Startup Document Templates

Essential startup document templates for operations, hiring, fundraising, and internal processes. Build your operational foundation.

Why Documentation Matters

In the early days, everything lives in founders' heads. That works when you're two people in a garage, but it becomes a bottleneck as you grow. Knowledge trapped in people's heads doesn't scale.

Good documentation creates leverage. Write something once, and it trains every new hire. Document a process once, and it runs without you. Build a knowledge base, and your team can self-serve answers.

These templates help you build operational documentation from day one. Start simple, iterate as you learn, and build a foundation that scales with your startup.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Document repeatable processes so anyone can follow them.

SOP: [Process Name]

Version: 1.0 Last Updated: [Date] Owner: [Name/Role]


Purpose

[Why this process exists and what it accomplishes]

Scope

[Who this applies to and when it should be used]

Prerequisites

  • [Required access/tools]
  • [Required knowledge]

Process Steps

Step 1: [Action]

[Detailed instructions]

  • Sub-step a
  • Sub-step b

Step 2: [Action]

[Detailed instructions]

Step 3: [Action]

[Detailed instructions]

Expected Outcome

[What success looks like]

Troubleshooting

IssueSolution
[Common problem][How to fix]
[Common problem][How to fix]

Related Documents

  • [Link to related doc]

Revision History

| Version | Date | Author | Changes | |---------|------|--------|---------|| | 1.0 | [Date] | [Name] | Initial version |

Internal Wiki Page

Create consistent knowledge base articles.

[Topic Title]

Last Updated: [Date] Maintained By: [Name/Team]


Overview

[Brief introduction to the topic—2-3 sentences]

Key Information

[Subtopic 1]

[Content]

[Subtopic 2]

[Content]

Quick Reference

TermDefinition
[Term][Definition]
[Term][Definition]

Common Questions

Q: [Frequently asked question] A: [Answer]

Q: [Frequently asked question] A: [Answer]

Resources

  • [Link to resource]
  • [Link to resource]

Contact

For questions, contact: [Person/Channel]

Hiring Scorecard

Evaluate candidates consistently and objectively.

Hiring Scorecard: [Role]

Candidate: [Name] Interviewer: [Name] Date: [Date] Interview Stage: [Screen/Technical/Culture/Final]


Role Requirements

Must-Have Skills (Weight: 40%)

SkillRating (1-5)Notes
[Required skill 1]
[Required skill 2]
[Required skill 3]

Nice-to-Have Skills (Weight: 20%)

SkillRating (1-5)Notes
[Preferred skill 1]
[Preferred skill 2]

Culture Fit (Weight: 25%)

ValueRating (1-5)Notes
[Company value 1]
[Company value 2]
[Company value 3]

Potential & Growth (Weight: 15%)

FactorRating (1-5)Notes
Learning agility
Ambition
Self-awareness

Overall Assessment

Total Weighted Score: __/5

Recommendation:

  • Strong Hire
  • Hire
  • No Hire
  • Strong No Hire

Key Strengths: 1. 2.

Concerns: 1. 2.

Additional Notes: [Any other observations]

Employee Onboarding Document

Set new hires up for success from day one.

Welcome to [Company Name]!

New Team Member: [Name] Role: [Title] Start Date: [Date] Manager: [Name] Buddy: [Name]


Before Day 1

  • Laptop ordered and configured
  • Accounts created (Email, Slack, etc.)
  • Workspace set up
  • Welcome email sent

Day 1: Welcome & Setup

Morning

  • Welcome meeting with manager (30 min)
  • IT setup and account access
  • Office tour / tool walkthrough
  • Lunch with team

Afternoon

  • HR paperwork and policies
  • Set up development environment
  • Read company handbook
  • Meet your buddy

Week 1: Learn & Observe

Goals

  • Understand company mission and values
  • Meet all team members
  • Complete required training
  • Shadow key processes

Meetings

  • 1:1 with manager
  • Team introduction meeting
  • Product demo
  • Department overviews

Reading

  • Company handbook
  • Product documentation
  • Team wiki
  • Recent company updates

Week 2-4: Ramp Up

Goals

  • Complete first small project
  • Understand key systems and tools
  • Start contributing to team discussions
  • Identify questions and areas of confusion

Milestones

  • First code commit / deliverable
  • Attend first sprint planning
  • Complete security training
  • 30-day check-in with manager

Day 30: Check-in

Questions for Manager:

  1. How am I progressing?
  2. What should I focus on next?
  3. What am I missing?

Questions for New Hire:

  1. What's been surprising?
  2. What do you need to be successful?
  3. What could we improve in onboarding?

Key Resources

  • [Link to company handbook]
  • [Link to product docs]
  • [Link to team wiki]
  • [Link to HR portal]

Your Go-To People

  • Manager: [Name] - [Email]
  • Buddy: [Name] - [Email]
  • HR: [Name] - [Email]
  • IT Support: [Channel/Email]

Project Brief Template

Kick off projects with clear scope and alignment.

Project Brief: [Project Name]

Date: [Date] Owner: [Name] Status: [Draft/In Review/Approved]


Executive Summary

[2-3 sentence overview of what this project is and why it matters]

Problem Statement

[What problem are we solving? Why now?]

Objectives

  1. [Primary objective]
  2. [Secondary objective]
  3. [Tertiary objective]

Success Metrics

MetricCurrentTargetTimeline
[Metric 1]
[Metric 2]

Scope

In Scope

  • [What's included]
  • [What's included]

Out of Scope

  • [What's explicitly NOT included]
  • [What's explicitly NOT included]

Timeline

PhaseDatesDeliverables
Discovery[Dates][Deliverable]
Design[Dates][Deliverable]
Build[Dates][Deliverable]
Launch[Dates][Deliverable]

Team

RolePersonResponsibility
Owner[Name][What they own]
[Role][Name][What they own]

Resources Needed

  • Budget: $__
  • Engineering: __ hours
  • Design: __ hours
  • External: [Any external resources]

Risks & Mitigations

RiskLikelihoodImpactMitigation
[Risk 1]H/M/LH/M/L[How we'll address]
[Risk 2]H/M/LH/M/L[How we'll address]

Approval

  • [Stakeholder 1] approved
  • [Stakeholder 2] approved

Next Steps

  1. [Immediate action]
  2. [Immediate action]

Key Takeaways

  • Start documenting processes before you think you need to
  • Keep documents simple and focus on what's actionable
  • Assign owners to each document for maintenance
  • Review and update documents quarterly
  • Make documents easily searchable and accessible
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