grants/FOUNDER_CHECKLIST.md
gdegelas a05331128b Atlas Green Morocco — grant strategy platform
- Full grant strategy framework for renewable energy & green hydrogen
- AI-powered grant studio, partner outreach, financial modeling
- Umami analytics with data-performance tracking
- Live Degelas metrics connected to solar.degelas.be
- Trilingual (EN/FR/AR) with i18n support
- Dockerized with Nginx frontend + Express API proxy
2026-06-01 09:44:03 +00:00

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Atlas Green Morocco — Founder's Daily & Weekly Checklist

Keep yourself accountable with this tactical execution tracker.


PHASE 0: Foundation & Strategy (Weeks 14)

Week 1: Choose Your Model & Start Validation

  • Day 1: Review 5 business models. Pick your top 2.
  • Day 12: Write 1-page thesis for why you chose this model.
  • Day 2: Create interview template (5 questions max about their pain).
  • Day 3: Identify 20 potential customers to interview (renewable operators, industrial zones, EU buyers).
  • Day 3: Schedule first 3 customer interviews.
  • Day 47: Conduct 5+ customer interviews. Document every pain point.

Week 2: Validate & Assemble Team

  • Day 810: Interview 5 more customers. Refine your problem understanding.
  • Day 8: Identify your technical co-founder or CTO candidate.
  • Day 8: Identify your BD/operations co-founder or early hire.
  • Day 10: Contact 5 potential advisors with Morocco + green energy expertise.
  • Day 10: Meet with potential co-founders. Ensure aligned vision.
  • Day 1014: Finalize core team (you + 12 others) committed.

Week 3: Regulatory & Planning

  • Day 1517: Research Morocco free zones. Choose top 3: Tangier, Kenitra, Casablanca.
  • Day 15: Download SARL/SAS templates and understand incorporation process.
  • Day 1821: Research tax jurisdictions for holding company (UAE, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Estonia).
  • Day 19: Draft 1-page lean canvas on business model.

Week 4: Finalize Strategy & Business Plan

  • Day 2228: Draft 1520 page business plan covering problem, solution, market, go-to-market, team, financials.
  • Day 26: Finalize core team with written agreements on equity/roles.
  • Day 28: Hold first board/advisor meeting. Lock in 3+ advisors.
  • Day 28: Finalize business model choice + validate with advisors.

End of Phase 0 Checkpoint

  • Model chosen + written thesis
  • 10+ customer interviews completed
  • 23 co-founders/early hires committed
  • 3+ advisors signed (verbal or MOU)
  • 1520 page business plan written
  • Free zone + tax jurisdiction selected

Week 5: Find Lawyers & Start Incorporation

  • Day 2931: Find & interview 3 Morocco law firms (in Tangier, Casablanca, or Kenitra).
  • Day 31: Hire local lawyer. Budget: €2K€5K for incorporation.
  • Day 31: Submit SARL/SAS incorporation documents.
  • Day 3235: Simultaneously: Research free-zone application requirements.

Week 6: Banking & Holding Company

  • Day 3639: Free-zone application submitted (Tangier Med, Kenitra Atlantic, or Casablanca).
  • Day 38: Receive tax ID (IF) from Morocco.
  • Day 3840: Open corporate bank account in Morocco.
  • Day 40: Hire international lawyer (Netherlands/UAE/Luxembourg/Estonia) for holding company.
  • Day 40: Submit holding company incorporation documents.

Week 7: Financial Infrastructure

  • Day 4344: Set up accounting software (Xero or Wave). Budget: €500/year.
  • Day 44: Establish financial controls: approval workflows, expense tracking.
  • Day 4446: Create cap table spreadsheet (Pulley or Google Sheets).
  • Day 4648: Draft founder agreements (roles, equity splits, vesting).

Week 8: IP & Finalization

  • Day 4952: Draft IP assignment agreements (assign to holding company).
  • Day 50: Finalize advisor equity terms in writing.
  • Day 52: Deposit initial capital (€5K€10K) into Morocco corporate account.
  • Day 52: Record first accounting entries.

End of Phase 1 Checkpoint

  • Morocco SARL/SAS officially registered + tax ID issued
  • Corporate bank account active with initial capital
  • Free-zone application approved (or standard commercial registration confirmed)
  • Foreign holding company incorporated
  • Founder + advisor equity agreements signed
  • Accounting system operational (first transactions recorded)

PHASE 2: Product MVP & Validation (Weeks 820)

Week 9: Product Definition

  • Day 5760: Define MVP scope: List 35 core features only.
  • Day 60: Create product requirements document (PRD).
  • Day 60: Design basic user flows for MVP features.
  • Day 61: Create development roadmap: 8-week sprint plan.

