing Objectives and Key Results, the goal-setting framework used by Google and Intel. Includes free courses, examples, and templates from John Doerr.
Y Combinator — Fundraising Library (Series A Guide)
Comprehensive guides from YC covering how Series A rounds work, when to fundraise, managing investor meetings, and avoiding common mistakes based on 190+ YC companies raising Series A.
Y Combinator — How to Build an MVP
YC Group Partner Michael Seibel explains how to determine your MVP feature set, build prototypes for user testing, and present your MVP to early customers. Essential framework for shipping quickly.
Y Combinator — How to Plan an MVP
Comprehensive guide from YC's Michael Seibel on planning your minimum viable product, determining what features to include vs. skip, and how to think about your first launch with real YC examples.
Y Combinator Co-Founder Matching
Free platform with 100,000+ matches made connecting aspiring founders. Create a profile, set preferences for skills/location/commitment, and get matched with potential co-founders.
Y Combinator Library — Startup Advice & Frameworks
Comprehensive library teaching startup fundamentals including go-to-market strategy, fundraising frameworks, and launch playbooks from YC partners who built Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe.
Y Combinator SAFE Documents (Official)
Industry-standard Simple Agreement for Future Equity templates created by YC. Includes valuation cap, discount, and MFN versions plus pro rata side letters. Used by nearly all YC startups.
Y Combinator Startup Library — Complete Collection
YC's complete library of essays and videos covering fundraising, hiring, sales, product-market fit, and scaling from YC partners and successful founders like Sam Altman and Paul Graham.
Y Combinator Startup School
Free online course from the world's top startup accelerator. Includes video lectures from YC partners on MVP planning, fundraising, growth, and launching—taught by people who helped start Airbnb, Stripe, and Dropbox.
Y Combinator Startup School Curriculum
Free, comprehensive course from Y Combinator covering idea validation, talking to users, building MVPs, and launching. Video lectures from YC partners who've helped launch Stripe, Airbnb, and Dropbox.
Y Combinator YouTube — Founder Advice
Extensive library including 'How to Pitch Your Seed Stage Startup' with Michael Seibel, fundraising advice, Demo Day pitches, and founder interviews from Airbnb, DoorDash, and Stripe founders.
YC Co-Founder Matching Platform
Free platform with 100,000+ matches made connecting aspiring founders. Create a profile, set preferences for skills/location/commitment, and get matched with potential co-founders.
YC Co-Founder Matching via Startup School
World's largest co-founder matching platform with 100,000+ successful matches. Free for Startup School participants to connect with founders who complement your skillset.
YC Library — How to Get Your First Customers
Strategic video from YC's Gustaf Alströmer on customer acquisition for B2B and B2C companies. Covers why founders should do sales early, tactics for first 10 customers, and common mistakes.
YC Library — How to Talk to Users
Essential YC Startup School video from Gustaf Alströmer, YC Group Partner and former Head of Growth at Airbnb. Provides tactical advice on talking to users, running effective interviews, and interpreting feedback.
YC Startup Library — MVP Category
Curated collection of Y Combinator's best essays and videos specifically about MVP development, product building, and early-stage startup advice from YC partners who helped launch Airbnb and Stripe.
YC Startup Library — Talking to Users Collection
Curated collection of Y Combinator videos and essays specifically focused on customer discovery and user research with multiple speakers and perspectives on validation techniques.
YC Startup School — Launch Course
Free 7-week course teaching how to build a startup from YC partners and founders of Twitch, Airbnb, and more. Covers MVP planning, modern funding (SAFE mechanics), launching, and growth.
YC Startup School — Scaling Course
Free 7-week course covering company building from idea to scaling with curriculum on hiring, fundraising, and growing past product-market fit. Includes co-founder matching platform.
YC Startup School Full Course
Free 7-week course from Y Combinator covering how to build a startup from idea to launch. Includes video lectures, co-founder matching access, weekly progress tracking, and exclusive deals (AWS credits, Stripe).
YC Startup School Video Library
Full video library of YC partners teaching startup fundamentals: How to Plan an MVP, How to Get Users and Grow, Modern Startup Funding, plus founder stories from Mark Zuckerberg and others.
Young Presidents Organization (YPO)
Premier global CEO community with 38,000+ members across 150 countries. Confidential peer forums, leadership development, and global networking for founders under 45 with 50+ employees.
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