What is a founder story and where does it show?
One product, one founder, one story: how to write it and where readers find it.
Updated
The idea
Every founder story belongs to one product and one founder. Two co-founders can each tell the story of the same product in their own words. A founder of two products writes two stories.
Getting started
Sign in and open Account > Founder story (/account/founder/story). Your products appear in a list; each says whether its story is not started, a draft or published, with a button beside it. There is also a 'Founder story for <product>' card on each listing's profile screen in your account.
Six sections
The 'Founder story: <product>' editor walks you through six sections, from how it started to what's next. Drafts autosave while you write. Photos are optional, up to 4 of them. 'Help me word this' only tidies the words you wrote - it does not invent anything. The six are: How it started, The problem, What we built, The hard parts, Milestones, What's next.
The rules
First make sure your founder profile at /account/founder is complete; the story displays your name and photo. Stories need at least 200 words across 3 sections or more, with up to 2 links and no prices or offers.
On the site
Readers find the story at /launch/<listing>/story/<founder>. On your founder profile each product's story is listed; /stories lists them site-wide. A card on the product's listing leads readers to it. Founder stories belong to the full profile: a free listing shows the card locked until it becomes a paid launch.
Earlier stories
Your earlier, all-products story stays as the general text on your founder profile. Each new product story starts from that text. Updates go live the moment you publish them again. Links to the old /founder/<name>/story address keep working and go to your product story (or your founder profile when there are several).
Questions people ask
- Do co-founders share a story?
- No. Each co-founder writes their own story of the product.
- Why can't I publish?
- Check that your founder profile at /account/founder is complete and the story meets the minimum sections and words.
- Can I change it after publishing?
- Yes. Edit it and publish again; the change is live then.