How do founders build a data room without drowning in folders?

Most founders I talk to build a data room by cloning last year's Google Drive into a new shared folder. Then they drown. Nested folders, three deck versions, half-finished financials, and a misc catch-all nobody opens.

The operator move is a checklist first, folders second. Decide what angels need for a first look, then one folder per decision fact. Cap table. Traction. Deck. Legal basics. Kill duplicates. Name files so a stranger finds them in thirty seconds.

On Round Funded we use a stage-ready checklist so founders stop guessing what belongs and stop shipping a maze. Clean beats complete.