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Play by the rules. Or should you?

So, you think you have what it takes to save the planet and build a billion-dollar startup? Well, get ready to face everything from scrappy seed rounds to lawyer-fueled due diligence, all while dodging Silicon Valley boulders. It’s a tough gig, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!

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Objective

Become the ultimate Carbon Zero Super Hero by finishing the game with three Giga T Carbon Removal Cards.

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Game Setup

Players: 2-6

Ages: 5 and up

Game Pieces: Pick your founder unicorn

Cards: There are Cash Crunch Cards, Giga T Carbon Removal Cards, Startup Snake Cards, and Startup Ladder Cards.

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Three Levels of Play

First-Time Founder: Ah, the sweet naivety.

Second-Time Founder: Because one burnout wasn’t enough.

Multiple-Exit Unicorn: The big leagues, where your LinkedIn profile makes other founders weep.

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How to Win

​Survive the brutal startup journey and be the first to cross the finish line with three Giga T Carbon Removal Cards. If you make it, you’ll be rolling in success - or at least have a cool story for your next VC pitch.

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Important: If you reach the finish line but don’t have three, have to move back to the start of the third Multiple-Exit Unicorn Level.

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Game Over

Collect 3 Cash Crunch Cards, and it’s game over. You’ve run out of funding, burned through your team, and, well, time to shut down the company (or start a new one, because entrepreneurs never quit, right?).

There's always some extra cards

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Startup Ladder Cards

Land on a ladder square and collect a Ladder Card. The same card can be used again as you advance to the next level, because each card has instructions for all three levels.

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Startup Snake Cards

Land on a snake square and collect a Snake Card. The same card applies at higher levels since each card covers all three.

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Giga T Carbon Removal Cards

Collect three Giga T Carbon Removal Cards by passing major challenges. One for your team (they haven’t quit yet!), one for traction (your app finally has real users), and one for product-market fit (people actually need what you’re selling!).

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Cash Crunch Cards

If you collect 3 Cash Crunch Cards, guess what? You’re out! Just like running out of cash in real life. Sorry, your pitch deck wasn’t compelling enough.

The Rules

Who Starts?

The youngest player goes first.

Rolling and Moving

Roll the dice and move forward. No going back, unless you’re at the end, in which case go back to the first square of level 3 (Multiple-Exit Unicorn Level).

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Feeling stuck?

Stuck on a "1 or 2 Can Go Through" Square

Land on the dreaded “Only 1 or 2” square? You’re stuck there until you roll the exact number to escape. It’s like trying to fix a critical bug at 3 AM - pure torture.

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Trading Giga T Carbon Removal Cards

Got a Cash Crunch Card but want to stay in the game? Trade in a Giga T Carbon Removal Card to lose it. Yeah, it’s like paying off your debt to avoid bankruptcy, but make the decision before you roll. Timing is everything.

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Challenge Zones

Silicon Valley Boulder Alley

Pass through the alley, and you get a Giga T Carbon Removal Card.
Get hit by a boulder, and you pick up a dreaded Cash Crunch Card.

How to Play:

There is no chance you gonna avoid or pass this zone - in any case you have to stop here first to take this challenge.

Pick a lane with a dice number, which you think you going to roll (1-2, 3-4, or 5-6), then roll a dice.

If the number on the dice matches your selected lane, congrats, you made it through alive and get a Giga T Carbon Removal Card.

If not, you get hit by a boulder and get a Cash Crunch Card.

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Due Diligence Danger Zone

Make it through, and you score a Giga T Carbon Removal Card.
But if the lawyer gets you, it’s another Cash Crunch Card for your collection of startup failures.

How to Play:

Same drill - choose a lane with a dice number, roll a dice, and hope you’re not about to drown in paperwork.

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Seed Round Gamble

Survive the round, and boom—you get a Giga T Carbon Removal Card.
Get hit by a “tough investor,” and you walk away with a Cash Crunch Card.

How to Play:

Pick a lane with a dice number, which you think you going to roll (1-2, 3-4, or 5-6), then roll a dice, hope it’s your lane and get a Giga T Carbon Removal Card. If it doesn't match, welcome to Cash Crunch hell.

Glossary

ARR - Annual Recurring Revenue is the total predictable revenue a company expects to receive from its customers over a year, typically from subscriptions or recurring services.

AWS - Amazon Web Services, a comprehensive cloud computing platform offered by Amazon.

BECCS - Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage is a technology that captures and stores carbon dioxide emissions from biomass energy plants, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

CAC - Customer Acquisition Cost is the total cost a company spends to acquire a new customer.

CEO - Chief Executive Officer is the highest-ranking executive in a company, responsible for making major corporate decisions.

CTO - Chief Technology Officer.

DD - Due Diligence, which is the process of thoroughly investigating and evaluating a business or investment opportunity before making a financial commitment. 

ESOP - Employee Stock Ownership Plan is a company-established benefit plan that allows employees to purchase company stock, often at a discounted price.

FFF - Friends, Family, and Fools, referring to the initial group of people who might invest in a startup or early-stage company.

HBR - Harvard Business Review, a highly regarded magazine and online resource for business and management insights. 

HR - Human Resources is a department responsible for managing employee relations, including recruitment, training, compensation, and benefits.

IPO - Initial Public Offering, the process through which a private company offers shares of its stock to the public for the first time. 

IRR - Internal Rate of Return is the expected compound annual rate of return of an investment or project.

LTV - Customer Lifetime Value is the total revenue a company can reasonably expect from a single customer account over the customer’s lifetime.

MVP - Minimum Viable Product is an early version of a product with just enough features to attract early adopters and validate a business idea.

M&A - Mergers and Acquisitions refers to the consolidation of companies through mergers, acquisitions, or takeovers.

SVB - Silicon Valley Bank was a prominent bank that specialized in providing financial services to technology and innovation companies. It was shut down by federal regulators in March 2023.

VC partner - senior member of a venture capital firm responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and managing investments in high-potential startups.

VPN - Virtual Private Network is a secure network connection that extends a private network across a public network, such as the internet.

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