Do we need defined stages before we start?

No. Use simple defaults, then rename stages when language settles.

Is this overkill before product-market fit?

Only if setup blocks you. OSTRATA is built to stay light until you choose to add complexity.

What changes when we raise and hire?

Same workspace—profiles, views, and integrations layer on. No replatform.

When the founder is still the sales team

Demo requests land in inbox. Deals live in memory. OSTRATA gives you a lightweight place to log wins and learn your process—before you hire RevOps.

RevOps hires

To start logging pipeline in Operations

1wk

To first live view

Investor or standup ready

GTM

Speed

Schema grows with product-market fit

Founder-led, not founder-only

Capture deals before the playbook exists.

You do not have a mature funnel yet. You have conversations, pilots, and a handful of accounts that matter. What you need is a record of who you talked to and what stage each deal is in—not a six-month CRM implementation.

Founders work in Operations: log a lead after a call, move a deal when terms shift, ask Pilot for a count before an investor update. Add structure when you hire, not before you have customers.

Ship without a sales playbook
Start with Contacts and Deals. Add fields and objects when your process becomes clear.
Minutes, not forms
Update the pipeline in chat between meetings instead of opening admin screens.
Same workspace as you hire
Invite the first AE to the data you already built—no migration project.

Pre-PMF

The pre-PMF pipeline problem

Spreadsheets work until two founders update different tabs. Then nobody trusts the number in the deck.

One workspace for contacts, companies, and deals
Log updates right after calls in Operations
Pin a simple view before investor or standup questions

Founder day

Founder day, realistically

Morning: three demos. Afternoon: follow-ups and a term sheet. CRM work has to fit in the gaps.

“Add contact from SeedCo, stage lead” in plain language
Search before you create to avoid duplicates
/guide when you forget how invites or objects work

Evolution

When the model changes every month

Last quarter it was pilots. This quarter you need partner-sourced deals or a Projects object.

Extend objects and fields in Setup without switching tools
Pilot reads your latest schema on the next Operations turn
Keep history on records as the business learns

First hire

First hire on the same data

Your AE should not rebuild the pipeline from forwarded threads.

Invite from Setup or use a join code with approval
Sales profile: edit deals and contacts, not full admin
They learn the same Operations habits you already use

Questions

Short answers before you request access.

Do we need defined stages before we start?: No. Use simple defaults, then rename stages when language settles.
Is this overkill before product-market fit?: Only if setup blocks you. OSTRATA is built to stay light until you choose to add complexity.
What changes when we raise and hire?: Same workspace—profiles, views, and integrations layer on. No replatform.