Founder due diligence is the process of evaluating whether the people building a startup can actually pull it off. Most early-stage investments fail because of the team, not the market. Here's how to diligence founders.
Step 1: Background research. Read the founder's LinkedIn, previous companies, and any public writing (blog, Twitter, talks). Look for patterns of achievement and domain expertise.
Step 2: Reference calls. Ask for 3-5 references — former colleagues, managers, and reports. Ask: 'Would you work with them again?' and 'What are their blind spots?'
Step 3: Technical assessment. For technical founders, review their GitHub contributions. GitDealFlow's signal page shows commit velocity, code quality, and contributor growth. Strong engineering founders ship code consistently.
Step 4: Market understanding. In conversations, test whether the founder deeply understands the problem. Ask about competitors, customer acquisition, and the hardest part of what they're building.
Step 5: Ambition and resilience. Venture-scale founders have unusual ambition and resilience. Look for founders who've overcome significant challenges and are committed for 10+ years.