> Source: https://story.law/knowledge · Last updated 2026-10-28 Story LLP · Knowledge # The founder’s *law library.* Plain-English guides from the attorneys who build Story — fundraising, equity, formation, and working with lawyers. ⌘K [Start hereFounder DIY Guide](https://story.law/founder-diy-guide) Topics - [Fundraising5](https://story.law/knowledge#fundraising) - [Equity5](https://story.law/knowledge#equity) - [Entity Formation4](https://story.law/knowledge#entity-formation) - [Employment2](https://story.law/knowledge#employment) - [Legal Strategy3](https://story.law/knowledge#legal-strategy) - [Contracting with Software Engineers5](https://story.law/knowledge#contracting-with-software-engineers) - [Litigation3](https://story.law/knowledge#litigation) Format - Guides25 - [Interactive2](https://story.law/knowledge/litigation) - [From the blog4](https://story.law/blog) - VideoSoon [Fundraising](https://story.law/knowledge#fundraising)[Equity](https://story.law/knowledge#equity)[Entity Formation](https://story.law/knowledge#entity-formation)[Employment](https://story.law/knowledge#employment)[Legal Strategy](https://story.law/knowledge#legal-strategy)[Contracting with Software Engineers](https://story.law/knowledge#contracting-with-software-engineers)[Litigation](https://story.law/knowledge#litigation) [ Start here ## Founder DIY Guide The step-by-step path through the legal work a new company actually has to do — free, and in order. Open the guide](https://story.law/founder-diy-guide)[ Interactive map ## What actually happens when your startup gets sued A map of American civil litigation, drawn to scale. The boxes are sized by what they cost you. Open the map ](https://story.law/knowledge/litigation) ## Fundraising 5 guides ### [Series A, explained](https://story.law/knowledge/series-a) What it is, when it's time, and why Preferred Stock isn't just more stock. Guide12 min→ ### [Series A diligence: the 3 docs VCs want](https://story.law/knowledge/series-a-diligence-top-three-documents) Cap table, IP ownership, revenue proof — what VCs check first. Guide8 min→ ### [Cap-table detox](https://story.law/knowledge/cap-table-detox-series-a) Clean ownership math before your Series A. Guide10 min→ ### [Data rooms: Marie-Kondo your docs before diligence](https://story.law/knowledge/data-rooms-marie-kondo-before-diligence) Organize your data room before diligence to cut delays and legal fees. Guide9 min→ ### [SAFEs: what they are + how they convert](https://story.law/knowledge/what-is-a-safe-and-how-it-converts) A founder-friendly explanation of SAFEs and conversion in an equity financing. Interactive16 min→ ## Equity 5 guides ### [Startup equity, explained](https://story.law/knowledge/startup-equity) Equity instruments explained for smart founders, not lawyers. Guide15 min→ ### [What's in your cap table?](https://story.law/knowledge/whats-in-your-cap-table) Authorized vs. issued, reserved vs. granted, ISOs vs. NSOs, exercising, vesting, and convertibles, shown on the real thing. Guide5 min→ ### [Early exercise & founder-trap equity decisions](https://story.law/knowledge/early-exercise) Why early exercise, long windows, and acceleration often hurt more than they help. Guide11 min→ ### [How Story.law builds a cap table from your source documents](https://story.law/knowledge/build-cap-table-from-source-documents) Lawyer logic, legal-effectiveness checks, and diligence-ready outputs, built from your documents’ reality. Guide18 min→ ### [Restricted stock vs. options](https://story.law/knowledge/restricted-stock-vs-options) Why Aegis defaults to options for employees — the key differences. Guide9 min→ ## Entity Formation 4 guides ### [What a corporation is (and how to form one)](https://story.law/knowledge/what-is-a-corporation) Entity formation guide for Delaware C-corps. Guide12 min→ ### [S corporations: the tax election your accountant forgot to explain](https://story.law/knowledge/s-corporations) Understanding S-corp elections for startups. Guide15 min→ ### [Forming an LLC for a US startup](https://story.law/knowledge/forming-llc-us-startup) For angel-to-Series-A startups considering an LLC. Guide10 min→ ### [The Delaware flip](https://story.law/knowledge/delaware-flip) What a flip actually means for non-US founders raising from US investors. Guide10 min→ ## Employment 2 guides ### [Independent contractor vs. W-2 employee](https://story.law/knowledge/worker-classification) The risk-first guide for startup founders on worker classification. Guide13 min→ ### [Class-Action Proof Your California Startup](https://story.law/knowledge/class-action-proof-your-california-startup) How to prevent wage-and-hour class actions and PAGA claims before they start. Guide9 min→ ## Legal Strategy 3 guides ### [Legal process matters](https://story.law/knowledge/legal-process-matters) Templates vs. documents vs. processes for startup founders. Guide12 min→ ### [Get value from lawyers without going broke](https://story.law/knowledge/using-lawyers-effectively) How B2B startup founders actually work with outside counsel. Guide12 min→ ### [Securities exemptions: Form D vs. blue sky vs. no action](https://story.law/knowledge/securities-exemptions) Your options for exempting investment securities — a US startup guide. Guide12 min→ ## Contracting with Software Engineers 5 guides ### [Contract terms every founder should require from a dev agency](https://story.law/knowledge/dev-agency-contract-terms) The clause-by-clause breakdown: scope, payment, acceptance, IP, warranty, and what to push for in each. Guide12 min→ ### [Who owns the code your agency builds?](https://story.law/knowledge/who-owns-code-dev-agency) Paying for code doesn’t make you the owner. Assignment vs. license vs. work made for hire, explained. Guide13 min→ ### [Writing acceptance criteria for a dev project](https://story.law/knowledge/dev-project-acceptance-criteria) How tight your spec needs to be to hold a dev shop to a working result, not just hours spent. Guide12 min→ ### [Warranty and support terms to require from a dev agency](https://story.law/knowledge/dev-agency-warranty-support-terms) What a warranty actually buys you, when to negotiate a longer window, and when to pay for a support retainer instead. Guide11 min→ ### [Subcontractors, NDAs, and non-solicits: vetting a dev agency’s team](https://story.law/knowledge/dev-agency-subcontractors-ndas) You have no contract with the people your agency subcontracts to. Here’s how to close that gap. Guide12 min→ ## Litigation 3 guides ### [What actually happens when your startup gets sued](https://story.law/knowledge/litigation) A map of American civil litigation, drawn to scale. The boxes are sized by what they cost you. Interactive7 min→ ### [You got a “tracking technology” demand letter](https://story.law/knowledge/tracking-technology-demand-letters) Who is sending the CIPA and pixel demands, why, and what actually drives your exposure. Guide14 min→ ### [Attorney-client privilege, and why you’d care](https://story.law/knowledge/attorney-client-privilege-and-ai) Typing your worst moment into a chatbot — and what the 2026 courts said about it. Guide17 min→