1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how The Founders' Stack (operated by Ashish Kulkarni / Founders' Psyche) collects, uses, and protects the information you provide when you use our platform at thefoundersstack.com.
The data controller for this platform is Ashish Kulkarni. If you have any questions about this policy or how your data is handled, you can reach us at ashish@founderspsyche.com.
By using The Founders' Stack, you agree to the collection and use of information as described here. We keep this policy in plain English and update it when anything meaningful changes.
2. Information We Collect
We collect only what we need to run the platform and make it useful to you.
- Account data — your name and email address when you sign up or log in via Google.
- Usage and onboarding data — answers you give during onboarding (startup stage, funding round, sector, geography, team size, etc.) and which tools you use. This is used to personalise your experience.
- Payment data — when you purchase a subscription, your billing information is handled by Stripe (global) or Razorpay (India). We receive confirmation that a payment was processed and your subscription tier, but we never see or store your card number, CVV, or full payment details.
- Communications — if you email us, we retain that correspondence to respond to your query.
- Analytics data — we use Google Analytics (GA4, tag G-KNB9GVD146) to understand how founders use the platform — pages visited, session duration, device type, and general location (country/region). This data is aggregated and anonymised.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To provide access to the platform tools (CapLab, TermLab, VCLab, and others).
- To personalise your experience — your onboarding answers generate a recommended tool journey.
- To process payments and send you receipts and billing confirmations.
- To send you product updates, new tool announcements, and newsletter content — only if you have opted in to receive these.
- To respond to your support or billing queries.
- To improve the platform over time by understanding how it's being used.
We do not sell your data. We do not use your data for advertising. We do not share it with third parties except the services listed in Section 6 below, which are necessary to operate the platform.
4. Data Storage and Security
- User accounts and saved data are stored in Firebase Firestore, which runs on Google Cloud infrastructure. Google is SOC 2 Type II certified.
- Passwords are never stored by us. Firebase Authentication handles all credential management. Passwords are hashed and managed by Google's identity infrastructure.
- Payment data is processed by Stripe (global) and Razorpay (India). Both are PCI-DSS Level 1 certified payment processors. We do not store any sensitive card or bank data on our servers.
- We use HTTPS across the platform to encrypt data in transit.
No security system is perfect. If you ever suspect unauthorised access to your account, contact us immediately at ashish@founderspsyche.com.
5. Cookies
- Authentication cookies — Firebase uses session cookies to keep you logged in across page visits. These are strictly necessary for the platform to function.
- Analytics cookies — Google Analytics sets cookies to track usage patterns (pages visited, session duration, returning vs. new visitors). You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking via your browser settings or the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
- No advertising cookies. We do not use any third-party advertising networks or retargeting cookies.
6. Third-Party Services
We rely on a small number of trusted third-party services to operate the platform:
- Firebase (Google) — user authentication and Firestore database.
- Stripe — payment processing for global users (outside India).
- Razorpay — payment processing for users in India (INR billing).
- Google Analytics — usage analytics to understand how the platform is used.
- SendGrid or Resend — transactional emails (used for the RadarLab investor update feature, coming soon).
Each of these services has its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review them if you have questions about how they handle data.
7. Data Retention
We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you cancel your subscription, your account and saved data remain accessible until you request deletion.
If you request account deletion, we will remove your personal data and Firestore records within 30 days. Note that anonymised, aggregated analytics data is not personally identifiable and is retained for platform improvement purposes.
8. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct — ask us to fix any inaccurate information in your profile.
- Delete — request that we delete your account and associated data (right to be forgotten).
- Export — ask us to provide your saved tool data in a readable format.
- Opt out — unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time via the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us directly.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at ashish@founderspsyche.com. We'll respond within 14 days.
9. Children's Privacy
The Founders' Stack is intended for founders and professionals. The platform is not designed for or directed at anyone under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact us and we will remove it promptly.
10. Changes to This Policy
If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will notify registered users by email before the changes take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect when the most recent revision was made.
Continuing to use the platform after a policy update constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms.
11. Contact
For any privacy-related questions or requests: