sandhill-road

[ { "id": "E001", "title": "Your Co-founder Wants to Switch Stacks", "description": "Your co-founder suggests switching from React Native to Flutter. They argue it would improve performance, but it would take time to refactor.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Rebuild in Flutter", "result": { "founderStats.morale": -2, "founderStats.tech": 1, "companyStats.productProgress": -15, "weeksLost": 3 }, "resultText": "You spent 3 weeks rebuilding, but gained technical knowledge. Product progress suffered, and the team is frustrated by the delay." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Stick with React Native", "result": { "founderStats.morale": 1, "companyStats.productProgress": 5 }, "resultText": "You avoided rewrites and maintained momentum, but missed some performance improvements." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Compromise - Hybrid Approach", "requires": { "founderStats.tech": 7 }, "result": { "founderStats.tech": 2, "companyStats.productProgress": 3, "weeksLost": 1 }, "resultText": "Your technical knowledge allowed a clever hybrid approach, gaining some benefits without a full rewrite." } ], "stage": "Garage", "weight": 1 }, { "id": "E002", "title": "Late Night Inspiration", "description": "You've been stuck on a critical feature for days. At 2 AM, a brilliant solution comes to you.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Stay up all night coding", "result": { "founderStats.health": -2, "founderStats.stamina": -3, "founderStats.tech": 1, "companyStats.productProgress": 10 }, "resultText": "You implement the solution but exhaust yourself in the process. The feature works great though!" }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Write it down and sleep", "result": { "founderStats.health": 1, "founderStats.morale": 1, "companyStats.productProgress": 5 }, "resultText": "You get a good night's sleep and implement your solution with a clear mind the next day." } ], "stage": "Garage", "weight": 2 }, { "id": "E003", "title": "Potential Angel Investor", "description": "A friend introduces you to an angel investor who's interested in your space.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Prepare a detailed pitch", "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -2, "companyStats.companyCash": 25000, "companyStats.runway": 8 }, "resultText": "Your thorough preparation pays off! The angel invests $25,000 in your startup." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Meet for coffee casually", "requires": { "founderStats.hustle": 7 }, "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -1, "companyStats.companyCash": 50000, "companyStats.runway": 16 }, "resultText": "Your natural charisma and hustle impress the investor. They write a check for $50,000 on the spot!" }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Focus on product instead", "result": { "companyStats.productProgress": 8, "founderStats.morale": 1 }, "resultText": "You decide fundraising can wait. You make good progress on your product instead." } ], "stage": "Garage", "weight": 1 }, { "id": "E004", "title": "Prestigious Accelerator Application", "description": "Applications for Y Combinator are open. It could provide funding, mentorship, and connections.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Apply (takes 2 weeks)", "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -3, "weeksLost": 2, "companyStats.productProgress": -5 }, "resultText": "You spend two weeks crafting the perfect application. Product development slows down.", "nextEvent": "E005" }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Skip this batch", "result": { "founderStats.morale": -1, "companyStats.productProgress": 10 }, "resultText": "You focus on building your product instead. You make good progress, but wonder if you missed an opportunity." } ], "stage": "Garage", "weight": 1 }, { "id": "E005", "title": "Accelerator Results", "description": "You check your email nervously. The accelerator decision has arrived.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Open the email", "result": { "founderStats.morale": 5, "companyStats.companyCash": 125000, "companyStats.runway": 40, "companyStats.investorTrust": 3, "companyFlags.inAccelerator": true, "companyFlags.acceleratorName": "Y Combinator" }, "resultText": "Congratulations! You've been accepted into the accelerator program! You receive $125,000 in funding and prepare to move to San Francisco." } ], "stage": "Garage", "weight": 0, "repeatable": false }, { "id": "E006", "title": "Technical Co-Founder Dilemma", "description": "You're struggling with technical challenges. A talented engineer offers to join as co-founder, but wants 40% equity.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Accept the offer", "result": { "founderStats.tech": 3, "founderStats.morale": 2, "companyStats.productProgress": 15, "companyFlags.hasCoFounder": true, "companyFlags.coFounderEquity": 40 }, "resultText": "Your new co-founder quickly solves technical problems that were blocking progress. The product development speeds up significantly." