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The Garage to IPO business blog

Writing about the real business behind the simulator: how founders split equity, what a seed round actually costs, how to read a burn rate, when to hire, and what happens on the way to an exit. Every post uses worked numbers, not slogans.

Prefer reference material? Browse the startup finance guides or the glossary.

What IPO Day Actually Looks Like

Exits

What IPO Day Actually Looks Like

Behind the bell: the eighteen-month process, the S-1, the roadshow, how the price gets set, what the lockup does to your team, and the Monday after.

3 min read
Raise or Bootstrap: How to Actually Decide

Funding

Raise or Bootstrap: How to Actually Decide

Not a philosophy question. A test based on how fast your market closes, how much capital your product needs before revenue, and what outcome you actually want.

3 min read
Burn Rate Math Every Founder Should Know

Money & Ops

Burn Rate Math Every Founder Should Know

Gross burn, net burn, runway, default alive, and burn multiple — the five numbers that tell you whether you are building a company or spending one.

2 min read
Your First Ten Hires Decide Everything

Money & Ops

Your First Ten Hires Decide Everything

The first ten people set your culture, your speed, and your ceiling. A hiring order that works, the roles founders hire too early, and how to fire fast without being cruel.

3 min read
What a Seed Round Really Costs You

Funding

What a Seed Round Really Costs You

Dilution is only the headline. The real price of a seed round is the board seat, the pace you commit to, and the exit outcomes you quietly rule out.

3 min read