Starting a new venture is both exciting and tough. At Squads, after years of supporting founders as they build products and teams, we’ve seen just how many startups hit avoidable roadblocks in their early stages. The mistakes are common: skipping market validation, hiring too soon or too big, not having a clear vision, running out of cash, or simply lacking the right plan to grow.

As we explored in our white paper, these issues aren’t just bad luck – they’re predictable, and with the right support, they’re avoidable. Founders often feel the pressure to do everything at once: find a market, build a team, secure funding, design the perfect product. In the rush, it’s easy to overextend, miss warning signs, or waste resources on things that don’t move the business forward.

That’s why Squads is launching a new line of services designed to help startups get the foundation right from day one: strategic and financial advisory, built on real-world experience and best practices.

Why These Services Matter

Many startups don’t fail because of bad ideas – they struggle because they lack the right strategy, clear market focus, or strong financial planning. Common early pitfalls include unclear positioning, weak business models, and missing or rushed go-to-market plans. Founders can also lose momentum by hiring too quickly or without a real structure, or by making decisions without reliable financial guidance.

With expert support on these key topics, you can avoid wasted effort and get your startup moving in the right direction from the very start. That’s where our new advisory services come in.

What’s New: Smarter Startup Advisory with Squads

We’re excited to announce two new areas of Squads expertise – each one built to help you solve real startup problems and give your venture the best possible chance to grow.

Strategic & Organisational Services

Not sure how to bring your product to market or how to build a team that can really deliver? We can help you:

• Go-to-Market & Positioning Strategy: Find your sharpest market wedge and defend it. We’ll help you tell your story, set the right price, and pick the best channels to win your first customers.

• Business Model Design & Revenue Innovation:  Freemium? Licensing? Ecosystem? We help you pick and shape the right business model – so you’re not just building a product, you’re building a business that can earn.

• Organisation Design & Team Structuring: Get practical help from experienced leaders. We’ll design your early teams, roles, and workflows, and build hiring plans that make sense for your stage and goals.

• HR-as-a-Service:  Build a talent pipeline, set up a strong remote culture, plan pay and benefits, and make your company a place where people want to work.

• Growth Planning: Strategy sprints to define the path ahead – with clear OKRs, key milestones, funding plans, and resource allocations. You’ll always know what comes next.

• Strategic Narrative & Vision Decks: We help you craft crisp pitch decks and strategic stories for investors, partners, and new hires – because a clear story opens doors.

• Change & Crisis Management:  When the unexpected happens, or you’re facing a pivot, we’re there with trusted, practical advice. Get support for tough decisions and keep your team moving forward.

Expanded Finance & Startup Support

Building a product is only half the story. We’re bringing financial expertise to founders who want to get investor-ready, run lean, and make smart money decisions:

• Fractional CFO Support: Embedded financial leadership for all your critical moments – from planning your runway to preparing for investors and forecasting sustainable growth.

• Financial Modelling & Fundraising Decks: We build investor-grade models and projections, and design decks that speak both the language of numbers and vision.

• Revenue Model Design: We’ll help you turn your product strategy into real income – from subscriptions to usage-based, enterprise deals, or hybrid approaches.

• Unit Economics & Pricing Strategy: Guidance on what really matters: CAC vs LTV, churn, retention – so you can keep your eyes on the metrics that drive real growth.

• Operational Finance Setup: Get your accounting stack, cash flow, compliance, and cap table tools set up right from day one. Don’t let admin slow you down.

• Strategic Scenario Planning: Model out “what if” scenarios – whether you’re thinking bootstrapped, VC-backed, or considering M&A.

• Bridge to Funding: Be ready when you need investment. We help you prep, and when useful, introduce you to angels, micro-VCs, or impact investors.

• Metrics & Investor Reporting: Monthly dashboards, board updates, and KPI maps that grow with your business – keeping you and your stakeholders informed.

Get the Full Picture

These new advisory services are built on what we’ve learned from working with hundreds of startups. They’re practical, flexible, and focused on helping you avoid common mistakes so you can get ahead faster.

Want to dig deeper into startup pitfalls and how to avoid them? Download our full white paper here – or get in touch to talk about how Squads can help your venture succeed.