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Counter-offer with 25%", "requires": { "founderStats.hustle": 6 }, "result": { "founderStats.tech": 2, "founderStats.morale": 1, "companyStats.productProgress": 10, "companyFlags.hasCoFounder": true, "companyFlags.coFounderEquity": 25 }, "resultText": "After some negotiation, they accept 25% equity. You gain technical expertise without giving up too much ownership." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Decline and continue solo", "result": { "founderStats.morale": -1, "founderStats.tech": 1, "companyStats.productProgress": 3 }, "resultText": "You struggle through the technical challenges yourself, learning a lot but progressing slowly." } ], "requirements": { "companyFlags.hasCoFounder": false }, "stage": "Garage", "weight": 1, "repeatable": false }, { "id": "E007", "title": "Demo Day Prep", "description": "Demo Day is approaching fast. You need to prepare your presentation and polish your product.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Focus on the presentation", "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -2, "founderStats.hustle": 1, "companyStats.investorTrust": 2 }, "resultText": "Your presentation is polished and compelling. Investors seem impressed with your vision." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Polish the product demo", "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -2, "founderStats.tech": 1, "companyStats.productProgress": 5 }, "resultText": "The demo runs flawlessly, showing off real functionality. Technical investors are particularly impressed." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Balance both equally", "requires": { "founderStats.stamina": 7 }, "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -4, "founderStats.hustle": 1, "founderStats.tech": 1, "companyStats.investorTrust": 1, "companyStats.productProgress": 3 }, "resultText": "You work extra hours to ensure both your presentation and demo are solid. It's exhausting but well-rounded." } ], "stage": "Demo Day", "weight": 2 }, { "id": "E008", "title": "The Big Presentation", "description": "It's Demo Day. You're about to present to a room full of investors, industry experts, and press.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Focus on vision and market size", "result": { "founderStats.hustle": 1, "companyStats.investorTrust": 3 }, "resultText": "Investors are excited by the massive market opportunity you outlined. Several approach you afterward." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Emphasize metrics and traction", "requires": { "companyStats.users": 100 }, "result": { "founderStats.tech": 1, "companyStats.investorTrust": 4 }, "resultText": "Your data-driven approach impresses the investors. Your real-world metrics stand out from the crowd of speculative pitches." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Show an impressive live demo", "requires": { "companyStats.productProgress": 50 }, "result": { "founderStats.tech": 2, "companyStats.investorTrust": 2, "companyStats.users": 50 }, "resultText": "The audience gasps as you demonstrate your product. The tech blogs write about your demo, bringing in new users." } ], "stage": "Demo Day", "weight": 3 }, { "id": "E009", "title": "First Investor Meeting", "description": "After Demo Day, a well-known VC firm invites you to pitch at their office.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Prepare a detailed financial model", "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -1, "companyStats.investorTrust": 2 }, "resultText": "Your thorough preparation shows. The partners ask detailed questions about your assumptions, which you answer confidently." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Create an impressive slide deck", "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -1, "founderStats.hustle": 1, "companyStats.investorTrust": 1 }, "resultText": "Your slick presentation looks professional, though they ask some tough questions you weren't fully prepared for." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Bring your technical co-founder", "requires": { "founderStats.tech": 7 }, "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -1, "companyStats.investorTrust": 3 }, "resultText": "The technical deep dive impresses the partners. They appreciate seeing the strong technical leadership on the team." } ], "stage": "Fundraising", "weight": 2 }, { "id": "E010", "title": "Term Sheet Negotiation", "description": "A top-tier VC offers you a term sheet with a $4M valuation, but with aggressive terms including participation rights and a 2x liquidation preference.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Accept the terms", "result": { "founderStats.morale": -1, "companyStats.companyCash": 1000000, "companyStats.runway": 120 }, "resultText": "You close the round quickly and get $1M in the bank. The terms may cause problems in future rounds, but you have runway now." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Negotiate for better terms", "requires": { "founderStats.hustle": 8 }, "result": { "founderStats.hustle": 1, "companyStats.companyCash": 800000, "companyStats.runway": 90 }, "resultText": "After tough negotiations, you get standard terms but at a slightly lower valuation. You raise $800K with a 1x liquidation preference." