SOC 2 Compliance: A Founder’s Guide

SOC 2 has become the de facto trust badge for B2B software, and enterprise buyers increasingly ask for it before signing. For many startups, it is the gate that unlocks larger contracts.

SOC 2 is an audit of your security and operational controls against five trust criteria. The process runs several months and produces a report you can share with prospects.

• Type I assesses controls at a point in time
• Type II tests controls over a period, usually months
• Scope covers security, availability, and optionally privacy
• An auditor firm must perform the assessment

Start with Type I to demonstrate commitment, then build toward Type II. The earlier you design controls with SOC 2 in mind, the less painful the first audit becomes.