The Road To: Startup Foundations That Stick
- Stephanie Roulic
- 29 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Every great startup starts with a strong foundation. Before you can scale, fundraise, or go to market, you need the right structure - from your legal setup and equity splits to your tech stack and growth goals. The Road To: Startup Foundations That Stick brings together expert-led sessions from Startup Boston Week 2025 to help early-stage founders avoid common pitfalls, make smarter decisions, and build companies built to last.
Table of Contents:
Tech-Savvy Without the Code: Building a Startup as a Non-Technical Founder
Finding the Right Guide: How Early-Stage Founders Can Leverage Advisors & Mentors
Nailing the First 90 Days: Legal Issues Your Venture Will Face and How to Master Them
Founder's Guide to Equity Clarity: SAFEs, Term Sheets, and the Road to a Clean Cap Table
Selling the Dream: Raising Pre-Seed Capital as a First-Time Founder
Taming the Beast: Breaking Down Big Hairy Goals into Bite-Sized Wins
Tech-Savvy Without the Code: Building a Startup as a Non-Technical Founder
Building a tech startup without a technical background? You don’t need to code - but you do need to know how to make smart tech decisions, hire the right people, and manage projects effectively. This session will equip you with the knowledge to build and scale your product confidently while avoiding common (and costly) pitfalls.
You’ll learn how to:
Evaluate your startup’s tech needs and decide between custom builds or off-the-shelf tools
Hire or partner with the right technical talent, and know when you truly need a technical co-founder
Leverage AI, no-code, and automation tools to accelerate your MVP and impress investors
Speakers: Elizabeth McWhorter, Sophia Lin, Jamie Gong, Karen Kelly
Finding the Right Guide: How Early-Stage Founders Can Leverage Advisors & Mentors
Building a strong network of advisors and mentors can be a game-changer for early-stage founders - helping you make smarter decisions, open doors and sidestep common pitfalls. This session will show you how to find the right mentors, structure relationships effectively, and turn advice into real traction for your startup. You’ll walk away with practical frameworks for building and managing an advisory network that truly adds value.
You’ll learn how to:
Identify and attract the right advisors and mentors for your stage and goals
Structure relationships thoughtfully, from equity and expectations to communication cadence
Maintain long-term, productive relationships that evolve as your startup scales
Speakers: John Harthorne, Yossi Hayut, Shereen Shermak, Kat Lazell
Slice It Right: Dividing Startup Equity Without the Drama
Understanding how to structure and manage equity is essential for setting your startup up for long-term success. This session will demystify the ins and outs of equity - from splitting shares and setting vesting schedules to managing your cap table with confidence. You’ll walk away with practical tools to make fair, strategic decisions that support both your team and your company’s future growth.
You’ll learn how to:
Split equity fairly among co-founders, early hires and advisors
Set up and manage vesting schedules that protect everyone’s interests
Use cap table tools and strategies to stay organized and investor-ready
Speakers: Jason Freeman, Annie Garofalo, Anushka Singh
Nailing the First 90 Days: Legal Issues Your Venture Will Face and How to Master Them
The early days of building a company move fast - and the legal choices you make now can either fuel your growth or cause major headaches later. This session will walk you through the key legal fundamentals every founder should know, helping you protect your company, your team, and your vision. You’ll gain the confidence to make informed decisions that keep your startup on solid ground from day one.
You’ll learn how to:
Choose the right legal entity to align with your growth and fundraising goals
Structure co-founder and early team agreements to prevent future conflicts
Protect your intellectual property and set up a clean, investor-ready cap table
Speakers: Michael Perez, Elizabeth Norman
Founder's Guide to Equity Clarity: SAFEs, Term Sheets, and the Road to a Clean Cap Table
The term sheet is more than a handshake - it’s a turning point in your startup’s fundraising journey. For founders who’ve raised on SAFEs, understanding how those early agreements convert is critical to negotiating smart terms and protecting your equity. This session breaks down how to go from SAFEs to a clean, well-structured cap table while avoiding messy surprises.
You’ll learn how to:
Understand what term sheets actually control (and what they don’t)
Navigate SAFE conversions without blowing up your cap table
Decode key Series Seed terms - dilution, liquidation preferences, option pool adjustments, and board rights - and how they affect founder ownership
Speakers: Matthew Shrimpton, Robert Baker
Selling the Dream: Raising Pre-Seed Capital as a First-Time Founder
Securing pre-seed funding as a first-time founder takes more than just a great idea - it’s about selling your vision and showing investors why you’re the one to build it. This session will walk you through how to position your startup, craft a compelling story, and raise early capital with confidence. You’ll gain a clear roadmap for navigating pre-seed fundraising from pitch deck to signed SAFE.
You’ll learn how to:
Craft a standout pre-seed pitch deck that captures investor attention
Understand and strategically use SAFE agreements for early funding
Identify the right early-stage investors and communicate key milestones effectively
Speakers: Jodi Collier, Paul Hayre, Sidney McLaurin, Allison Byers
Taming the Beast: Breaking Down Big Hairy Goals into Bite-Sized Wins
Thinking big is essential - but turning big ideas into actionable steps is what drives real startup progress. This session will help you master strategic goal-setting so you can align your team, measure what matters, and keep momentum through every stage of growth. You’ll leave with practical frameworks to translate vision into results.
You’ll learn how to:
Define and apply proven goal-setting frameworks like KPIs, OKRs, and SMART goals
Set clear, measurable goals that drive focus, accountability, and alignment
Build team buy-in and use dashboards to track progress and course-correct effectively
Speakers: Alicia Tulsee
Building a company from the ground up isn’t easy, but with the right knowledge and network, you can set your startup up for long-term success. These sessions are your playbook for getting the fundamentals right, one smart decision at a time.
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