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Shop the deal to other VCs", "requires": { "companyStats.investorTrust": 8 }, "result": { "founderStats.stamina": -2, "companyStats.companyCash": 1200000, "companyStats.runway": 140 }, "resultText": "You create a competitive situation and receive multiple term sheets. You close a $1.2M round with clean terms at a $6M valuation." } ], "stage": "Fundraising", "weight": 3 }, { "id": "E011", "title": "Product Market Fit", "description": "You've been iterating on your product for months. Your latest version seems to be gaining traction.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Focus on optimizing conversion", "result": { "companyStats.users": 300, "companyStats.revenue": 2000, "founderStats.morale": 2 }, "resultText": "You optimize your onboarding funnel and see a significant increase in conversion rates. Your user base grows steadily." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Add more features", "result": { "companyStats.productProgress": 15, "companyStats.users": 100, "founderStats.tech": 1 }, "resultText": "You build out new features that some power users love, but the overall growth is modest. The product becomes more complex." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Invest in user research", "requires": { "companyStats.companyCash": 50000 }, "result": { "companyStats.users": 500, "companyStats.revenue": 5000, "companyStats.companyCash": -20000, "founderStats.morale": 3 }, "resultText": "The research reveals critical insights about your users. You make targeted changes that dramatically improve adoption and retention." } ], "stage": "PMF", "weight": 3 }, { "id": "E012", "title": "Pricing Strategy", "description": "Your product has proven value, but you're not sure how to price it. The decision could significantly impact your growth and revenue.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Freemium model", "result": { "companyStats.users": 1000, "companyStats.revenue": 3000, "founderStats.stamina": -1 }, "resultText": "Your user base grows rapidly, but only a small percentage converts to paid. You have a lot of users but modest revenue." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Premium pricing", "result": { "companyStats.users": 200, "companyStats.revenue": 10000, "founderStats.morale": 1 }, "resultText": "You attract fewer but higher-quality customers. Your revenue per user is excellent, though growth is slower." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Tiered pricing strategy", "requires": { "founderStats.hustle": 7 }, "result": { "companyStats.users": 600, "companyStats.revenue": 15000, "founderStats.stamina": -2, "founderStats.hustle": 1 }, "resultText": "You create multiple price points for different customer segments. It's more complex to manage, but provides the best balance of growth and revenue." } ], "stage": "PMF", "weight": 2 }, { "id": "E013", "title": "Key Employee Departure", "description": "Your first engineering hire, who knows the codebase better than anyone, has received an offer from a FAANG company.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Counter with more equity", "result": { "founderStats.morale": -1, "companyStats.productProgress": 5 }, "resultText": "They accept your offer and stay, but it creates some tension with other employees who learn about the special treatment." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Let them go gracefully", "result": { "companyStats.productProgress": -10, "founderStats.morale": -2, "founderStats.tech": 1 }, "resultText": "You wish them well and organize a proper knowledge transfer. Development slows down, but you gain deeper technical understanding yourself." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Counter with flexible work arrangement", "requires": { "founderStats.hustle": 6 }, "result": { "founderStats.morale": 1, "companyStats.burnRate": -500 }, "resultText": "You offer remote work and flexible hours. They stay, and you establish a new company policy that improves overall team satisfaction while reducing office costs." } ], "stage": "PMF", "weight": 1 }, { "id": "E014", "title": "Scaling Challenges", "description": "Your user base is growing rapidly, and your infrastructure is struggling to keep up.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Hire a DevOps specialist", "result": { "companyStats.burnRate": 2000, "companyStats.productProgress": 10, "companyStats.users": 300 }, "resultText": "The new hire rebuilds your infrastructure with scalability in mind. Your system now handles traffic spikes smoothly." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Move to a managed cloud solution", "result": { "companyStats.burnRate": 1500, "companyStats.productProgress": 5, "companyStats.users": 200 }, "resultText": "You pay more for hosting, but gain reliability without hiring specialist staff. It's a good middle ground solution." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Rewrite critical components", "requires": { "founderStats.tech": 8 }, "result": { "companyStats.productProgress": 20, "companyStats.users": 500, "founderStats.tech": 2, "founderStats.stamina": -3, "weeksLost": 2 }, "resultText": "You personally lead a rewrite of the bottleneck components. It takes time and energy, but the result is a highly optimized system that can handle 10x the load." } ], "stage": "Scaling", "weight": 3 }, { "id": "E015", "title": "Marketing Channel Breakthrough", "description": "After experimenting with various marketing channels, one seems to be performing exceptionally well.