grants/FOUNDER_CHECKLIST.md

# Atlas Green Morocco — Founder's Daily & Weekly Checklist
## Keep yourself accountable with this tactical execution tracker.

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## PHASE 0: Foundation & Strategy (Weeks 1–4)

### Week 1: Choose Your Model & Start Validation

- [ ] **Day 1**: Review 5 business models. Pick your top 2.
- [ ] **Day 1–2**: 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 4–7**: Conduct 5+ customer interviews. Document every pain point.

### Week 2: Validate & Assemble Team

- [ ] **Day 8–10**: 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 10–14**: Finalize core team (you + 1–2 others) committed.

### Week 3: Regulatory & Planning

- [ ] **Day 15–17**: Research Morocco free zones. Choose top 3: Tangier, Kenitra, Casablanca.
- [ ] **Day 15**: Download SARL/SAS templates and understand incorporation process.
- [ ] **Day 18–21**: 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 22–28**: Draft 15–20 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
- [ ] 2–3 co-founders/early hires committed
- [ ] 3+ advisors signed (verbal or MOU)
- [ ] 15–20 page business plan written
- [ ] Free zone + tax jurisdiction selected

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## PHASE 1: Legal & Incorporation (Weeks 4–8)

### Week 5: Find Lawyers & Start Incorporation

- [ ] **Day 29–31**: 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 32–35**: Simultaneously: Research free-zone application requirements.

### Week 6: Banking & Holding Company

- [ ] **Day 36–39**: Free-zone application submitted (Tangier Med, Kenitra Atlantic, or Casablanca).
- [ ] **Day 38**: Receive tax ID (IF) from Morocco.
- [ ] **Day 38–40**: 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 43–44**: Set up accounting software (Xero or Wave). Budget: €500/year.
- [ ] **Day 44**: Establish financial controls: approval workflows, expense tracking.
- [ ] **Day 44–46**: Create cap table spreadsheet (Pulley or Google Sheets).
- [ ] **Day 46–48**: Draft founder agreements (roles, equity splits, vesting).

### Week 8: IP & Finalization

- [ ] **Day 49–52**: 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)

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## PHASE 2: Product MVP & Validation (Weeks 8–20)

### Week 9: Product Definition

- [ ] **Day 57–60**: Define MVP scope: List 3–5 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 63–67**: Post job ads: 1 product manager, 1 designer, 2–3 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 11–12: Development Begins

- [ ] **Day 71**: Development team onboarded + set up GitHub/GitLab + Jira.
- [ ] **Day 71–84**: Sprint 1 (2 weeks): Core feature 1 built.
- [ ] **Day 84–98**: Sprint 2: Core feature 2 + basic infrastructure.
- [ ] **Day 98–112**: Sprint 3: Core feature 3 + polish + bug fixes.

### Week 13–20: Build, Test, Beta Launch

- [ ] **Day 99**: Testing plan finalized.
- [ ] **Day 99–112**: Continuous integration + automated testing set up.
- [ ] **Day 113**: Deploy to staging environment.
- [ ] **Day 113–119**: Internal testing + bug fixes.
- [ ] **Day 119–126**: Onboard 3–5 pilot customers (free/discounted access).
- [ ] **Day 126–168**: Weekly updates + customer feedback loops.
- [ ] **Day 168**: Retrospective: What worked? What didn't? Iterate.

### Mid-Phase Checkpoint (Week 14)
- [ ] Working prototype deployed to staging
- [ ] 0–1 critical bugs remaining
- [ ] 3–5 pilot customers actively using

### End of Phase 2 Checkpoint
- [ ] MVP feature set locked + delivered
- [ ] 3–5 pilots using product weekly
- [ ] Weekly product updates shipped
- [ ] Quantified feedback collected (feature usage, NPS, pain points)
- [ ] Product roadmap for Phase 3 planned

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## PHASE 3: Revenue & Customer Traction (Weeks 20–32)

### Week 21: Pricing & Sales

- [ ] **Day 169–175**: Test 2–3 pricing models with pilot customers.
- [ ] **Day 175**: Finalize pricing strategy (SaaS/usage-based/services).
- [ ] **Day 175**: Set up payment processor (Stripe, 2Checkout).
- [ ] **Day 176–182**: Move pilots from free to paid (offer 30% discount for year 1).

