Many software companies are started opportunistically, so their product roadmaps are evolutionary. But the CEO and co-founder Parker Conrad built Rippling through intelligent design. Each product has a whitepaper, each funding round has a written memo. Releasing these memos publicly means Rippling is unafraid of competition: if you give your produc... See more

In the first few weeks of a startup’s life, the founders really need to figure out what they’re doing and why. Then they need to build a product some users really love. Only after that they should focus on growth above all else.

To help you through this process, we’ve developed a three-step framework:1. Validate that a lane is right for you2. Commit the necessary resources to give the lane a real shot3. Scale the investment to become world-class