The path · Stage 4 of 7
Stage 4: First 10 paid units
Awaiting CA/CS check — do not rely on it yet. The legal, tax or patent lines on this page have not been checked by a CA, CS or patent agent.
The mistake
The mistake
“The vendor promised one month. Delivered in six.”
What it cost: Delivered in six months instead of one, after we had paid upfront.
Other mistakes at this stage
- Pen-and-paper accounts; no invoices or salary slips. Accounting software from day one; invoice and salary-slip templates; statutory calendar
01Why it repeats
Lateness is felt long after the handshake.
Pause
Write it down before you read the procedure. Your answer stays in this browser.
02Where it sits
- Stage
- 4
- Exit test
- Paid, delivered, in use
- Proof file
- 10 invoices with payment records and a use note per customer
03The procedure
Answer the pause question above, then choose Show the procedure.
- 1Deliver, get paid, and watch each customer use it.
- 2Keep 10 invoices with payment records and a use note per customer.
- 3Physical products: put every vendor order in a written purchase order or MOU before paying.
- 4If you hold customers' personal data: the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 (gazette dated 13 November 2025) start in phases. The rules setting up the Data Protection Board applied from publication, so the Board already exists. The Consent Manager rule starts one year after publication (November 2026); most duties for businesses, including notice, security and breach reporting, start 18 months after publication, around May 2027.
Full procedures
04The template
05India specifics
- GST portal (registration and returns)Last verified: Awaiting check
- MeitY: Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 (gazette, G.S.R. 846(E))Last verified: Awaiting check
06Last verified
Last verified: Awaiting check
07The why
No psychology in this one: it is a procedure problem, not a judgement problem.
Guidance, not advice
Guidance, not advice
This is guidance, not advice. Confirm your own case with a CA, CS or patent agent.
08Track additions for this stage
Showing all tracks. Answer three questions to see only yours.
| Stage | Physical product | Software | Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Purchase order or MOU with the vendor: specification, quantity, price, date, late penalty, payment tied to delivery | Privacy policy and terms live before the first user's data is collected | Advance and milestone payments written into the contract |
Ledger line
Write one Mistake Ledger line for this gate, pass or fail: what you expected and what happened.
Open the Mistake Ledger