### Week 22–24: Sales Process & Outbound

- [ ] **Day 183–189**: Document sales playbook step-by-step.
- [ ] **Day 189**: Set up CRM (Pipedrive, HubSpot free tier, or Salesforce).
- [ ] **Day 189–196**: Create outbound email templates + LinkedIn outreach script.
- [ ] **Day 196–210**: Start outbound campaign to 50–100 qualified leads.
- [ ] **Day 210**: Target: 50+ leads in CRM pipeline.

### Week 25–28: Customer Success & Marketing

- [ ] **Day 211–217**: Create onboarding documentation + video tutorials.
- [ ] **Day 217**: Set up customer support ticketing system (Zendesk free or Helpdesk).
- [ ] **Day 217–224**: Interview 2–3 pilot customers for case studies.
- [ ] **Day 224–231**: Publish 1–2 case studies with ROI metrics.
- [ ] **Day 231**: Create customer testimonial video (recruit 1–2 pilots to participate).

### Week 29–32: Scale & Metrics

- [ ] **Day 232–252**: Continue outbound sales + weekly prospect meetings.
- [ ] **Day 252**: First paid contracts signed (target: 3–5+ 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
- [ ] 3–5 pilots converted to paying customers
- [ ] Sales playbook documented + repeatable
- [ ] €50K–€150K ARR achieved
- [ ] 50+ leads in pipeline
- [ ] Customer Success process established
- [ ] 2–3 case studies published

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## PHASE 4: Scale & Market Expansion (Weeks 32–52)

### Week 33–36: Team & Marketing Expansion

- [ ] **Day 253–273**: Hire 1–2 full-time sales reps.
- [ ] **Day 273**: Hire 1 marketing person.
- [ ] **Day 273**: Set up blog (Medium, Ghost, or custom).
- [ ] **Day 280–294**: Publish first 2–3 technical blogs (founder + team).
- [ ] **Day 294**: Record first product demo video.

### Week 37–44: EU Expansion & Partnerships

- [ ] **Day 295–310**: Research EU market + identify 20 target customers.
- [ ] **Day 310**: Find 2–3 EU conferences to target (RE+, ESEF, Intersolar).
- [ ] **Day 310–330**: Secure booth / sponsorship for 1–2 conferences.
- [ ] **Day 330**: Identify 3–5 potential partner companies (integrators, resellers).
- [ ] **Day 337–350**: Negotiate partnership agreements + co-marketing plans.

### Week 45–52: Fundraising Prep

- [ ] **Day 351–365**: Update financial projections (3-year model).
- [ ] **Day 365**: Create investor pitch deck (15–20 slides).
- [ ] **Day 365**: Organize data room (contracts, financials, cap table, tech architecture).
- [ ] **Day 365–378**: Build list of 50 target investors.
- [ ] **Day 378**: Reach out to advisors/board for investor warm intros.

### End of Phase 4 Checkpoint
- [ ] 1–2 dedicated sales reps + 1 marketing person hired
- [ ] 10–20 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

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## PHASE 5: Seed Funding (Weeks 48–72, Parallel to Phase 4)

### Week 40–44: Pitch Deck & Materials

- [ ] **Day 281–294**: 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 45–56: Investor Research & Outreach

- [ ] **Day 315–329**: Research 50 target investors (VCs, corporate VCs, impact funds).
- [ ] **Day 329**: Create investor tracking spreadsheet.
- [ ] **Day 329–343**: Get warm intros from advisors/board to target VCs.
- [ ] **Day 343**: Aim for 20–30 investor warm intro meetings scheduled.

### Week 57–68: Pitch & Due Diligence

- [ ] **Day 344–378**: Pitch to investors (2–3 per week).
- [ ] **Day 378**: Address investor questions + provide data room access.
- [ ] **Day 378–455**: Navigate due diligence process (6–8 weeks typical).
- [ ] **Day 455**: Receive term sheet from lead investor.

### Week 69–72: Close Round

- [ ] **Day 456–462**: Negotiate term sheet with lawyer.
- [ ] **Day 462–476**: 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 12–18 months runway
- [ ] Strong investor board added

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## PHASE 6 & 7: Scale & Market Dominance (Months 6–36)

### 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 2–3 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).

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## 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)

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## 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.

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## 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.

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## Founder Self-Care Reminders

Building a startup is a marathon, not a sprint. Protect yourself:
- [ ] Sleep 7–8 hours per night (no exceptions).
- [ ] Exercise 3–4x 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).

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

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*Last Updated: January 2026*