Launching today
Founder Sim : Startup Game
The Startup Sim That Doesn't Lie
17 followers
The Startup Sim That Doesn't Lie
17 followers
Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a trillion-dollar tech empire? Founder Sim puts you in the CEO's chair of a fledgling tech startup. This isn't just an idle clicker-you'll manage cash flow, navigate AI-powered founder dilemmas, execute ruthless M&A, and manage your Cap Table from Seed to IPO. In our massive V2.3 update, we've introduced Global Leaderboards, 4 new languages, Founder Burnout mechanics, and a Crisis Engine. The market is waiting-can you build the next Google?
Hey Product Hunt! 👋
I’m thrilled to share Founder Sim with you all today!
I built Founder Sim because I was tired of "business games" that just involved tapping a button to make a number go up. I wanted a game that actually taught you something about the realities of building a startup-something that simulated the real pressure of running out of runway, negotiating term sheets, and managing founder dilution.
Today, we are launching our biggest update ever: V2.3 – The Empire Era. We’ve evolved the game from a simple funding simulator into a full-blown empire builder.
Here is what you can do in Founder Sim:
📊 Live Cap Tables: Navigate Seed, Series A/B/C rounds with real, mathematically accurate dilution mechanics.
🧠 AI-Powered Decisions: Face generative dilemmas-from RTO debates to activist short-sellers. Your mentor (Sam) and your rival (Chad) will guide or antagonise your every move.
🦈 M&A & Hostile Takeovers: Acquire rival companies and integrate them as subsidiaries.
🏦 Advanced Corporate Finance: Issue venture debt, execute share buybacks, and use margin loans against your founder equity.
🏆 Global Leaderboards: Track your startup's Valuation and ARR against thousands of other founders in real-time.
🌍 New Localisations: Now fully playable in Español, Deutsch, French, and Brazilian Portuguese!
Whether you bootstrap for total control or secure massive VC funding to blitzscale, every decision impacts your unit economics months down the line.
We would absolutely love for you to try it out on iOS or Android and share your thoughts. What features or mechanics would you like to see next? I'll be here all day answering questions and taking notes! 🚀
The cap table management sounds deep which I love, but one thing that would really help is letting players see a visual org chart of their team and equity stakes. As you grow from 3 cofounders to hundreds of employees through M&A, it gets hard to track who owns what and reporting structures. A clean visual you can drill into would make the late game so much more readable.
@toprak967471 this is such a valid point - a bunch of our Founders (we call all our players as Founders) have flagged the same thing actually. Once you're deep in the empire phase, the numbers stop painting the full picture.
We're definitely going to build this out - a proper org chart. Appreciate you bringing it up!
How realistic are the AI founder dilemmas, do they actually adapt to your playstyle or are they just scripted scenarios that fire at certain revenue milestones?
@ayfernttk They genuinely adapt to your playstyle. The dilemmas are generated by a live AI that looks at your startup's exact situation-your industry, current cash, burn rate, team morale, technical debt, and even your founder's specific skills.
If you're running a cash-strapped startup with high technical debt, the AI will generate completely different, custom challenges than if you're a highly profitable company with a happy team. It ensures that the scenarios scale realistically with your growth!
the cap table management actually felt pretty nuanced for a browser game, not just a number that ticks up. burnout mechanic caught me off guard too, lost a solid run because i forgot to take a "vacation"