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The Pre-Seed Playbook: Convert Paid Discovery into Investor-Ready Traction for $0

You have a powerful B2B idea and a strong founding team, but investors want to see more than a pitch deck. At the pre-seed stage, how do you prove customers will actually pay for your solution without a product to sell? Lacking tangible traction like initial sales makes it incredibly difficult to de-risk your concept and secure the funding you need to build.

This playbook shows you how to overcome the 'no product, no traction' hurdle by creating a professional, automated system for paid discovery engagements. Instead of just getting verbal interest, you'll secure signed contracts and initial payments from your target customers. We'll leverage the 'Bootstrapper's Free-Tier Stack'—a curated set of best-in-class tools with generous free tiers—to manage the entire process from contract creation to invoicing, with zero upfront software cost. This process generates the concrete market validation and revenue signals that investors need to see.

Expected Outcomes

  • Provide investors with tangible proof of market demand through signed contracts and paid invoices.
  • Generate your first pre-product revenue, validating your pricing and solution.
  • De-risk your startup by proving target businesses are willing to pay to solve their problem.
  • Establish a professional, scalable process for B2B customer discovery engagements.

Core Tools in This Stack

Google Workspace

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Google Workspace is an integrated suite of secure, cloud-native collaboration and productivity apps powered by Google AI, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and Drive, designed for businesses of all sizes.

Key Features
  • Professional Email with Gmail
  • Real-time Document Collaboration
  • Secure Video Conferencing with Google Meet
  • Cloud Storage and File Sharing with Google Drive
  • Team Communication with Google Chat
  • Shared Calendars
  • Security & Management Controls
Ideal For

Company Size: Micro, Small, Medium, Large

Industries: Technology & Software, Business & Professional Services, Retail & E-commerce, Creative & Media, Education & Non-Profit, Health & Wellness, Other

Pricing

Model: Subscription, Free Trial

Tier: Low

Ease of Use

Very Easy

SignWell

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SignWell offers a fast, secure, and easy way for businesses and individuals to get documents signed online. It provides legally binding e-signatures compliant with U.S. and international laws, featuring document workflows, templates, and a detailed audit trail.

Key Features
  • Legally Binding E-Signatures
  • Document Workflows & Automation
  • Reusable Templates
  • Detailed Audit Trail
  • E-Signature API
  • Custom Branding
  • Bulk Sending
  • Requesting Attachments
Ideal For

Company Size: Micro, Small, Medium, Large

Industries: Technology & Software, Business & Professional Services, Retail & E-commerce, Creative & Media, Education & Non-Profit, Health & Wellness, Other

Pricing

Model: Freemium, Subscription

Tier: Low

Ease of Use

High

Stripe Invoicing

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A tool for businesses to create, customize, and send invoices to get paid faster. It supports global payment methods, automates recurring billing and payment reminders, and integrates seamlessly with the entire Stripe payment ecosystem.

Key Features
  • No-code invoice builder
  • Customizable invoice templates
  • Global payment acceptance (cards, bank transfers, etc.)
  • Automated recurring invoices
  • Automatic payment reminders and smart retries
  • Hosted online payment page for each invoice
  • Quote and estimate creation (Plus plan)
  • API access for developers
Ideal For

Company Size: Micro, Small, Medium, Large

Industries: Technology & Software, Business & Professional Services, Retail & E-commerce, Creative & Media, Education & Non-Profit, Health & Wellness, Other

Pricing

Model: Per-Transaction, Tiered

Tier: Low

Ease of Use

Easy to Moderate

The Workflow

graph TD subgraph "Bootstrapper's Free-Tier Stack" direction LR N0["Google Workspace"] N1["SignWell"] N2["Stripe Invoicing"] N1 -- "Archives signed document" --> N0 N1 -- "Creates and sends invoice" --> N2 end classDef blue fill:#3498db,stroke:#2980b9,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff; classDef green fill:#2ecc71,stroke:#27ae60,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff; classDef orange fill:#f39c12,stroke:#d35400,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff; class N0 blue; class N1 blue; class N2 blue;

Integration Logic

  • SignWell to Stripe Invoice Automation

    This workflow triggers when a document is completed (signed by all parties) in SignWell. The integration platform receives the signed document and associated data, including signer details and custom metadata. First, it archives the signed PDF by uploading it to a designated folder in Google Drive. Next, it uses the signer's email and name to find an existing customer in Stripe or create a new one if they don't exist. Using the customer ID and data from the SignWell document (such as service details and amount, often stored in metadata), it creates a new draft invoice in Stripe. Finally, it finalizes and sends the invoice to the customer's email address, completing the cycle from signature to billing without manual intervention.

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