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Startups need contracts that keep up with their pace — NDAs for investor meetings, contractor agreements for your growing team, and service agreements for your first clients.
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These are the problems startups face every day without proper contracts.
Investor meetings without NDAs
Sharing your roadmap, financials, or IP without a non-disclosure agreement puts your competitive advantage at risk.
Hiring contractors without clear terms
Early hires often work without formal agreements. When things go wrong, you have no recourse — and no clear IP ownership.
Client agreements that don't scale
Your first few clients might work on informal terms. But as you grow, inconsistent agreements create liability.
Legal costs eat your runway
Paying a law firm $500–$2,000 per contract drains early-stage capital that should go toward building product.
Contracts startups actually need
Each contract is customized to your specific situation — not a generic fill-in-the-blank form.
Non-Disclosure Agreement
Protect sensitive business information during investor discussions, partnerships, and hiring.
Create this contractIndependent Contractor Agreement
Bring on developers, designers, and specialists with clear IP assignment and deliverable terms.
Create this contractService Agreement
Formalize client relationships with professional terms, payment schedules, and liability limits.
Create this contractConsulting Agreement
Engage advisors and consultants with defined scope, compensation, and confidentiality obligations.
Create this contractHow it works
From details to signed document in under 5 minutes.
Tell us what you need
Select your contract type and fill in the key details — parties, terms, jurisdiction.
Review and customize
Get a professionally drafted contract. Edit any clause inline, add sections, or adjust language.
Export and sign
Download as a polished PDF ready for signatures. Professional formatting, ready for business.
What startups are saying
“We were sending different NDAs to every investor — some we found online, some our advisor gave us. Now we have a consistent, professional template.”
Alex T.
Co-founder, SaaS Startup
“Our first contractor walked away with code he wrote for us and used it in a competing product. That won't happen again.”
Maria G.
CTO, Early-Stage Startup
“We went from paying $1,200 per legal document to creating them in minutes. The money we saved went straight into product development.”
David R.
Founder, Tech Startup
Testimonials represent typical results. Individual outcomes may vary.
Common questions from startups
- What contracts does every startup need?
- At minimum: a mutual NDA for investor and partner conversations, an independent contractor agreement for early hires, and a service agreement for client engagements. As you grow, add employment agreements and partnership agreements.
- Should I use a mutual or one-way NDA for investors?
- Most investors prefer mutual NDAs — they protect both parties. However, many VCs won't sign NDAs at all before an initial meeting. Use one-way NDAs for contractors and employees who access sensitive information.
- Do I need a lawyer to create startup contracts?
- For standard agreements (NDAs, contractor agreements, service terms), a well-drafted template customized to your situation is sufficient. For complex equity arrangements, fundraising documents, or regulatory matters, consult a startup lawyer.
- How do I protect my IP when hiring contractors?
- Your contractor agreement should include a work-for-hire clause and an IP assignment provision. This ensures that all intellectual property created during the engagement belongs to your company, not the contractor.
- Can I use these contracts across different jurisdictions?
- contract.diy generates jurisdiction-aware contracts. Select your governing law jurisdiction during creation, and the contract will include relevant legal references and comply with local requirements.
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