Founder Base
How do we structure ownership?
This is the time to make sure that your corporate governance is in order. We help you define the relationships between founders, ensure the IP is actually owned by the company, and set you up for success.
Ownership and governanceIs this you?
- We're splitting equity
- Someone's joining as a co-founder
- A co-founder is leaving
- We want to give equity to an advisor or an early employee
- An investor asked for our cap table
What we do at this stage
Flat attorney fees. Filing fees, where a state charges them, are listed separately.
Not sure what you need yet? Start with real advice.
A one-on-one session with an attorney — no document prep, just a straight answer to your specific question.
- Direct conversation with a licensed attorney
- Review of any documents you already have
- Plain answers to your specific questions
- No obligation to buy anything afterward
- Not sure what stage you're in
- Want advice before you commit to anything
- You already know exactly what to file
- You're ready to just get it done
Like everything at GoLong: a real attorney, a flat fee, no upsell.
Get Started- Custom operating agreement built for multiple members
- Registered agent included for your first year
- Founders documents to manage vesting, IP assignment, and restricted shares
- Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) filing handled
- Compliance tracking so you never miss an annual filing
- Choose a physical binder (+$150) or a digital cap table for your corporate records
Raising money someday? Start as a Delaware C-Corp.
The formation investors expect — bylaws, resolutions, IP assignments, and a cap table, done right.
- Delaware C-Corp formation, filed correctly
- Custom bylaws and board resolutions drafted
- Founder stock purchase agreements and IP assignment agreements
- 83(b) election forms prepared
- Cap table set up and structured from day one
- A decision-making structure for what happens if founders don't agree, plus an optional founders' agreement
- You plan to raise venture money
- You want your 83(b) filed on time
- You're not planning to raise institutionally
- An LLC fits your plans better
Like everything at GoLong: a real attorney, a flat fee, no upsell.
Get StartedFrequently asked questions
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Why does it matter if founder equity and IP ownership are documented properly now?
Investors and buyers examine whether the company owns what it claims to own — was equity documented, was vesting considered, did every founder and contractor assign their work to the company. A buyer cannot acquire rights the company never secured.
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We're a small, early company — do we really need this level of documentation yet?
The objective is proportionate discipline, not operating like a public company: keep executed agreements in one place, maintain an accurate cap table, and document founder decisions as you go rather than reconstructing them later.
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What's the risk of waiting to clean this up?
A clean answer builds investor confidence; a missing document creates a question, and a pattern of missing documents can change how the other side evaluates risk, price, and closing conditions.
Reading for this stage
Written by the attorneys who do the work. Free, and no form to fill in.
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When the Three Musketeers Become Two: Early-Stage Founder Equity and Vesting
Vesting, the one-year cliff, IP assignments and the 30-day 83(b) clock.
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ISOs vs NSOs: How Startup Stock Options Actually Work
What you are actually granting when you promise someone options.