# Our curated collection for early-stage founders

Get inspired and level-up with articles, guides, and tools to help you go from pre-seed to Series B—and everything in between.

## Getting started

**Author:** The Carta Team  
**Date:** January 2026  
**Featured article:** How to start a startup: A clear path for founders  
Learn the foundational steps to start your startup, from finding a problem and building a team to setting up your legal structure and raising your first funds.

**Founder Education**  
**February 2024**  
**Building your founding team**  
In this article, we’ll cover the various startup positions, when to bring on which type of founding team member, and general guidelines to help you build your founding team.

**Founder Education**  
**January 2024**  
**Startup metrics and KPIs**  
This glossary covers the basic startup metrics and startup KPIs to know and when to use them to help grow your business.

**Founder Education**  
**September 2024**  
**Startup accelerators**  
Joining an accelerator can be a game-changer, providing startups with mentorship, resources, and funding at a key moment in their development.

[View more](/content/s/?filters=personaEarlyStageFounder/index.html)

## Popular tools

[**Cap table template**](/content/learn/resources/cap-table-template/index.html)  
[**Option pool calculator**](/content/learn/resources/option-pool-calculator/index.html)  
[**QSBS calculator**](/content/learn/resources/qsbs-calculator/index.html)  
[**Pitch deck template**](/content/learn/startups/fundraising/pitch-deck/#startup-pitch-deck-template-examples/index.html)

## Building a team

[**How to find a co-founder for your startup**](/content/learn/startups/founding-team/co-founder/index.html)  
[**A founder’s guide to selecting a startup law firm**](/content/learn/startups/founding-team/law-firms/index.html)  
[**How to find a startup advisor**](/content/learn/startups/founding-team/advisor/index.html)  
[**Board of directors (BoD): What founders need to know**](/content/learn/startups/private-companies/board-of-directors/index.html)

## Video courses

**VIDEO COURSE**  
**Startup Fundraising 101**  
Learn about the ins and outs of startup fundraising.

**VIDEO COURSE**  
**Cap Table 101**  
Understand cap tables from the founder’s chair—from incorporation to the exit of a fictional company.

**VIDEO COURSE**  
**The seed round**  
Ready to create your first cap table? Begin the journey of a fictional company as we build a cap table from scratch, bring in an advisor, raise early funding rounds, and hire our first employees.

## Fundraising

**Interact with Carta data using the Round Benchmarking Tool**  
Discover real-time insights on round sizes, valuations, and dilution with Carta's Round Benchmarking Tool. Tailor benchmarks by stage, sector, and region.

**In a slow fundraising environment, investors spy an opportunity for emerging managers**  
In the midst of a relatively stagnant fundraising environment, emerging fund managers may have an appealing value proposition to present to LPs.

**How PE firms are investing in AI amid a once-in-a-generation boom**  
PE firms typically don't invest in the sort of high-growth startups that dominate the AI market today. But that doesn't mean PE is sitting out the AI revolution.

**State of Private Markets: Q1 2026**  
Venture capital is making a comeback, with $30.4 billion raised in Q1 2026, fewer down rounds and less dilution. However, over 60% of funding went to AI, creating a huge valuation gap for startups.

## Equity management

**Featured article:** Cap tables  
This guide explains everything you need to know about cap tables, from building your first one to managing company ownership as you prepare for fundraising and growth.  
[View](/content/learn/startups/equity-management/cap-table/index.html)

**Equity Management**  
**November 2025**  
Learn everything you need to know about 409A valuations including what they are, when you need a valuation, valuation methodologies, and the full process.

**Equity Management**  
**June 2026**  
As your company grows, equity management can get complex. This comprehensive guide explains the basics of equity management and why it is essential for startup success.

**Equity Education**  
**March 2025**  
Learn about fair market value, what it means for stock, how to determine a stock’s fair market value, and why 409A valuations are so crucial for private companies.

**Founder Education**  
**August 2023**  
Finding an equity split that all co-founders are comfortable with is complicated. Learn some of the key ways to split equity and gain insights into the best path for you.

**Equity Education**  
**January 2024**  
Carta's ever-growing glossary of financial and private equity terms will help you understand the jargon that frequently comes up in the industry.

**Equity**  
**December 2025**  
Learn the fundamentals of company equity, including the different types you will issue and how to manage ownership as you build your business.

## Taxes  
[**Fund tax complexity: What your fund structure actually requires**](/content/blog/fund-tax-complexity/index.html)  
[**Share tax estimates with your LPs every quarter**](/content/product-updates/share-tax-estimates-lp/index.html)  
[**IFRS 2 Share-based Payment: Preparing your ESOP for audit in Singapore**](/content/blog/ifrs-2-share-based-payment/index.html)  
[**What Hong Kong’s “big bang” tax cuts mean for your fund**](/content/blog/hong-kong-carried-interest/index.html)  
[Explore the Taxes Collection](/content/learn/collections/taxes/index.html)

## Founder stories

**Mivien Labs**  
[Learn more](/content/customer-stories/mivien-labs/index.html)  
**Dapple Security**  
[Learn more](/content/blog/fundraising-files-dapple-security/index.html)  
**Coffee Resurrect**  
[Learn more](/content/customer-stories/coffee-resurrect/index.html)  
**Heylist**  
[Learn more](/content/blog/fundraising-files-heylist/index.html)

## Valuations

[**Interact with Carta data using the Round Benchmarking Tool**](/content/data/round-benchmarking-tool/index.html)  
[**As PE’s exit math changes, investors are finding new ways to drive portfolio growth**](/content/data/pe-exit-math-changes/index.html)  
[**How PE firms are investing in AI amid a once-in-a-generation boom**](/content/data/pe-investing-in-ai-2026/index.html)  
[**Portfolio holdings, now interactive in Claude**](/content/product-updates/portfolio-holdings-claude/index.html)  
[View more](/content/s/?filters=topicValuations/index.html)

## Compensation planning

**Author:** Josh Steinfeld  
**Date:** March 2026  
**Featured article:** Compensation philosophy: Creating a framework for compensation  
Learn how to create your first compensation philosophy, a clear framework that will help you make consistent decisions regarding compensation as you build your team.

**Compensation**  
**October 2025**  
Learn how salary benchmarking helps startups attract and retain talent by setting fair, competitive compensation. This guide covers key factors, implementation strategies, and solutions for effective salary and equity planning.

**Compensation**  
**October 2025**  
Learn how salary bands provide fair, consistent pay tied to responsibility, experience, and market data, making them a vital tool for founders aiming to attract and retain top talent.

**Equity**  
**December 2025**  
Learn the fundamentals of stock options, including the different types, how they are granted and vested, and the process for exercising and paying taxes.

[Explore the Compensation Collection](/content/learn/collections/compensation/index.html)