Week 10: Team Assembly

  • Day 6367: Post job ads: 1 product manager, 1 designer, 23 junior/mid-level developers.
  • Day 67: Identify freelance / contract developers (Upwork, Toptal, or local Morocco).
  • Day 70: Hire product manager (full-time or part-time).
  • Day 70: Hire designer (contract or full-time).

Week 1112: Development Begins

  • Day 71: Development team onboarded + set up GitHub/GitLab + Jira.
  • Day 7184: Sprint 1 (2 weeks): Core feature 1 built.
  • Day 8498: Sprint 2: Core feature 2 + basic infrastructure.
  • Day 98112: Sprint 3: Core feature 3 + polish + bug fixes.

Week 1320: Build, Test, Beta Launch

  • Day 99: Testing plan finalized.
  • Day 99112: Continuous integration + automated testing set up.
  • Day 113: Deploy to staging environment.
  • Day 113119: Internal testing + bug fixes.
  • Day 119126: Onboard 35 pilot customers (free/discounted access).
  • Day 126168: Weekly updates + customer feedback loops.
  • Day 168: Retrospective: What worked? What didn't? Iterate.

Mid-Phase Checkpoint (Week 14)

  • Working prototype deployed to staging
  • 01 critical bugs remaining
  • 35 pilot customers actively using

End of Phase 2 Checkpoint

  • MVP feature set locked + delivered
  • 35 pilots using product weekly
  • Weekly product updates shipped
  • Quantified feedback collected (feature usage, NPS, pain points)
  • Product roadmap for Phase 3 planned

PHASE 3: Revenue & Customer Traction (Weeks 2032)

Week 21: Pricing & Sales

  • Day 169175: Test 23 pricing models with pilot customers.
  • Day 175: Finalize pricing strategy (SaaS/usage-based/services).
  • Day 175: Set up payment processor (Stripe, 2Checkout).
  • Day 176182: Move pilots from free to paid (offer 30% discount for year 1).

Week 2224: Sales Process & Outbound

  • Day 183189: Document sales playbook step-by-step.
  • Day 189: Set up CRM (Pipedrive, HubSpot free tier, or Salesforce).
  • Day 189196: Create outbound email templates + LinkedIn outreach script.
  • Day 196210: Start outbound campaign to 50100 qualified leads.
  • Day 210: Target: 50+ leads in CRM pipeline.

Week 2528: Customer Success & Marketing

  • Day 211217: Create onboarding documentation + video tutorials.
  • Day 217: Set up customer support ticketing system (Zendesk free or Helpdesk).
  • Day 217224: Interview 23 pilot customers for case studies.
  • Day 224231: Publish 12 case studies with ROI metrics.
  • Day 231: Create customer testimonial video (recruit 12 pilots to participate).

Week 2932: Scale & Metrics

  • Day 232252: Continue outbound sales + weekly prospect meetings.
  • Day 252: First paid contracts signed (target: 35+ paying customers).
  • Day 252: Track first revenue received.
  • Day 252: Set up monthly metrics dashboard: ARR, churn, CAC, NPS.

End of Phase 3 Checkpoint

  • Pricing locked + payment processor working
  • 35 pilots converted to paying customers
  • Sales playbook documented + repeatable
  • €50K€150K ARR achieved
  • 50+ leads in pipeline
  • Customer Success process established
  • 23 case studies published

PHASE 4: Scale & Market Expansion (Weeks 3252)

Week 3336: Team & Marketing Expansion

  • Day 253273: Hire 12 full-time sales reps.
  • Day 273: Hire 1 marketing person.
  • Day 273: Set up blog (Medium, Ghost, or custom).
  • Day 280294: Publish first 23 technical blogs (founder + team).
  • Day 294: Record first product demo video.

Week 3744: EU Expansion & Partnerships

  • Day 295310: Research EU market + identify 20 target customers.
  • Day 310: Find 23 EU conferences to target (RE+, ESEF, Intersolar).
  • Day 310330: Secure booth / sponsorship for 12 conferences.
  • Day 330: Identify 35 potential partner companies (integrators, resellers).
  • Day 337350: Negotiate partnership agreements + co-marketing plans.

Week 4552: Fundraising Prep

  • Day 351365: Update financial projections (3-year model).
  • Day 365: Create investor pitch deck (1520 slides).
  • Day 365: Organize data room (contracts, financials, cap table, tech architecture).
  • Day 365378: Build list of 50 target investors.
  • Day 378: Reach out to advisors/board for investor warm intros.

