Week 1 — Naming and identity
- Write a one-sentence brand brief.
- Generate 100 name candidates; shortlist 5.
- Run domain, social, state entity, and federal trademark checks on the shortlist.
- Lock the name. Register the .com. Grab the two social handles you'll actually use.
- Generate a wordmark concept and lock primary color, accent, ink, paper.
Week 1 — Legal and operating spine
- Pick a formation state (your home state by default; Delaware/Wyoming if you have specific reasons).
- File the LLC or corporation. Pay for the registered agent.
- Apply for the EIN on irs.gov (free, takes 10 minutes).
- Draft a simple operating agreement (template fine for solo founders).
- Open a business bank account using the formation documents and EIN.
Week 2 — Launch surfaces
- Ship a one-page website: hero, three benefits, social proof slot, single CTA.
- Wire up a sender domain on a real ESP (Resend, Postmark, or similar).
- Set up branded email signatures and the basic Google Workspace.
- Publish profiles on the two social platforms with consistent banners and bio.
- Set up basic analytics (Plausible, GA4, or PostHog) before you start sending traffic.
Week 2 — Go-to-market
- Draft a 5-paragraph launch announcement.
- Identify 25 first customers by name and how you'll reach them.
- Ship the launch to a small list before going wide.
- Capture testimonials from the first 10 customers as soon as they get value.
Beyond launch — the operating cadence
- Weekly: review pipeline, ship one customer-visible improvement, talk to three customers.
- Monthly: review revenue, expenses, and the brand surfaces customers actually see.
- Quarterly: revisit naming, brand kit, and positioning — minor adjustments compound.
The Launch Toolkit holds this checklist live in your workspace so progress persists between sessions.
Questions founders ask
Can I really launch a startup in two weeks?
If 'launch' means a legal entity, a brand, a website, and the first 10 customers — yes, with focus. If it means perfecting the product, no. The point of a fast launch is to start learning.
Should I form an LLC or a C-Corp?
Solo founders bootstrapping: LLC. Founders raising venture capital: Delaware C-Corp. The tax and equity implications differ — talk to an accountant before filing if you're unsure.
What should I outsource on day one?
Bookkeeping (cheap) and trademark filing (cheap-ish) are the two highest-ROI outsourced functions for early founders. Everything else can usually wait.
How do I avoid burning out during the launch sprint?
Pick a fixed end date. Two weeks of focused launch work followed by recovery beats six weeks of dragging. Founders who treat launch as a sprint, not a marathon, ship faster and last longer.
Run the full workflow in your workspace
Generate names, validate domains, preview a brand kit, and tick off the LLC and Etsy launch sequences from one founder dashboard.