Use this checklist when interviewing startup founders. The goal is to assess founder-market fit, execution ability, and ambition in 45-60 minutes.
Opening (5 min): Warm up. Ask about their background and why they started the company. Listen for passion and domain expertise.
Problem and market (15 min): What problem are they solving? Who has this problem? How big is the market? Why now? Listen for specificity and customer insight.
Product and traction (15 min): What have they built? What's the traction? (GitDealFlow signal for engineering velocity.) What are the next 3 milestones?
Team and hiring (10 min): Who's on the team? What roles are they hiring? How do they plan to scale the team?
Fundraising and terms (10 min): How much are they raising? At what terms? Use of funds? Listen for realism and alignment.