Questions
Straight answers about what this is and what it costs.
What is The Second Build?
- The Second Build is a paid, self-guided learning application that teaches startup finance, equity, fundraising and founder operations to people who have already built a product. It covers cap tables, dilution, SAFEs, priced rounds, term sheets, SaaS metrics, runway, entity formation and US startup tax basics, using interactive calculators rather than prose alone. It contains 36 lessons across 9 modules, 6 calculators, 2 decision wizards and 105 glossary terms.
Who is it for?
- It is for experienced operators who are new to venture-backed startup mechanics. If you have run a business, priced work and made payroll but have never read a term sheet or modelled a SAFE conversion, this is aimed at you. It is not an introduction to business, and it does not explain what a customer is.
How much does it cost?
- $149 once. That includes 12 months of new and revised content as it ships. There is no subscription and you are never billed a second time.
What happens after the 12 months of updates?
- Everything you already have keeps working, forever. The updates window only governs content published after your window closes. Nothing is taken away, nothing stops loading, and there is no renewal you have to decline.
Is any of it free?
- No. The whole product is paid: the lessons, the calculators, the decision wizards, the glossary, the review system and your company mode. It is sold as one thing because it works as one thing, and the full syllabus is published so you can see exactly what you would be buying before you buy it.
Do I need an account?
- No. There is no signup, no password and no profile. A purchase emails you a link that shows your license key once, and you paste that key into the app on each device you read on. Your progress is stored in your own browser and is never sent to a server.
Is this legal, tax or investment advice?
- No. It is educational content. It explains how the machinery works and cites primary sources such as IRS publications, the SBA, the Delaware Division of Corporations, the FTC and SEC investor alerts, but it cannot know your situation. Talk to licensed professionals before acting.
Does it assume I want to raise venture capital?
- No. Growing on your own revenue and raising outside money are given equal editorial respect throughout. One of the decision wizards exists specifically to help you decide whether raising is relevant to you at all, and it treats both answers as legitimate.
Which country's rules does it cover?
- The United States. Legal, tax and formation content is framed around Delaware C corporations and home-state LLCs, and anything jurisdiction dependent is flagged as such. The finance and metrics material is not country specific.
Are the numbers computed or written?
- Computed. Every cap table, SAFE conversion, exit waterfall, runway and SaaS metric is produced by deterministic, unit-tested functions with documented formulas. No language model performs arithmetic in this product.
How long does it take?
- Individual lessons run 8 to 15 minutes and are designed to be left in the middle of. The whole curriculum is about 6 hours of material across 36 lessons. There is no schedule, no cohort and no expiry on your access.
Can I get a refund?
- If it is not what you expected, ask for a refund within 14 days and you get one. No form, no interview.
Is it accessible?
- It targets WCAG 2.2 AA. Every route is keyboard navigable and scanned by axe in continuous integration, color contrast is measured by hand in both themes, and reduced motion is respected. It was built for an ADHD reader, so it uses short sections, one task per screen and no gamification noise.
Does it track me?
- No. There are no third-party scripts, no cookies, no trackers and no analytics beacon on any page. The app at /app works offline and keeps your progress in your browser's local storage.