> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://whitepaper.surge.xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://whitepaper.surge.xyz/discovery/founder-playbook/founder-roadmap-to-funding.md).

# Founder Roadmap to Funding

Success on Surge Discovery is not passive. While legacy platforms rely on a "post and pray" methodology, Surge operates on continuous execution. The Funding Layer detailed in the previous chapter is your destination; this Playbook is your map.

To transition your project from a newly listed idea to a fully funded startup, you must master the three phases of the Surge loop: ***`Engaging your audience, Growing your verifiable signal, and converting that signal into Capital.`***

### **Phase 1: Engage (Video-First Transparency)**

In an era where anyone can use AI to generate a polished landing page and a fake roadmap, text and screenshots no longer build trust. Video is the ultimate, un-fakeable trust vector. Founders who put their face behind their code win the attention economy.

Uploading your video pitch to your project page heavily increases chances for your project to succeed.

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### Schedule Upcoming Streams

Do not launch "sudden" streams to an empty room. Use your project dashboard to schedule AMAs (Ask Me Anything), live coding sessions, or weekly product updates days in advance. This places a dynamic countdown timer on your project card, building anticipation and capturing users browsing the "Upcoming" Discovery filter.
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### Host Interactive Broadcasts

When your timer hits zero, go live. Livestreams on Surge are not one-way lectures; they are interactive feedback loops. As you demo your latest feature, monitor the "Chat with Team" tab. Answer user questions in real-time, ask for UX feedback, and physically show the ecosystem that a real, dedicated human is driving the project forward.
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### Archive Past Streams

When your broadcast ends, paste the recorded video link into your dashboard. This automatically populates the "Past Streams" tab on your project page, creating an evergreen, transparent timeline of your journey for future investors to review.
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### **Phase 2: Grow (Mastering the Ignite Economy)**

Your goal is to accumulate Global Ignites from the community to push your project up the 7-Day Velocity and 30-Day Trending leaderboards. To attract Global Ignites, you must strategically deploy your weekly budget of 150 Project Ignites (PI).

Remember: Your 150 PI budget expires every 7 days. It is a "use it or lose it" resource.

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### Automate Top-of-Funnel Marketing

Use a portion of your PI budget to set up Automated Social Tasks. Offer users PI to repost your latest major update on X (Twitter). The platform automatically verifies the action and distributes the reward. This turns your early backers into a decentralized marketing team.
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### Incentivize Bottom-of-Funnel Product Validation

A product built in a vacuum will fail. Use your PI to reward QA (Quality Assurance). Set up Manual Tasks offering higher rewards for users who find reproducible bugs or submit detailed UX tear-downs.
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###  Utilize In-Chat Micro-Rewards

When a user provides brilliant feedback or defends your project in your public chat, click the "Award Ignites" button on their message. This instant, public transfer of PI proves to the entire ecosystem that you value and compensate your contributors.
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### Deploy High-Value Perks

Users are allocating their finite Global Ignites to you; they expect a return on investment. Set up tangible Perks on your project page—such as "Lifetime Pro Software License," "Private Alpha Access," or "Guaranteed Token Allocation." Crucially, restrict these Perks to the top of your Ignite Leaderboard (e.g., "Must be in the Top 50 Supporters"). This gamifies the ecosystem, driving backers to allocate maximum Ignites to secure their rank and claim the reward.
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### **Phase 3: Get Funded (The Endgame)**

If you execute Phase 1 and Phase 2 consistently, Phase 3 becomes a mathematical inevitability. As you engage users and distribute PI, backers will lock their Global Ignites into your project.

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### Monitor Your Signal

Watch your ranking on the Discovery Page. As you climb the 7-Day Velocity and 30-Day Trending lists, you will trigger the algorithmic thresholds required to unlock the platform's capital formation tools.
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### Claim Ignition Funding

If your sustained Ignite accumulation and user retention metrics cross the required ecosystem benchmarks, you can become able to aprticipate in Ignition Race.
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