One founder sees a company. Another sees a college project. Both can be equally excited on day one.
Ask what each person can commit to in a busy week, before you build a plan around everyone’s free time.
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Placements can turn a two-week break into the end of a student startup.
Before debating who’ll go full-time, agree on what you can prove together in eight weeks.
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What’s the last feature you built because a user needed it?
If you can’t remember, speak to a few users before planning the next release. You might discover that the feature you almost ignored is the reason people come back.
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A CEO liked your pitch. A CTO called the technology impressive. An investor said it could be huge.
Have any of them used it?
Someone important liking your idea is not the same as someone needing your product.
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Can you name three people who use your product regularly and explain why they come back?
If that’s harder than describing your next feature, it might be time to close the terminal and find users.
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A grant approved. A purchase made. Then the work stalls because the next step needs money nobody has committed.
Founders and funders should discuss that gap before celebrating the cheque.
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If we fund only the first stage, we should not judge a founder as though we funded the whole project.
Small grants need realistic expectations, clear commitments and an honest conversation about what remains unfunded.
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“Can we afford this purchase?” is only half the question.
A small grant can get work started while leaving the founder dependent on another grant to finish it. Before committing, both sides should know where the money ends, and what happens next.
3f.vc/article/a-small-grant-…
Hardware founders: budget for testing before you spend everything building the prototype.
Components and fabrication are only part of the cost. You may also need calibrated instruments, lab access, field trials and time to understand why something failed.
Plan for those costs early. Before funding another redesign, ask whether testing the current version would tell you more about what to build next.
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Budget for testing before you build the next version.
A working prototype still needs time, equipment and money to prove it’s reliable.
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