--- title: The Founder Playbook | Free First Chapter Download description: Entity formation and the legal architecture every company needs, from chapter one of The Founder Playbook. Free to read, no purchase or consult needed. image: https://turleylaw.com/hubfs/turley-law-og-default.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://turleylaw.com/playbook#main-content) Serving CT, NY & MA · Litigation in state and federal courts [Call (203) 404-3000](tel:+12034043000) [Book a Consultation — $50](https://turleylaw.com/consultation#book) [![](https://turleylaw.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/turleylaw-theme/images/brand-kit/logo/turleylaw-mark.svg) TURLEY LAW Your Business's Lawyer](https://turleylaw.com/) Practice Areas▼ [Business & Corporate Law](https://turleylaw.com/business-corporate-law) [Intellectual Property](https://turleylaw.com/intellectual-property) [Technology & Data](https://turleylaw.com/technology-data) [Employment Law](https://turleylaw.com/employment-law) [Litigation & Disputes](https://turleylaw.com/litigation-disputes) [Outside General Counsel](https://turleylaw.com/outside-general-counsel) [Business Audits](https://turleylaw.com/business-audits) [Medical Malpractice & Birth Injury](https://turleylaw.com/litigation-disputes/medical-malpractice) [About](https://turleylaw.com/about) [Insights](https://turleylaw.com/blog) [Contact](https://turleylaw.com/contact) [Book a Consultation — $50](https://turleylaw.com/consultation#book) [Business & Corporate Law](https://turleylaw.com/business-corporate-law) [Intellectual Property](https://turleylaw.com/intellectual-property) [Technology & Data](https://turleylaw.com/technology-data) [Employment Law](https://turleylaw.com/employment-law) [Litigation & Disputes](https://turleylaw.com/litigation-disputes) [Outside General Counsel](https://turleylaw.com/outside-general-counsel) [Business Audits](https://turleylaw.com/business-audits) [Medical Malpractice & Birth Injury](https://turleylaw.com/litigation-disputes/medical-malpractice) [About](https://turleylaw.com/about) [Insights](https://turleylaw.com/blog) [Contact](https://turleylaw.com/contact) [Call (203) 404-3000](tel:+12034043000) [Book a Consultation — $50](https://turleylaw.com/consultation#book) A Book by Blake Turley, Esq. # The Founder’s Playbook Everything I tell my clients before they sign anything. 16 chapters. 120,000 words. One legal roadmap. [Read Chapter 1 Free](https://turleylaw.com/playbook#get-chapter-1) [Buy the Playbook — $499](https://turleylaw.com/playbook#purchase) Turley Law ## The Founder’s Playbook Blake Turley, Esq. Chapter One · Free Preview ## Choosing an Entity & Incorporating A startup’s legal life begins with one of the most consequential decisions a founder will make: what kind of entity to form, where to form it, and how to paper the first thirty days of its existence. Done well, the decisions in this chapter cost a few thousand dollars, take about a week of calendar time, and produce a company that will pass any investor’s diligence without rework. Done poorly, they produce an entity that must be converted later at meaningful tax and legal cost, founders whose equity is not cleanly issued, and a cap table that investors will not fund until it is rebuilt from scratch. The single biggest mistake pre-seed-stage startups make is failing to set up and document founder equity early and properly. And formation mistakes rarely stay contained — they show up as friction in the first term sheet, as reps and warranties the company cannot make, and as schedule-of-exceptions items that discount the company’s valuation. This chapter answers four questions in order. First, which entity form fits the business you are actually building? Second, why is Delaware the default jurisdiction for venture-backed companies, and when does that default not apply? Third, what are the mechanical steps of forming a Delaware C-Corp and registering to operate in your home state? And fourth, what are the traps founders fall into during their first ninety days, and how do you avoid them? ### Keep reading Enter your email for the full Chapter 1 PDF — free, no purchase required. The Docket ## 16 chapters. Every question you should be asking. What founders learn the hard way — organized so you don’t have to. 01 Choosing an Entity & Incorporating Free 02 Founders' Equity & Vesting Full Playbook 03 IP Assignment & Confidentiality Full Playbook 04 Securities Law Primer Full Playbook 05 Pre-Seed Instruments — SAFEs & Convertible Notes Full Playbook 06 Priced Rounds — Term Sheets & Definitive Documents Full Playbook 07 The Pitch Full Playbook 08 Vendor & Supplier Agreements Full Playbook 09 Payment Terms & Working Capital Full Playbook 10 Employment & Contractors Full Playbook 11 Customer Agreements & Revenue Contracts Full Playbook 12 The Board & Fiduciary Duties Full Playbook 13 Cap Table Management Full Playbook 14 Reporting, Tax & Compliance Calendar Full Playbook 15 Negotiation Full Playbook 16 Founder Psychology & Management Rhythm Full Playbook Get the Full Playbook ## Every chapter. One price. $499 One-time purchase. No subscription. Yours forever. [Buy the Playbook](https://turleylaw.com/playbook#purchase) 16 chapters · 120,000 words · written by a practicing attorney ![Blake Turley, attorney and author of The Founder's Playbook](https://turleylaw.com/hubfs/turleylaw-theme/images/blake-turley-headshot.webp) About the Author ## Blake Turley, Esq. Founder & Principal Attorney, Turley Law PLLC Blake Turley is a business and technology attorney licensed in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Before law school, he built software and shipped products. Now he represents the founders, operators, and growing companies that do the same — on entity formation, SaaS contracts, corporate transactions, IP licensing, data privacy, and outside general counsel. > “Law affects every part of your life and nobody ever explains it to you. I’m going to fix that.” ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The information in this playbook is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this material. 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