End of Phase 4 Checkpoint

  • 12 dedicated sales reps + 1 marketing person hired
  • 1020 paying customers acquired
  • €250K€500K ARR trajectory
  • 2+ EU partnerships active
  • Seed round materials ready (pitch deck, data room, cap table)
  • 30+ investor intros lined up

PHASE 5: Seed Funding (Weeks 4872, Parallel to Phase 4)

Week 4044: Pitch Deck & Materials

  • Day 281294: Draft investor pitch deck.
  • Day 294: Design + finalize pitch deck (hire designer if needed, budget €1K€3K).
  • Day 301: Practice pitch 10+ times in front of advisors/board.
  • Day 308: Record pitch deck on video (optional but helpful).

Week 4556: Investor Research & Outreach

  • Day 315329: Research 50 target investors (VCs, corporate VCs, impact funds).
  • Day 329: Create investor tracking spreadsheet.
  • Day 329343: Get warm intros from advisors/board to target VCs.
  • Day 343: Aim for 2030 investor warm intro meetings scheduled.

Week 5768: Pitch & Due Diligence

  • Day 344378: Pitch to investors (23 per week).
  • Day 378: Address investor questions + provide data room access.
  • Day 378455: Navigate due diligence process (68 weeks typical).
  • Day 455: Receive term sheet from lead investor.

Week 6972: Close Round

  • Day 456462: Negotiate term sheet with lawyer.
  • Day 462476: Legal docs finalized + signed.
  • Day 476: Capital wired to bank account.
  • Day 476: Announce seed round (optional but great for PR).

End of Phase 5 Checkpoint

  • Professional pitch deck finalized
  • Data room organized
  • €500K€2M seed round raised
  • Cash in bank for 1218 months runway
  • Strong investor board added

PHASE 6 & 7: Scale & Market Dominance (Months 636)

Ongoing Weekly Habits

Every Monday:

  • Review previous week's metrics (ARR, customer count, churn, NPS).
  • Update pipeline in CRM.
  • Review roadmap + prioritize this week's work.

Every Wednesday:

  • Customer check-in call (pick 23 customers, 15 min each).
  • Sales team sync (if you have a team).
  • Product/engineering standup.

Every Friday:

  • Weekly email to team + investors (1-page update on wins, blockers, metrics).
  • Retrospective (what went well? What didn't?).
  • Plan next week's priorities.

Monthly (Every 4 weeks):

  • Board/advisor meeting (1 hour).
  • Financial review + forecast update.
  • All-hands team meeting.
  • Customer advisory board meeting (if you have one).

Quarterly:

  • Comprehensive strategic review + roadmap adjustment.
  • Advisor feedback session.
  • Investor update email (if you've raised).

Key Metrics to Track (Daily/Weekly/Monthly)

Critical (Track Daily)

  • ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)
  • MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue)
  • Customer count (paying)
  • Pipeline value ($)
  • Week-over-week growth rate

Important (Track Weekly)

  • CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
  • LTV (Lifetime Value)
  • Churn rate (monthly %)
  • NPS (Net Promoter Score)
  • Sales conversion rate

Contextual (Track Monthly)

  • Gross margin %
  • Burn rate (monthly spend)
  • Runway (months of cash remaining)
  • Product adoption metrics (feature usage)
  • Customer satisfaction (support tickets, response time)

How to Use This Checklist

  1. Print this out and keep it on your desk.
  2. Check off items daily as you complete them.
  3. Review weekly — every Friday, look back. Did you hit your targets?
  4. Adjust as needed — business changes fast. Reprioritize based on what you learn.
  5. Share with your co-founders — transparency builds accountability.

Pro Tips for Founders

Do:

  • Start every day with your 3 most important tasks.
  • Spend 50% of your time on revenue (sales, product, customers).
  • Talk to customers every single week.
  • Track metrics religiously.
  • Move fast. Iterate. Learn.

Don't:

  • Build perfect products. Ship imperfect products fast.
  • Hire before you have product-market fit.
  • Spend weeks in legal/fundraising before validating demand.
  • Ignore churn. It's the silent killer.
  • Forget why you started. Mission matters.

Founder Self-Care Reminders

Building a startup is a marathon, not a sprint. Protect yourself:

  • Sleep 78 hours per night (no exceptions).
  • Exercise 34x per week (clears your mind).
  • One day per week completely offline (Sunday).
  • Monthly dinner with non-startup friends (reality check).
  • Quarterly vacation (even if just 3 days, fully unplugged).

Remember: Execution beats ideas. Start now. Learn by doing. Iterate relentlessly.


Last Updated: January 2026