AE.7 Document Storage & Standards

When It’s Used

• As soon as you start creating shared docs, plans, or investor-facing materials
• Definitely before onboarding your first team member or advisor
• Updated as the company grows, but the structure stays constant for consistency

Organize the House — Document Storage & Standards

Establishes the company’s master file system — a standard architecture, naming convention, and permissions model. Modeled after enterprise consulting practices (e.g., EDS’ Standard Project Directory Structure), it ensures that every project and every department uses the same hierarchy worldwide.

Core Practices:

• Standard Folder Architecture (drop‑in template for Notion, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Box):
  • /Company — Legal, HR, insurance, tax documents
  • /Product — Roadmaps, specs, designs, release notes
  • /Marketing & Sales — Brand assets, campaigns, pitch decks
  • /Finance — Forecasts, models, receipts, bank docs
  • /Investors — Cap table, pitch deck, data room files
  • /Templates — Hiring docs, onboarding guides, SOPs
  • /Archive — Old or superseded materials
• Naming Convention
  • YYYY-MM-DD_Filename_INITIALS.ext
  • ✅ Example: 2025-05-23_CapTable_AF.xlsx
  • ❌ Avoid: FINAL_Deck_v7_FIXED_finalFINAL.pptx
• Version Control
  • Store the live version in a clearly marked /Current folder or pin in Notion
  • Move outdated docs to /Archive — never delete history
  • Use initials + date for major updates
  • Leverage version history in Google Docs, OneDrive, or Notion for change tracking
• Permissions & Sharing
  • Set view vs. edit rights by role — contractors ≠ founders
  • Use shared drives (not personal folders)
  • Link docs inside Notion AO pages and dashboards whenever possible
  • Add a README in each top‑level folder explaining purpose + structure

Why This Matters

This is elite‑level efficiency and process — and it’s easy, low-hanging fruit.

EDS, a global IT services and consulting giant founded by Ross Perot, used this exact model worldwide — serving Fortune 500 companies and governments with thousands of consultants across more than 40 countries. Any consultant could step into any project and find what they needed in minutes.

You’re not a giant yet — but you are building a business where new team members, advisors, partners, and investors need to find what they need fast. This structure eliminates confusion, speeds onboarding, reduces wasted time, and makes your company feel credible and scalable — from day one.

If You Don’t Do This

• Wasted time — Team members waste hours every week hunting for files or recreating docs they couldn’t find.
• Version confusion — No one knows what’s current. You ship the wrong deck to an investor or build from an outdated spec.
• Security risk — Sensitive materials live in personal folders or email threads with no access control.
• Offboarding failure — Employees leave with company files still on their laptops or Google Drives.
• Lost trust — Looks sloppy to investors, partners, and new hires. You lose momentum at the exact moment you need it.

The lack of a standardized file system is one of the most visible and quietly destructive operational gaps in early-stage companies. Everyone feels it — and no one owns it. Until now.

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Expected Output (Minimum Viable Legal Documentation):

1. Shared folder system deployed with TF’s standard architecture
2. Naming convention and permissions model in active use
3. “Single source of truth” documents linked in visible places (company dashboard, Notion AO pages)
4. All team members trained on where to store and find files