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STARTUP SYSTEMS

Articles

Welcome to hundreds of the best articles on program management, operations, mentorship, and being/supporting founders. You can browse the articles by topic or category below.

Program Design & Strategy

The Program Goals Trap: Why Most Accelerators Measure the Wrong Things

Building Your Theory of Change: A Step-by-Step Framework for Program Managers

Vertical vs. General: How to Choose Your Program's Focus (Decision Framework)

The Curriculum Design Playbook: Sequencing Content for Maximum Founder Impact

Operations & Scale

The Tool Stack Audit: Is Your Program Drowning in Software?

From Spreadsheets to Systems: When (and How) to Upgrade Your Operations

The Integration Playbook: Connecting Your CRM, Mentorship Platform, and Everything Else

Automating the Busy Work: 10 Tasks Every Program Should Automate

Founder Experience

The Sourcing Problem: How to Build a High-Quality Pipeline Without Getting Crushed

The Selection Matrix: A Rubric for Evaluating Founders Without Bias

Assessing Founder Potential When There's No Traction (Yet)

Building Diverse Cohorts: Beyond Diversity Theater

Ecosystem Building

The Mentor Recruitment Playbook: Finding Experts Who Actually Have Time

Beyond Random Pairings: A Mentor Matching System That Actually Works

The 90-Day Mentor Problem: Keeping Mentors Engaged for the Long Haul

When Mentors Underperform: How to Address Issues Without Burning Bridges

Looking for something specific?

What to Automate, What to Keep Human

While AI can streamline repetitive tasks like application management and scheduling, it's essential to maintain human connection in areas like onboarding and mentorship. The guiding principle is to automate the repeatable and humanize the relational. By applying the 3C Test—assessing tasks as clerical, creative, or conversational—managers can find the right balance, enhancing efficiency while fostering meaningful relationships.

May 13, 20253 min read

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