How we work.
Every Praxis engagement is structured as a founding partnership — equity and retainer, milestone-vested, not a monthly fee. We are embedded in the business — CGO, CTO, CFO — for 6–12 months, with a 3-month minimum. We build it, we run it, and then we hand it over.
Embedded means in the room for decisions, on calls with institutional counterparts, present when GTM architecture and technical infrastructure are being built. Three partners. Three functions. One firm — the roles a 0-to-1 founder needs and rarely has.
The first 90 days are the same every time.
Not because we follow a playbook. Because the same structural gaps appear in every 0-to-1 company, and the sequence for closing them doesn’t change.
Diagnosis. No assumptions.
Problems we can't solve get said in month one, not month six.
Delivers
- Structural gap analysis
- Function-by-function priority map
- Fit decision — go or no-go
First structure. Priority function.
Structure gets installed before the first hire is made.
Delivers
- Priority function operating
- Hiring sequence defined
- First institutional conversations initiated
System running. Company visible.
The company looks and operates like a company — not held together by founder effort alone.
Delivers
- Operating system in place
- Financial model and investor narrative
- Series A readiness baseline
Build. Operate. Transfer.
We build it, we run it, and then we hand it over. When you’re ready for a full-time team, everything transfers — the systems, the playbooks, the relationships. Nothing stays locked to us.
Build
We build the company behind your company — commercial architecture, technical infrastructure, financial model, from day one.
Operate
Embedded in the business: in the room for decisions, on calls with institutional counterparts, present when GTM architecture and technical infrastructure are being built.
Transfer
When the time is right, we hand over everything — code, systems, processes, documentation. Nothing locked to us.
Every engagement is scoped to an outcome — a defined objective, a defined period, and a defined handover. Extend or exit clean at the milestone.
Embedded. Not advisory.
The retainer covers operating cost. The equity is the alignment mechanism — it vests on milestones, not calendar time. If we don’t build something worth vesting, it doesn’t vest.
Scoped to outcome, not hours logged. That’s the difference between an operator and a consultant.
| Role coverage | CGO, CTO, CFO |
|---|---|
| Structure | Equity + Retainer |
| Vesting | Milestone-vested, not calendar time |
| Length | 6–12 months, 3-month minimum |
| Capacity | 4–5 founders per year |
| Stage | 0-to-1 |
| Mode | Embedded, quasi-founding partner |
| Entry point | 45-minute diagnostic |
The filter is the problem. Not the industry.
- Post-idea — a product, or a product in build. Not a concept.
- 2–30 person team. Past formation, not yet at scale.
- Working toward PMF — early signal that needs to become a system.
- Series A is the horizon. 12–18 months out.
- The founder is ready to build — not just plan.
- Sector agnostic. The problem is the filter, not the industry.
Hard disqualifiers
- Idea-only. No product, no build in progress.
- Looking for a vendor, not a partner.
- Equity is non-negotiable on your side.
A founding partner stretched across 15 founders is a liability, not an asset. That’s why Praxis stays at 4–5.
We say no more often than we say yes. Not to seem selective — four or five is the honest limit of what three people can carry properly.
Ten questions. Straight answers.
What is Praxis?
Praxis is a quasi-founding team for companies with a product — still building the company around it. Three partners. Three functions. One firm. CGO, CTO, CFO — the roles a 0-to-1 founder needs and rarely has. We build the company behind your company: commercial architecture, technical infrastructure, financial model — embedded, from day one, until Series A.
Is Praxis a consultancy?
No. Consultants deliver recommendations. We deliver outcomes — and we're accountable for them because our equity is on the line alongside yours. We are embedded in the business: in the room for decisions, on calls with institutional counterparts, present when GTM architecture and technical infrastructure are being built.
How does the equity and retainer structure work?
Each engagement is structured as a founding partnership — equity and retainer, milestone-vested, not a monthly fee. The retainer covers operating cost. The equity is the alignment mechanism — it vests on milestones, not calendar time. If we don't build something worth vesting, it doesn't vest.
Do you replace our team?
No. We design the system you're executing against and build the team that runs it. When you're ready for a full-time team, everything transfers — the systems, the playbooks, the relationships. Nothing stays locked to us.
What is Build-Operate-Transfer?
We build it, we run it, and then we hand it over. When you're ready for a full-time team, everything transfers — the systems, the playbooks, the relationships. Every engagement is scoped to a defined objective, a defined period, and a defined handover — and at the end we hand over everything: code, systems, processes, documentation. Nothing locked to us.
Who does Praxis work with?
Post-idea companies — a product, or a product in build, not a concept. A 2–30 person team, past formation, not yet at scale. Working toward PMF, with Series A as the horizon, 12–18 months out. Sector agnostic — the problem is the filter, not the industry.
Who is not a fit?
Idea-only companies — no product, no build in progress. Founders looking for a vendor, not a partner. And engagements where equity is non-negotiable on the founder's side. If it isn't a fit, that's said directly and early.
How long is an engagement?
6–12 months, 3-month minimum. Equity vests on milestones, not calendar time — extend or exit clean at the milestone.
How many founders does Praxis take?
Praxis takes 4–5 founders per year. A founding partner stretched across 15 founders is a liability, not an asset — four or five is the honest limit of what three people can carry properly.
How do we start?
The first conversation is a 45-minute diagnostic, not a pitch. No deck. Bring the problem as it actually is — not the polished version. We'll tell you what we see, what we'd do about it, and whether there's a fit. If there's a structural fit, the engagement is designed within two weeks. If there isn't, that's said directly and early.
A 45-minute diagnostic. No pitch. No deck.
Bring the problem as it actually is — not the polished version. We’ll tell you what we see, what we’d do about it, and whether there’s a fit.
Praxis takes 4–5 founders per year. If there’s capacity, there’s a conversation.