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Double down on the successful channel", "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": -50000, "companyStats.users": 1000, "companyStats.revenue": 10000 }, "resultText": "You increase spending on the successful channel and see proportional growth in users and revenue." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Maintain and diversify", "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": -30000, "companyStats.users": 600, "companyStats.revenue": 6000 }, "resultText": "You maintain the successful channel while testing others. Growth is steady, and you reduce the risk of depending on a single acquisition source." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Hire a growth specialist", "result": { "companyStats.burnRate": 3000, "companyStats.users": 800, "companyStats.revenue": 8000, "founderStats.stamina": 1 }, "resultText": "The specialist optimizes your marketing efforts and takes over campaign management, freeing up your time while delivering strong results." } ], "stage": "Scaling", "weight": 2 }, { "id": "E016", "title": "Competitor Response", "description": "A well-funded competitor has noticed your success and launched a similar product with aggressive pricing.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Match their pricing", "result": { "companyStats.revenue": -5000, "companyStats.users": 200, "founderStats.morale": -1 }, "resultText": "You maintain market share but at the cost of your margins. The price war hurts your bottom line." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Focus on differentiation", "result": { "companyStats.productProgress": 15, "companyStats.users": 300, "founderStats.stamina": -2 }, "resultText": "You accelerate your roadmap to build features they don't have. Users appreciate the unique value, though it requires intense work." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Reach out to discuss acquisition", "requires": { "companyStats.revenue": 10000 }, "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": 2000000, "founderStats.morale": 5 }, "resultText": "To your surprise, they're interested in acquiring your company! After due diligence, they offer $2M for your technology and team.", "nextEvent": "E030" } ], "stage": "Scaling", "weight": 2 }, { "id": "E017", "title": "Cash Flow Crisis", "description": "Despite growing users, your burn rate has outpaced revenue growth. You have only 2 months of runway left.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Emergency fundraising round", "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": 500000, "founderStats.morale": -2 }, "resultText": "You secure funding, but at a down-round valuation that dilutes your ownership significantly." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Drastic cost-cutting", "result": { "companyStats.burnRate": -5000, "companyStats.productProgress": -10, "founderStats.morale": -3, "companyStats.users": -200 }, "resultText": "You lay off 30% of the team and cut all non-essential expenses. Morale plummets but your runway extends to 8 months." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Pivot to a more profitable model", "requires": { "founderStats.hustle": 8 }, "result": { "companyStats.revenue": 20000, "companyStats.users": -500, "companyStats.productProgress": -5, "founderStats.stamina": -3 }, "resultText": "You make the difficult decision to pivot toward enterprise customers. You lose many small customers but gain a few high-value contracts that solve your cash problems." } ], "stage": "Crisis", "weight": 3 }, { "id": "E018", "title": "Security Breach", "description": "Your security team has discovered a major data breach. Customer data has been exposed for up to 72 hours.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Immediate disclosure and apology", "result": { "companyStats.users": -400, "founderStats.morale": -2, "companyStats.revenue": -4000, "founderStats.hustle": 1 }, "resultText": "You face backlash and lose customers, but your transparency earns respect from industry observers and remaining users." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Downplay the incident while fixing it", "result": { "companyStats.users": -200, "founderStats.morale": -1, "companyStats.revenue": -2000 }, "resultText": "The short-term impact is lessened, but tech journalists eventually uncover the full extent. Your reputation takes a lasting hit." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Hire a crisis management firm", "requires": { "companyStats.companyCash": 100000 }, "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": -100000, "companyStats.users": -100, "companyStats.revenue": -1000 }, "resultText": "The professionals guide you through disclosure, remediation, and communication. The expense is significant, but damage is minimized." } ], "stage": "Crisis", "weight": 2 }, { "id": "E019", "title": "Co-founder Conflict", "description": "A fundamental disagreement about the company's direction has created a rift between you and your co-founder.