From the Lab
Field Notes.
Writing on methodology, founder behavior, and the working ideas behind RIL programs.
Ideas we are testing in the field
Short reads, applied practice.
Each note comes out of program work with founders and teams.
Readiness
5 min read
What “ready” actually means at pre-seed
At pre-seed, readiness is not about having everything figured out. It is about using customer discovery, traction signals, and disciplined learning to make sharper decisions.
Methodology
7 min read
The interview your data is refusing to confirm
When 12 of 14 interviews say one thing, the two outliers usually matter more than you think. Outlier interviews can reveal the most important signal.
Practice
2 min read
Stop pitching your problem. Describe your customer’s day.
Strong customer discovery starts by understanding the customer's actual day, not by pitching the problem.
Community
3 min read
Why we don’t run a generic founder community
RIL is a structured readiness community designed to help founders turn learning into clearer strategy and next steps.