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Founder Reference Check Tracker: Ex-employees, Customers & Investors

Organise founder reference calls. Add each reference with the founder, relationship and contact, schedule the call, move it through stages and capture the verdict and notes, including back-channel references the founder did not provide.

QUICK ANSWERGood founder referencing mixes on-list references (provided by the founder) with back-channel references (ex-colleagues, ex-employees, customers and investors you find yourself). Ask about execution, honesty under pressure, hiring and how they handle conflict, and look for consistent patterns rather than single comments.

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What the Founder Reference Check Tracker does

✅ References by founder
✅ On-list and back-channel types
✅ Call scheduling and status
✅ Verdict and notes
✅ WhatsApp request message

How to use the Founder Reference Check Tracker

STEP 1
Add references
Add one at a time, paste a list from Excel or Google Sheets, or load the sample data first.
STEP 2
Move through stages
Stages: To contact → Scheduled → Done → No response. Use the board view to drag the picture into focus.
STEP 3
Follow up
Overdue and due-this-week items are flagged. Tap WhatsApp to send a follow-up with the message filled in.
STEP 4
Export
Export CSV for your team or print the list.

Reference questions that reveal the most

Ask for specific stories: “Tell me about a time they had to deliver bad news.” “Would you work for them again?” “What should they improve?” Silence and hesitation are signals too.

Customer references test whether the product really solves the problem; ex-employee references test leadership and hiring.

Frequently asked questions

How many references should I check?

At least three to five per founder, with at least one or two back-channel references.

What is a back-channel reference?

A reference you find through your own network rather than one provided by the founder.

Should I tell founders I am doing back-channel references?

It is good practice to say you will speak to people beyond their list; most founders accept it.

Is this tool free? Do I need to sign up?

Yes. It is completely free, needs no login and has no usage limit. FastFee builds payment collection software; these startup and investor tools are free resources for founders, angels and fund managers.

Is my data private?

Yes. Everything you type stays in your own browser on this device (local storage). Nothing is uploaded to FastFee. Export or print a copy if you need to keep it.

Use it together with

Founder Background Check Checklist →Structured founder diligence: identity, education, work history, directorships, litigation, references.Founder Scorecard →Weighted 1–5 founder assessment across 6 traits with notes and side-by-side ranking.

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