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Buy out their shares", "requires": { "companyStats.companyCash": 500000 }, "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": -500000, "founderStats.morale": 2, "founderStats.stamina": -2 }, "resultText": "You negotiate a buyout that strains your cash reserves but gives you full control. The team is relieved that the conflict is over." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Bring in a mediator", "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": -20000, "founderStats.morale": 1 }, "resultText": "A professional mediator helps you find common ground. The relationship remains tense but workable, and the company can move forward." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Propose a structured split of responsibilities", "requires": { "founderStats.hustle": 7 }, "result": { "founderStats.morale": 3, "companyStats.productProgress": 10, "founderStats.stamina": 2 }, "resultText": "Your thoughtful proposal gives each founder control over different aspects of the business. With clear boundaries, your complementary strengths begin to shine again." } ], "stage": "Crisis", "weight": 2 }, { "id": "E020", "title": "Acquisition Offer", "description": "A major player in your industry has approached you with an acquisition offer of $20M.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Accept the offer", "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": 20000000, "founderStats.morale": 5, "founderStats.health": 3 }, "resultText": "You accept the offer and successfully exit your startup. Your team is excited about joining the larger company, and you secure a good outcome for your investors.", "nextEvent": "E030" }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Counter with higher valuation", "requires": { "companyStats.revenue": 30000 }, "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": 30000000, "founderStats.morale": 5, "founderStats.health": 3, "founderStats.hustle": 2 }, "resultText": "You make a compelling case based on your growth and revenue. After negotiations, they increase their offer to $30M. Your investors are thrilled with the outcome.", "nextEvent": "E030" }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Decline and continue building", "result": { "founderStats.morale": 1, "companyStats.productProgress": 10, "founderStats.stamina": -1 }, "resultText": "You believe your company has greater potential. The team is energized by your confidence in the mission, though some are disappointed about missing the exit opportunity." } ], "stage": "Exit", "weight": 3 }, { "id": "E021", "title": "IPO Opportunity", "description": "Your company has reached a scale where an IPO is feasible. Investment bankers are eager to take you public.", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Pursue the IPO", "requires": { "companyStats.revenue": 100000 }, "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": 100000000, "founderStats.morale": 5, "founderStats.health": -2, "founderStats.stamina": -5 }, "resultText": "After months of intense preparation, your company goes public at a $500M valuation. The IPO is successful, though the process was exhausting.", "nextEvent": "E030" }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Seek private funding instead", "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": 20000000, "founderStats.morale": 2 }, "resultText": "You raise a large private round at a $200M valuation, maintaining more control and avoiding public market scrutiny. Your investors are satisfied with the growth prospects." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Explore dual-track process", "requires": { "founderStats.hustle": 9, "companyStats.revenue": 50000 }, "result": { "companyStats.companyCash": 150000000, "founderStats.morale": 5, "founderStats.stamina": -4, "founderStats.hustle": 2 }, "resultText": "You pursue both IPO preparations and acquisition talks simultaneously. The competition drives up your valuation, resulting in a $700M acquisition by a strategic buyer.", "nextEvent": "E030" } ], "stage": "Exit", "weight": 2 }, { "id": "E030", "title": "Your Startup Journey Ends", "description": "You've successfully exited your startup. Looking back at the journey, what will you do with your new freedom and wealth?", "choices": [ { "id": "C001", "text": "Become an angel investor", "result": { "founderStats.morale": 3 }, "resultText": "You decide to give back to the startup ecosystem, investing in and mentoring promising founders. Your experience makes you a valuable advisor to new entrepreneurs." }, { "id": "C002", "text": "Take a year off", "result": { "founderStats.health": 5, "founderStats.stamina": 10 }, "resultText": "After years of intense work, you take time to travel, reconnect with family and friends, and recover from burnout. It's a well-deserved break." }, { "id": "C003", "text": "Start a new company", "result": { "founderStats.morale": 5, "founderStats.hustle": 2 }, "resultText": "The entrepreneurial bug hasn't left you. With lessons learned from your first success, you're ready to build something even bigger this time." } ], "stage": "Exit", "weight": 0, "repeatable": false } ]