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Startup Field Guide

25 years of hard-won startup lessons into one hands-on playbook. This is the Unusual Way – articles, case studies, and tools built to help founders master the journey from insight to product-market fit.

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Starting Your Company

In this section, you’ll find resources to help aspiring founders navigate the early challenges of building a company.

Articles

Introduction – Welcome to The Unusual Field Guide

Introduction – Welcome to The Unusual Field Guide

09.30.2025

Introduction – Welcome to The Unusual Field Guide

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Idea or Insight?

Idea or Insight?

09.28.2025

Idea or Insight?

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Co-Founders

Co-Founders

09.27.2025

Co-Founders

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Legal: Don’t Wing it

Legal: Don’t Wing it

09.26.2025

Legal: Don’t Wing it

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Raising at the Start: Should You?

Raising at the Start: Should You?

08.11.2025

Raising at the Start: Should You?

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Finding PMF

In this section, you will find a detailed process for finding product-market fit that we call the Unusual Way.

Articles

Introduction to Product-Market Fit and the Unusual Way

Introduction to Product-Market Fit and the Unusual Way

10.10.2025

Introduction to Product-Market Fit and the Unusual Way

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Creating a Value Hypothesis

Creating a Value Hypothesis

10.05.2025

Creating a Value Hypothesis

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Customer Discovery

Customer Discovery

10.03.2025

Customer Discovery

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Working with Design Partners

Working with Design Partners

10.02.2025

Working with Design Partners

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MVP and Measuring Product-Market Fit

MVP and Measuring Product-Market Fit

10.01.2025

MVP and Measuring Product-Market Fit

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Building Your GTM Machine

This section of the Unusual Field Guide is about that transformation: how to go from founder-led selling and product-market fit to a repeatable GTM machine.

Articles

Introduction: From Product-Market Fit to Hypergrowth

Introduction: From Product-Market Fit to Hypergrowth

10.10.2025

Introduction: From Product-Market Fit to Hypergrowth

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Translating PMF Into a Repeatable Sales Motion

Translating PMF Into a Repeatable Sales Motion

10.09.2025

Translating PMF Into a Repeatable Sales Motion

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Building Awareness, Leads, and Pipeline

Building Awareness, Leads, and Pipeline

10.07.2025

Building Awareness, Leads, and Pipeline

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Converting Interest into Revenue

Converting Interest into Revenue

10.04.2025

Converting Interest into Revenue

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GTM Motions, Models, and Teams

GTM Motions, Models, and Teams

10.03.2025

GTM Motions, Models, and Teams

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Scaling GTM: Metrics, Systems, and Crossing the Chasm

Scaling GTM: Metrics, Systems, and Crossing the Chasm

10.01.2025

Scaling GTM: Metrics, Systems, and Crossing the Chasm

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Hiring & Leadership

How do you hire your first employees? How do you know who to hire? This section provides an overview of a scalable, hiring process for early-stage companies.

Articles

Introduction: Hiring and Leadership

Introduction: Hiring and Leadership

10.14.2025

Introduction: Hiring and Leadership

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Startup hiring

Startup hiring

10.13.2025

Startup hiring

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Selling while you hire

Selling while you hire

10.12.2025

Selling while you hire

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Evaluating and closing early-stage talent

Evaluating and closing early-stage talent

10.10.2025

Evaluating and closing early-stage talent

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Managing Seed stage board meetings

Managing Seed stage board meetings

10.09.2025

Managing Seed stage board meetings

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Creating a culture of ownership – equity & transparency

Creating a culture of ownership – equity & transparency

10.09.2025

Creating a culture of ownership – equity & transparency

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Fundraising

In this section, we cover Fundraising at the Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A stages. We provide practical advice on the process, a recommendation on the content for the pitch decks, and a template you can easily follow.

Articles

Introduction: Fundraising

Introduction: Fundraising

10.11.2025

Introduction: Fundraising

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Fundraising phases & overview

Fundraising phases & overview

10.06.2025

Fundraising phases & overview

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Fundraising process

Fundraising process

10.04.2025

Fundraising process

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Building the pitch deck

Building the pitch deck

10.03.2025

Building the pitch deck

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Term sheets & decisions

Term sheets & decisions

10.02.2025

Term sheets & decisions

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Tools and templates

Tools and templates

10.01.2025

Tools and templates

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Addendum: Open Source Software

Articles

Introduction: The Unusual Way to build an enduring open source software company

Introduction: The Unusual Way to build an enduring open source software company

10.21.2025

Introduction: The Unusual Way to build an enduring open source software company

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Starting an open source company: From project to platform

Starting an open source company: From project to platform

10.20.2025

Starting an open source company: From project to platform

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Finding users and building community (the OSS discovery phase)

Finding users and building community (the OSS discovery phase)

10.18.2025

Finding users and building community (the OSS discovery phase)

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Building go-to-market (the OSS way)

Building go-to-market (the OSS way)

10.16.2025

Building go-to-market (the OSS way)

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Fundraising for open source companies

Fundraising for open source companies

10.14.2025

Fundraising for open source companies

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Hiring and leadership in OSS

Hiring and leadership in OSS

10.13.2025

Hiring and leadership in OSS

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